John Bush Explains the Big Draw of Category7

The names you recognize, however there was one thing a little bit extra vital to Armored Saint singer John Bush when it got here to becoming a member of the brand new supergroup Category7. The singer informed Full Metallic Jackie for her weekend radio present that the guitar duo of Phil Demmel and Mike Orlando actually made the potential of the band enticing, however he explains, “I feel these two guys are actually the large supply of this entire mission as a result of their enjoying is wonderful. They’re unimaginable riff maniacs. However the wonderful factor is that there is nonetheless actually superior track construction. In order that mixture, I feel, was simply sort of plain. And that is why I wished to work on it.”

Bush discusses the journey of becoming a member of the group, having the ability to put his stamp on the lyrical content material and why he is actually pleased with the lyrics on the brand new document. Plus he discusses an early band accolade from Metallica’s James Hetfield and provides some perception into what’s on the horizon for Armored Saint in addition to one other band he is working with referred to as Electrical Spaghetti.

Get all the small print and take a look at the chat under.

It is Full Metallic Jackie and I am so excited to deliver again to the present this week John Bush. You realize him, after all, from his time in Anthrax and Armored Saint as properly. However he is now fronting the all star group, Category7, with Phil Demmel, Mike Orlando, Jack Gibson and Jason Bittner.

What a tremendous lineup for this group. What was your preliminary response on listening to what the fellows had been engaged on. And the way a lot of a stamp had been you capable of placed on the music?

That is an effective way of placing it. The music that these guys despatched me, Phil and I’ve a background enjoying along with the Metallic Allegiance mission. We have accomplished some reveals. We truly did Rock in Rio in Brazil, which was wonderful. And we performed a number of reveals and sort of developed a friendship by that. He despatched me these concepts telling me that that is some actually cool stuff and would you have an interest? I stated, yeah, you have to ship it to me. Let me hearken to it. So then he did, and I used to be fairly blown away.

There’s some wonderful riff mania between him and Mike and superior rhythms from Jason and Jack. And the important thing part was whether or not or not I might truly contribute some actually cool vocal concepts and melodies and lyrics. So I set to work, and it was fairly superior.

John, because the frontman, you are the voice that relays the message. A track like “In Stitches,” for instance, Is coming from a darker perspective. What was inspiring you whereas engaged on the lyrical facet of Category7’s music?

What I say is it is a number of social commentary. It is not possible to get up each morning and never go searching you on the world and see all the brand new developments occurring day by day in numerous methods. It is not simply what’s precisely happening within the political spectrum, however simply the developments and a number of dissension that is creating. It might be not possible to not acknowledge that.

However my perspective is at all times one in all probably not wanting to inform the listener the best way to suppose, however extra of simply placing stuff on the market for folks to ponder and simply sort of make them suppose on their very own phrases and browse between the strains. So I do not actually have some main large agenda with the subject material. I feel it is simply sort of wanting life and letting it run by the lyrics. Generally I similar to to write down phrases down after which let’s examine how they sort of develop, see how they rhyme, see how the story sort of occurs by itself. However there was some actually cool stuff.

I am actually pleased with a number of the lyrics on these data. And “In Stitches” was a track based mostly off an article I learn within the paper a couple of girl who had that title and was homeless. This woman, she was pregnant and it was only a heavy story and her. I did not write a biography per se, but it surely sort of motivated me to run with the entire philosophy of the struggles within the unhoused group and the way that is an enormous, an enormous downside proper now, not solely in Los Angeles and San Francisco, however all by the nation.

Category7, “In Stitches”

John, you could have performed with some nice guitarists through the years. What are your ideas on having Mike Orlando and Phil Demmel flanking you, and the place do they rank among the many musicians you’ve got labored with?

Nicely, I feel these two guys are actually the large supply of this entire mission as a result of their enjoying is wonderful. They’re unimaginable riff maniacs. However the wonderful factor is that there is nonetheless actually superior track construction. In order that mixture, I feel, was simply sort of plain. And that is why I wished to work on it.

Mike is … I did not even know Mike. I acquired to know Mike actually by the music. We had by no means met, and so we sort of developed this friendship by the writing of the songs, which was truly actually thrilling and sort of totally different. It wasn’t like, let’s develop out and make all this. We’re all fairly seasoned veteran musicians, so we will make this nice band. However it wasn’t that in any respect. It was like, here is the music. I do not even know you, however that is plain. Let’s write songs collectively. And that is how the friendship developed.

