Thrash metal is one of the fastest, most technical and demanding of the metal subgenres to play. For a musician, it can be relentless, and for the listener, it can feel like a Category 7 hurricane has occurred between your ears. A Category 7 is not only the most devastating grade a storm can receive, it is also the name of a brand new Thrash metal supergroup. Members as well as ex members of legendary bands such as Anthrax, Exodus and Machine Head have united to form this mammoth band and have proven to be some of the best musicians in the game.
The self-titled album opens with the first single released. ‘In Stitches’ is a no holds barred drumming assault, with the guitars playfully following the incredible double bass drum work by drummer Jason Bittner. Something which gets repeated throughout the 10 tracks.
Track number two, ‘Land I Used To Love’ is a world-class showcase of both rhythm and melody. The chorus may be one of the biggest and catchiest of the year, and it would not be the same if it were not for guitar duo Mike Orlando and Phil Demmel. The vocals here fit perfectly and the choice of melodies in the chorus is a touch of gold from the band, being raspy as well as melodic.
‘Apple of Discord’ is another fantastic showcase of the pummelling double bass drum work paired with the guitars. The chorus again is melodic but is slowed down before the verses, guitar solos and bridges speed things up. As a result, this track is much more memorable than most of the other tracks on this record.
‘Exhausted,’ the second single follows, and with it comes a groovier, riff driven song with another memorable performance from the riff masters Orlando and Demmel, this song feels a lot more than a groove metal sounding song, it has an elevated sound which comes from experience. This is an extremely tight band with an all-star well established lineup of musicians, and it is songs like these which prove just that.
‘Waver at the Breaking Point’ is where the album gets memorable again. Once again, the chorus features a tempo change whilst the verses sound like barrages of machine gun fire courtesy of Bittner’s drumming. The yell sounding vocal style vocalist John Bush is known for is perfect for this type of material. On this, it gives the track a more cohesive war like feeling matching the drums.
The big surprise of the album is the end. An eight-minute musical epic, ‘Etter Stormen’, giving each of the musicians a chance to truly shine one last time. This is one of the only times the bass is clearly audible, which is unfortunate as the bass seems non-existent on the majority of the record. This song showcases how good each individual musician is as without the vocals, the instrumentation on this album is top-notch, proving why each of these musicians are still relevant in the metal scene today.
To conclude, Category 7 is everything one would want in a thrash metal album. It has ferocity, melody, and exceptional music. It is unfortunate that the bass was mixed as weakly as it was on the album but the choruses, guitar solos and drums more than make up for it. Supergroups do not tend to stand the test of time very well, but with the chemistry that this band have, it does not seem like one album will be enough for them to fully showcase what they have in their idea’s notebooks. They may be named after the most devastating type of storm that can take place, but with music as good as this, Category 7 will continue to devastate our eardrums for plenty more years.
Category 7: Category 7 – Out 26th July 2024 (Metal Blade Records)
7 – Mousetrap (Official Video) (youtube.com)
