Toronto punk band Cancer Bats have announced the release date of their next installment in the You’ll Never Break Us: Separation Sessions. This EP, which will be the second volume in the series, is set to be released September 14th through Bat Skull Records/New Damage Records.

Much like the first volume, this new EP will feature acoustic versions of five previously recorded tracks in the band’s discography. Cancer Bats also shared the opening track of their new project. “Hail The Acoustic Destroyer” is a new take on “Hail Destroyer,” which originally appeared on Cancer Bats’ second full length LP of the same name.

The new track is much more stripped back compared to the original version and features a haunting guest vocal appearance from ex-Cradle Of Filth keyboardist and vocalist Lindsay Schoolcraft. The new song is noticeably more melodic than its original counterpart. No longer featuring aggressive vocals and dueling heavy metal riffs, this new version opts for spacey vocal deliveries on top of a subdued yet eerie instrumental arrangement. While the original version conjures images of mosh pits and primal energy, listening to “Hail The Acoustic Destroyer” is akin to meandering in an enchanted forest on a chilly winter evening. Almost Metallica-esque, this version is arguably better than the album version.

Cancer Bats’ lead singer Liam Cormier states that the band wanted to capture the same “energy and tension” of the original song but they wanted to approach it in a completely different way. By making it more “sparse and looming,” they were able to attain a different kind of heaviness. Cormier even anticipates that fans will forget the old arrangement after hearing “Hail The Acoustic Destroyer.”

“Once that ground work was laid, having Lindsay Schoolcraft’s amazing goth tinged vocals on the track really pushes the song into a new melodic dimension, making the listener forget what the original ‘Hail Destroyer” even was.”

In addition to speaking about the new song, Cormier touched upon the new EP. He states that the band was inspired to release another volume after an overwhelmingly positive fan response to the first volume. Cormier states that the band had many new ideas for this iteration and it came together very quickly. He shares, “So many people reached out saying they loved these new versions, that we felt really inspired to work on more songs and try more ideas.”

Cancer Bats, founded in 2004, have released six studio albums and six EPs. The band is influenced by many heavy metal sub-genres and incorporates elements of punk rock, southern rock and sludge metal into their music. The band recently announced a short tour in Canada set to take place in 2022.

You’ll Never Break Us: Separation Sessions Vol. 2 Track List:

1. “Hail The Acoustic Destroyer” (feat. Lindsay Schoolcraft)

2. “Bricks Mandolins And More Tambourine” (feat. Eamon McGrath)

3. “Pneumoniacoustic Hawk”

4. “RAcousticTS”

5. “Winterpeg Folk Fest”