20 Years of ‘Birthing the Giant’

On April 16th, Cancer Bats brought pure chaos to Metro Hub in Kelowna for a sold-out, all-ages show that felt less like a concert and more like a full-body experience.

The night was stacked from the start, with Chastity, Teeth, and Anciients setting the stage. Each bringing their own blend of grit, heaviness, and intensity.The moment Cancer Bats hit, the room erupted. This was what everyone came for.

Formed in Toronto in 2004 by vocalist Liam Cormier and guitarist Scott Middleton, Cancer Bats carved out a sound that fused hardcore punk with sludge, metal, and southern rock influences . Two decades later, that sound still hits just as hard, if not harder.

The night was a celebration of their debut album, Birthing the Giant, a record that helped shape an entire generation of bands in the metal, punk, and hardcore scenes. Released in 2006, it was raw, loud, and unapologetically aggressive, a blueprint that still resonates today .

From the opening note, the crowd exploded. Moshing, shouting, bodies colliding, Kelowna showed up ready. Sweat dripped from the ceiling, hair flew in every direction, and every lyric was screamed back at the stage. It was loud. It was relentless. It was everything a show like this should be.

Cancer Bats didn’t just perform Birthing the Giant, they reignited it. Track after track landed with the same urgency and aggression that made the album iconic in the first place. There’s something rare about seeing a band revisit their roots without losing any of the fire and Cancer Bats proved they’ve still got it.

Twenty years later, Birthing the Giant isn’t just an album, it’s a legacy. And in a packed room at The Metro Hub, surrounded by a sea of headbanging fans, that legacy felt very much alive.