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Category 7

    
       
       
       
     
             
Category 7 are a heavy metal band from the USA formed in 2023, releasing the bands self titled debut album in 2024.    
             
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 category rating based on a hurricane's sustained speed - with a category 7, a hypothetical rating with wind speeds likely to top 240 miles a fucking hour! Now that's a fast and furious storm! And so are the new heavy metal supergroup Category 7 - comprising members from some of the greatest metal bands ever: singer John Bush (Armored Saint, ex Anthrax), guitarists Mike Orlando (Her Chariot Awaits, ex Adrenaline Mob) and Phil Demmel (ex Vio-Lence, ex Torque, ex Machine Head), drummer Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall, ex Flotsam And Jetsam, ex Overkill), and bass player Jack Gibson (Exodus). Now that's one helluva line-up, Category 7 just the latest in a long line of metal supergroups - groups such as Withering Scorn, Elegant Weapons, The Three Tremors, Metal Allegiance, The Unity, Act Of Defiance, Hollywood Vampires and Heaven & Hell, to name just a few. And if you doubt the bands credentials to be categorised as a supergroup, the widely recognised definition is "a group formed by musicians already famous from playing in other groups".    
             
And as for the bands debut album - it's a ten song, fifty two minute barnstorming avalanche of thrash tinged heavy metal, Category 7 as devastating as a hypothetical category 7 hurricane! Exploding into life with (album) opener 'In Stitches', the band set off at a thunderous pace, shuddering the ground with immense force to demolish anything and everything in its path! And let's be honest here, what did you really expect from the calibre of musicians on show? A song or two for the Sunday morning service at your local church! Not a fucking chance - Category 7 bludgeoning listeners with a brutal barrage of full on thrash that's gonna leave you in stitches and requiring immediate medical attention! Not too immediate though, for there's still nine more songs to come first!    
             
A sensational opening salvo from Category 7, the band storm on with the faster paced, and even more head bang-able 'Land I Used To Love' - the blend of traditional, and thrash metal a fucking glorious one! The foot is very much firmly planted on the monitor here, the band racing through 'Land I Used To Love' at a phenomenal rate of knots - 'Apple Of Discord' maintaining the albums blistering early pace! Category 7 are categorised as a heavy metal band with thrash influences - I'm beginning to think it might just be the other way around! The opening treble has been an all consuming avalanche of intense err, I'm gonna say it, thrash metal, the attitude and aggression pouring outta the album is definitely more aligned to thrash than traditional heavy metal! But it don't really matter what the band categorisation is, they're a full on full force metal machine guaranteed to leave you breathless and totally exhausted! And hurtling into view faster than anything heard so far, 'Exhausted' is a searing sonic assault to make your ears bleed - along with all the cuts and bruises from the albums savage opener.    
             
So for now, just make sure you keep the band-aids coming 'cause that trip for medical attention is still six songs away, many listeners starting to look like they've been hit by a runaway truck! More than once! Which kinda rings true I guess, as the impact from every song heard up to this point must be what it's like to be hit by a fucking truck! 'Runaway Truck' enters the fray to continue the savage barrage of barnstorming heavy metal, albeit with a more hustle and bustle feel, Category 7 roaring louder and louder the longer the album runs. Have the American supergroup just barged into contention for Album Of The Year? You bet your bottom dollar they have - the band punching hard and kicking harder with 'White Flags & Bayonets', the sensational thrash come traditional heavy metal attack simply getting stronger and stronger! And with 'Mousetrap' chiming in as the (new) fastest song, there's absolutely no sign of the attack weakening! Now I don't know about you, but I'm fucking blown away by the fresh yet familiar metal sound on offer, probably because I've listened to Bush, Orlando, Demmel, Bittner and Gibson throughout the years perform in their individual groups and have some idea of how a coming together of all this talent is likely to sound! And I ain't wrong either!    
             
And still with no sign of the phenomenal power and intensity going away any time soon, the band race on at pace with the aggression fuelled 'Waver At The Breaking Point' - desolate landscapes the only landscapes to be left behind after Category 7 sweep through taking all and sundry with them! What an album this has been, one of the years best for sure - and it still ain't over yet with two more songs to come! The first of which 'Through Pink Eyes' returns the bustling nature heard earlier, the band keeping every level turned up to maximum! And clocking in at over eight minutes in length, the albums final hurrah 'Etter Stormen' is an incredible instrumental. "etter stormen" is Norwegian for "after the storm" so it's fitting that the band have placed it at the (albums) end! Now what can I say about this instrumental - nothing! I'm gonna say nothing - you're just gonna have to listen for yourselves to experience the enormity of what is on offer here, 'cause if you thought the previous nine songs were great, you ain't heard nothing yet!    
             
Overall, a sensational and fairly ferocious rampage of thrash fuelled heavy metal, 'Category 7' is fifty two minutes of head banging heaven.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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