Review CATEGORY 7 “Category 7”

Longplayers featuring John Bush are always excellent ones, as the singer from Los Angeles, CA is one of the masters of his craft. Whether it’s with Armored Saint or during his time with Anthrax, Bush has always delivered. With Category 7, Bush is part of a new project that is debuting these days and expectations are quite high.

Besides John Bush, Category 7 includes such greats as Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob, Sonic Universe, Noturnall), Phil Demmel (Machine Head, Kerry King, Vio-Lence), Jack Gibson (Exodus) and Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall, Overkill), which makes the expectations even higher.

Category 7 takes its name from the highest storm level, and what the quintet delivers is anything but a breeze. It is a metallic storm that begins with a song called “In Stiches”. The song sets the scene for the album as it is a powerful metal track that reflects the musical heritage of the five musicians involved.

Blistering solos, a rhythm section with a massive punch and Bush’s vocals, this is what the opener reveals when you press the ‘start’ button. Sometimes more connected to US-Metal and sometimes with more thrash metal based riffpower the five guys show what they are capable of. “Exhausted” belongs to the latter category, while the aforementioned “Land I Used to Love” is built more on power metal.

Also worth mentioning is the awesome drumming of Jason Bittner. Just listen to the beginning of “Waver at the Breaking Point” and you will get a good idea of what I mean. His hard-hitting drum sound is a pulsating element of Category 7.

Step by step we approach the finish line of this debut and the first riff of “Etter Stormen” heralds the final chapter of “Category 7”. Shredding guitars are what this instrumental is all about, showing the craftsmanship of Phil Demmel and Mike Orlando. It is the grand finale of a twin guitar battle that stretches through the entire album. And it’s not just about riff power. Jack Gibson and Jason Bittner also add their solo parts, making “Etter Stormen” a blistering finale to a thrilling string metal album.

“Category 7” doesn’t surprise with many new elements and the basic approach to the songs doesn’t vary too much. But what makes this release special is the class of the musicians involved, who obviously have a lot of fun doing what they do. Beyond the framework of the mothership bands, the five guys have created songs that count on the pure joy of heavy metal.