Cancer

Formed in Ironbridge, Shropshire, in the late 1980s, Cancer is part of the first British wave of death metal with an approach marked by thrash, direct riffs and writing focused on rhythmic impact. The band came to attention after several demos and released To the Gory End in 1990, followed by Death Shall Rise in 1991 and The Sins of Mankind in 1993, three records that established Cancer on European and North American metal stages. Over this early period, Cancer toured with acts such as Obituary, Deicide, or Unleashed, while James Murphy contributed to the Death Shall Rise album. In 1995, Black Faith marked a shift toward a heavier and more groove-oriented sound, shortly before a split in 1996. An initial reformation occurred in the 2000s with the EP Corporation$ in 2004 and the album Spirit in Flames in 2005, then Cancer resumed activity more durably from 2013. Led by vocalist and guitarist John Walker, Cancer returned with Shadow Gripped in 2018, in a vein reconnecting with its rough, dark death metal, and then with Inverted World in 2025. Today, Cancer continues to evolve between dry brutality, old-school heritage and thrash tension.