BIO-CANCER (Greece) is an extreme thrash metal band based in Athens, formed in 2010, and was one of the leading acts in the emerging thrash scene of the early ‘10s in the country. Since then, two albums have been released; “Ear Piercing Thrash” (2012, Athens Thrash Attack Records) and “Tormenting The Innocent” (2015, Candlelight Records). Currently signed under Dutch label - Hammerheart Records, Bio-Cancer (will be) back with their third full-length entitled “Revengeance”, (scheduled to be) unleashed on September 8, 2023.
Questions by The Unblessed
Answered by Thanasis Andreou
Replied on June 20, 2023, 6:41 PM
Hail! Please provide a little introduction about BIO-CANCER - brief history, band members, etc.
Hey man, thanks for having us! The band was formed in 2010 and two years later our first album “Ear Piercing Thrash” was released. After a few line-up changes and a few -mostly local- shows, in 2015 we released “Tormenting the Innocent”. After that, we played many shows abroad and have toured throughout Europe a few times as well as China. The line-up has been the same since 2014.
The Greek scene is very well-known with its distinctive sound in Black Metal, bands such as Rotting Christ, Varathron, Kawir, etc. What about Thrash Metal? How would you elaborate the music style and influences in Bio-Cancer?
That’s true, the Greek metal scene is very strong with legendary bands like the ones you mentioned and countless more in the underground scene. The thrash scene in particular saw a re-emergence in Greece around the early 2010’s and is going strong ever since! I would call our music extreme thrash for the most part. Up until now there were influences from bands like Kreator, Exodus, Dark Angel with more extreme elements incorporated into the music, for example the vocals. With our new album this has changed.
Explain more about your third full-length “Revengeance” especially in terms of songwriting and recordings? And also, how would you describe that this brand new one is different from the previous two albums?
As I said, with “Revengeance” we have taken a slightly different approach and tried to experiment more. The songwriting was a struggle at first between trying to find a style we were happy with and not sounding like a completely different band. This is part of the reason why this new record took so long to make. Eventually we ended up with music that we are very happy with and brings something fresh for the fans of the band. As it should be after 8 years! For this new one, expect everything to be more extreme with more influences from death and black metal!
Do you still want to say anything about “Ear Piercing Thrash” (2012) and “Tormenting The Innocent” (2015)?
“Ear Piercing Thrash” is essentially the album that put us on the map as a thrash metal band. It resonated with many people across the world which is something we didn’t expect at the time. For this reason it holds a very special place in our hearts. “Tormenting the Innocent” expanded on that and made it possible for us to to play across many stages worldwide. But now it’s time for something new!
Why did Bio-Cancer collaborate with Hammerheart Records this time and not stay with the previous labels?
We see our collaboration with Hammerheart as a new opportunity to work with a label that shares our vision and aspirations for this new era of the band. While we appreciate our past experiences with previous labels, we see this as a way to reach a broader audience and benefit from the expertise Hammerheart brings to the table. Ultimately, we see this as the natural step forward.
Can you report a little bit about the Thrash Metal movement in Athens especially, and also about Bio-Cancer in gigs and tours event?
The thrash scene in Athens emerged in the early 10’s as I said previously and we were part of it. Many of the bands from back then have managed to gain recognition at an international level which shows how hard they have worked and they truly deserve it. This of course extends to other metal genres as well which are probably more popular right now. Also some of the bands, including ourselves, have incorporated other elements to their music thus breaking away from the strict limits of thrash. Overall the thrash scene in Athens has evolved and still goes strong after 10+ years!
Tell them out there why they need to immediately get/listen to the “Revengeance” album, and some last words from Bio-Cancer? Thanks!
If you are a fan of extreme metal in general, you must give “Revengeance” a listen. Even if you are not a fan of our previous albums, this one might do it for you as it has something different to offer. We really are proud of the outcome of this record and you can have a first taste with our first single “Citizen... Down!” which is out now! Thanks a lot for this interview. Cheers!