United Kingdom · Peaceville Records
This legendary band was formed over a pint in Ironbridge, near Telford by guitarist John Walker, drummer Carl Stokes and bassist Ian Buchanan. After releasing two of the most primitive demos in recorded history, “No Fuckin’ Cover” (1988) and “Demo #2” (1989), Cancer would release one of the iconic “To the Gory End” in 1990. For perspective, this album ran pretty much neck and neck with Napalm Death’s “Harmony Corruption” and Obituary’s “Cause of Death” in terms of quality, imagery and influence – only to be surpassed by 1991’s “Death Shall Rise”, recorded at Morrisound Studios with Scott Burns, James Murphy on lead guitar and backing vocals from Deicide’s Glen Benton on the track ‘Hung Drawn and Quartered’. Even without its American partners, 1993’s “The Sins of Mankind” was still a perfect follow-up and it’s no exaggeration to say that this was one of the greatest death metal trilogies in the history of the genre. After the release of “Black Faith” in 1995, Cancer parted ways, reforming in 2003. The band attempted to find its feet with 2005’s “Spirit in Flames” and returned to the path with an even heavier sound via 2018’s “Shadow Gripped”. Cancer’s appearance at Kill-Town London will be a 2024 UK exclusive and one of a handful of shows to be performed this year.
