A workmanlike death metal band from England, Cancer is notable for
recruiting the talents of James Murphy, who has played for many
well-known bands in his day, for their second, and probably
best-known album, Death Shall Rise.
Murphy left after that album, as it was too difficult for him to
continue in a British band while living in America, but the rest of
the band soldiered on, even winning a major label contract (rare
for a death metal band) for their fourth, and ultimately last,
album, Black Faith.
Most of the material on the first three albums are similar in
nature, that being steady, mid-paced, typical death metal, while
on Black Faith the death metal influences were toned down a bit,
replaced by a more thrash sound.
The band broke up soon after that album, but reunited in 2003 with
a new lineup, and a new EP, Corporation$, was released in May 2004,
with a new album, Spirit In Flames, released in June 2005.
However, they again split up in early 2006, though several members,
both recent and past, have teamed up in a new band called
Hail Of Fire.
More recently (October 2007) came the announcement that John Walker had
put together a new band called Liquid Graveyard.
Recent album: Inverted World,
released on April 25, 2025.
