Give me dirt, but maybe give me a little less of the same dirt.

Cancer Bats have been doing their thing for more than two decades, mixing hardcore punk, metal, sludge, Southern-rock swagger, and sweaty live energy into a sound that has always felt built for a stage. The Toronto band return with Give Me Dirt, their eighth full-length, and the formula is still intact: thick guitars, booming drums, fuzzy bass, and Liam Cormier's unmistakable shouted vocals. There is plenty to like here, especially when the band lock into one of those dirty grooves that makes you want to move, but the album occasionally leans too heavily on familiar ideas.

“World Wild Fire Death Race” opens with Southern-leaning thrash riffs before the bass and drums kick everything into gear. The guitars sound thick without losing their edge, while Cormier immediately brings the familiar Cancer Bats aggression. Nate Newton appears as a guest, although his contribution doesn't particularly stand out. The song works best when the rhythm section takes over, especially toward the end when the guitars add a little more personality.

“Stay Stuck” is more immediate, built around ringing guitars, booming drums, and a huge low end. There is a strong hook here, although the Southern riffing and vocal approach brought Every Time I Die to mind. That comparison becomes even harder to ignore on “Don't Trip,” where the combination of chunky bass, Southern-metal guitars, and Cormier's phrasing sits particularly close to that territory. Cancer Bats have their own history and identity, but these songs feel more familiar than surprising.

“Bright Eyes of Gold” featuring Chris Cresswell brings a darker atmosphere and heavier vocal textures. The bass remains one of the strongest parts of the mix, while the drums add some nice detail around the guitars. Cresswell fits naturally into the track, although the feature doesn't radically change its character.

The title track, “Give Me Dirt,” is where the album really clicked for me. The opening rhythm and clapping immediately give it a different feel before the bass rolls underneath the guitars. Rather than simply piling on distortion, the band let the groove carry the song, making it feel more physical and alive. The track's focus on getting away from the digital world and reconnecting with something tangible also fits naturally with the music.

“Long Tooth” featuring Brooklyn Doran keeps that momentum going in a more relaxed direction. The deep bass and central guitar melody give the song some breathing room, while Doran's layered vocals actually change the texture of the track. It is one of the better examples of Cancer Bats bringing some atmosphere into their sound without losing their identity.

“Speed Wizard” returns to the band's familiar swagger, while “Ocean Crash” leans into a darker, heavier groove. The latter stands out because the band use dynamics instead of simply staying at full volume. The bass again becomes a major part of the song, and the heavier sections have enough contrast to keep things interesting.

“Positive Grid” and “Prognosis” are more straightforward. Both have solid riffs and grooves, but by this point the overall formula starts becoming increasingly obvious: big guitars, thick bass, shouted vocals, and a rhythm section built around the groove. “Fools Like You” closes the album with deep chugging guitars and a fast solo that adds some energy, although I wanted a slightly bigger final statement.

Cormier remains one of the band's biggest strengths. His voice has enough grit and character to make even simple lines feel physical, while the guitars bring plenty of Southern-metal swagger. The bass deserves particular credit for keeping the songs from becoming one giant wall of distortion. Jaye Schwarzer's low-end work is especially effective on “Give Me Dirt,” “Long Tooth,” and “Ocean Crash,” where it becomes part of the hook.

Kurt Ballou's production at God City Studios gives the record a huge, aggressive sound. It works when the band are locked into a great groove, but that size occasionally makes the songs blend together. The record could have benefited from a little more contrast between the heavier tracks and the more atmospheric moments.

The environmental themes also give Give Me Dirt an interesting foundation, with ideas around nature, travel, physical experience, and getting away from increasingly digital lives. When the music becomes more spacious or groove-focused, those ideas come through naturally. At other points, the songwriting doesn't quite reflect that broader sense of exploration.

That's ultimately where I land with the album. Cancer Bats still have the riffs, groove, attitude, and live energy that have kept them around for more than twenty years. “Give Me Dirt,” “Long Tooth,” and “Ocean Crash” are the moments where those qualities feel most focused, while some of the other tracks settle too comfortably into familiar territory.

Give Me Dirt isn't a reinvention, and it doesn't need to be. Cancer Bats clearly know what they do well. I just wanted a few more moments where they pushed that sound somewhere I wasn't expecting.

For now, it's dirty, heavy, loud, and unmistakably Cancer Bats.