ALBUM REVIEW: Category 7- Category 7
Although the five men involved might slightly scoff at the term, CATEGORY 7 is undeniably a supergroup. After all, when the band is made up of former members of ANTHRAX, ARMORED SAINT, ADRENALINE MOB, MACHINE HEAD, OVERKILL, EXODUS and SHADOWS FALL, what else could it possibly be?
The fact of the matter is that Mike Orlando, Phil Demmel, Jack Gibson and Jason Bittner are some of the most accomplished rock and metal musicians on the planet. Top that off with John Bush on vocals and the band are primed for success. But, as always, names and pedigree mean nothing if the music doesn’t deliver.
Category 7 kicks off with a whirlwind of guitar-laden chaos, otherwise known as In Stitches. The vocal layers in the chorus feel cluttered but Bush‘s all-power style is the perfect foil for the thundering instrumentation beneath.
Although the majority of the songs on the album are punctuated by stunning guitar solos and rhythms from Demmel and Orlando, it’s the ferocious drumming from Bittner that really pushes them along. Land I Used To Love falls into that description as it batters the listener from pillar to post. By the time Apple Of Discord arrives on the scene, the tone of the album has been set. The fade-up on the intro comes off as lazy, but as Bush snarls his way through the verses, all is forgiven. The track doesn’t have the snap of some of the others on the record, but the guitar solo that rips through the final third is frighteningly impressive.
On Exhausted the band sounds anything but, adding more grit and crunch to their wall of sound. That lament at insomnia is followed by the stomping but forgettable Runaway Truck and all-action White Flags And Bayonets.
By now, the main problem with the album is sitting front and centre. Category 7 is an album that doesn’t feel like an album. If the band contains an all-star line-up, the album they’ve produced is akin to an exhibition. The fact that Mousetrap opens with a drum solo, and the album ends on an eight-minute instrumental hammers that home. There isn’t a cohesive thread or narrative running through the record aside from each song being as hard-hitting as the last. Lyrically, everything is fine, but there’s no real depth, spark, or wit, to make the songs especially memorable.
In isolation, each track works as a demonstration of five performers showing off what they’re increasingly good at. But unfortunately, there’s little behind it. It’s perhaps ironic that five veterans have made an album perfect for the streaming era. In a world where younger fans cherry-pick songs from new releases to make their own playlists, CATEGORY 7 have created a collection of songs where it’s easy to do just that.
The final third of the album is unsurprisingly more of the same. Bush‘s sheer aggression and force of will carries Waver At The Breaking Point in another solid effort. Meanwhile, the penultimate track Through Pink Eyes is on the heavier end of the band’s spectrum – and all the better for it. The aforementioned eight-minute instrumental Etter Stormen (‘After The Storm’ in English) is also a thing of hard-hitting beauty. It might not be for everyone, but the musicianship on display is staggering.
The success of Category 7 will depend entirely on what fans want to take from it. For those looking for a cohesive body of work that operates as a singular project, this album isn’t it. But, as a thunderous collection of songs, this is dynamite. From a technical standpoint, the album is genuinely incredible, that much is undeniable. However, listeners are entitled to wonder whether those skills could’ve been used to create something with more lasting substance.
Rating: 7/10
Category 7 is set for release on July 26th via Metal Blade Records.
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