Category 7 - Category 7 (Album Review)
Category 7 - Category 7
Released: July 26, 2024
Line up
John Bush // vocals
Mike Orlando // guitar
Phil Demmel // guitar
Jack Gibson // bass
Jason Bittner // drums
Online
There’s a scene in the Will Farrell / John C Riley comedy Step Brothers where, after listing off things they both happen to like (Velociraptors, John Stamos), Farrell turns to Riley and asks: “Did we just become best friends?” Riley agrees and they head off to do karate in the garage.
Category 7 feels like a similar unexpected alliance. A bunch of kick ass metal musicians got together, found they had some common interest and chemistry and set about creating a super record. And what a bunch. Among their credits are Armored Saint, Anthrax, Adrenaline Mob, Exodus, Machine Head, Overkill, Shadows Fall and Vio-lence. Supergroup? Sure. Category 7 feels remarkably cohesive as a record, drawing on their individual talents and history but also feeling remarkably fresh.
Opening track ‘In Stitches’ sets the tone. It’s thrash-influenced but not exactly a thrash song with a stronger sense of melody that recalls the 80s’ New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Jason Bittner’s thundering kick drums start it off before the guitar combo slips leads into riffs that are equal parts lightning and wind. A powerful storm if we use the metaphor of the band’s name. John Bush’s work with Anthrax in the 1990s is probably the closest reference point but during his tenure the band was mostly without a lead guitarist. Category 7 boasts two.
Musically the band is led by the twin guitars of Mike Orlando and Phil Demmel, who trade leads and solos that drop class and spit fire. There’s a Dimebag groove to ‘Land I Used to Love’ that’s unstoppable, pushing things further on the epic chorus. ‘Apple of Discord’ was a little too mid-tempo hard rock until the duo just stepped up to solo and blew it away. It does add to the run times of songs but it also sounds like they’ve had a lot of fun trying to outdo each other.
It turns out the first single ‘Exhausted’ was a great indicator of what to expect. A song whose influence spans decades, matching the urgency of 80s speed metal with 90s personal lyrics and a rhythm section that captures post-millennium precision. As an older fan, Bush’s lyrics hit me in the feels in a way I didn’t expect. It’s a killer tune that’s already stuck in my head. In each song the band gives him room to deliver his powerful vocals that mix grunt with a melodic singing style.
It’s the Bittner / Gibson rhythm section who often take a back seat to the outrageous leads and massive vocals. Bittner’s hands and feet are among the best in the business and Category 7 challenges him to keep focused on groove, picking his moments for more dramatic fills and double kicks. He’s the highlight of tunes like ‘Runaway Truck’, where he combines with Gibson’s bass to keep the song rolling along. Bittner often plays a song’s intro synchronised with the guitars, such as on ‘White Flags & Bayonets’, and keeps this going with Gibson so Demmel and Orlando can wail away. That song’s outro is some of the band’s tightest work.
Bittner even gets a sick drum solo to start ‘Mousetrap’, which also features Gibson more prominently in the mix. The guitar work is more controlled as a result but it makes for a point of difference and a cool single.
The sense of adventure really runs through the whole album. It’s not that it’s revolutionary but they’re not just recapping their individual achievements either. There’s a punk attitude to the metal attack on ‘Waver at the Breaking Point’ and one of the album’s best hooks. There’s some serious Far Beyond Driven groove to ‘Through Pink Eyes’.
It all leads to an incredible finale - the eight minute instrumental ‘Etter Stormen’. Bush obviously sits out but the other four jam the hell out of it. It’s mostly a frenzied riff attack but there is a Gibson bass solo and they probably called the fire brigade on Bittner because he’s burning hot for the whole ride.
So why the Step Brothers comparison? Because this record is fun. Not in a comedic way but here are five great metal musicians challenging themselves and each other to do something different to their usual. And every note on every song radiates that positive energy. It's the metal equivalent of going to do karate in the garage with your brother. No doubt they’ll be busy with their other bands but Category 7 have the tunes to match their supergroup status.
Category 7 - Category 7 Tracklisting
1. In Stitches
2. Land I Used to Love
3. Apple of Discord
4. Exhausted
5. Runaway Truck
6. White Flags and Bayonets
7. Mousetrap
8. Waver at the Breaking Point
9. Through Pink Eyes
10. Etter Stormen
Rating: 7.5/10
Category 7 is out July 26, 2024 on Metal Blade Records. Pre Order here.
Review by KJ Draven (Twitter X and Instagram).
