Cancerslug The Unkindest Cut 2000-2013 Review

*Originally written in 2013*

As someone who at one point had all of the released Cancerslug mp3's on their hard drive back in the early 2000's, I'm elated to finally have some of the band's best material digitally remastered. Everything on The Unkindest Cut sounds considerably better than it's predecessors that were available for free a decade ago. They're still available online if you look hard enough though, if you're interested.

This album serves two purposes. The first is to introduce people to the vile, gory, disturbing and haunting intensity that is Alex Story and Cancerslug. Those familiar with the band need not this introduction as we have had all of our senses assaulted and molested for quite some time. Those who are not need to just sample some of the songs here or go to YouTube and check out some live footage of the band. You'll either feel that inherent connection with them or you'll drop your jaw in disgust. This isn't a walk in the park with the Care Bears. Think of it more as a werewolf with a strap on, duck tape and a switchblade. I digress. Anyway, the second purpose of this album is to prepare the masses for Seasons of Sickness, the band's forthcoming album to be released in the fall of this year. It will be the first studio album from the band of new material in a decade. Alex has indicated that it will be the most intense and dark album he's been a part of. If that's the case, the world doesn't stand a chance!

As a long time fan, it was great to hear songs like "The Raven," "Succubus," "The Beasts with Two Backs," "My Black Angel" and the demo of "Demonic Angel" get the treatment they deserve. I was surprised that many of the band's classics like "Me," "Fetus Milkshake" and "Silent Bleeding" were missing, but when you have a catalog as vast as Cancerslug's, it's practically impossible to get every classic in one place.

~TJ