Phil is an superior participant as properly. And Jack and Jason, after all. All people is simply an unimaginable musician. However what I inform folks is you can have that on paper, however it does not essentially transcend to an automated win. You need to nonetheless mesh and issues must nonetheless mix and the songs must nonetheless be there. I feel that we did that. Taking part in with these guys is wonderful. I marvel at their guitar enjoying, enjoying their licks. It is fairly enjoyable to observe.

John, this new band, there’s been a number of speak that despite the collective resumes, this group has allowed the members to department out past what they’re identified for, working in a few of their influences. Is there a track on this Category7 album that almost all displays your influences and enter on the music?

Nicely, I feel that my vocal model is one the place it is at all times going to simply sort of be based mostly on heavy steel, however blues and a little bit laborious rock and soul. That is simply at all times going to be the best way my voice, the best way I deal with it so far as how I method singing and writing, for that matter. That is no totally different from that.

Category7 is a steel band and clearly, so is Armored Sain, and so is Anthrax from again within the day. So it is proper alongside the identical strains of what I am usually used to doing. What I at all times say is, for me, the vital factor is to sort of join with the musicians that I am enjoying with and let these guys deliver one thing else, probably out of my very own model and approach. And I hope that occurs.

What I inform folks is that the connection, after all, is my voice. And that is the factor that I made the joke that I might sing on bluegrass, journey hop, R&B document, and it is nonetheless going to sound like John Bush as a result of that is the connection, is my voice and the sound of it.

So this isn’t any totally different from that. It is me enjoying in a heavy steel band and utilizing my model and my aggression and my sure method to singing in the identical means. However hopefully there’s one thing that sounds a little bit totally different and I feel a number of that’s related to the musicians that I am enjoying with.

READ MORE: The New Band Metallica’s James Hatfield Is Excited About

One of many band’s first accolades got here from James Hetfield, who shouted out the group as one in all his new favorites. You’ve got had an extended historical past with Hetfield and Metallica. What has his continued assist meant to you all through your profession? And have you ever gotten extra particular suggestions from him in regards to the new document?

I have not truly. I had the identical response, in all probability that most individuals did when James stated that, simply sort of like a humbling smile and I virtually in all probability blushed or one thing as a result of, you recognize, he is the king. And the band is the kings. That is the underside line is Metallica is the king of steel. They usually have been and so they in all probability at all times might be. And to have James say one thing with these sorts of accolades are, like I stated, it is simply virtually humbling.

However I feel that there is this connection, after all, that goes again to after we did the Metallica W.A.S.P. Armored Saint tour again in 1985. After we toured collectively, we had the identical administration. We had been with Q Prime administration, who Metallica nonetheless must at the present time. And thru the years, even when {our relationships} acquired distant, they’d at all times sort of come again collectively. We performed the thirtieth anniversary present on the Fillmore in San Francisco and the band performed the 4 nights and so they had an entire numerous folks enjoying with them from Lou Reed to King Diamond to Rob Halford to Mary Ann Trustworthy. And so it was actually an honor to be a part of that.

Armored Saint opened one of many reveals after which after all I sang “The 4 Horsemen” with them throughout their efficiency, sort of as how this may possibly would have sounded if John Bush had joined the band. So it was fairly humorous and has a cool description of the situation there. These guys have simply at all times been supportive.

So even when our relationships sort of get a little bit distance, I do know that there is at all times going to be this reference to not solely James and Lars, Kirk and Robert, however simply with the followers themselves. Metallica, Armored Saint and now in Category7. So it is actually cool.

John, we would be remiss if we did not additionally discuss some Armored Saint stuff. And what else you could have happening? I noticed that there is going to be some reissues, some particular editions from Armored Saint data coming.

Yeah, actual cool. We’re re-releasing the La Raza and Revelation data that got here out in 2010 and in addition 2000. That was the Revelation document was one which I sort of acquired reacquainted after I had been in Anthrax for about eight years and we had taken a little bit break. So then Armored Saint sort of reconvened, if you’ll, and made the Revelation document.

It is a killer album that also seems like classic singing. And I really like La Raza. I feel it was sort of a step into a little bit totally different route for us. That one got here out in 2010, so Metallic Blade is at all times doing actually cool issues with packaging and re-releasing data.

So we’re enthusiastic about that. Plus, we put out the video for the track “One Chain (Do not Make No Jail)” that got here out a couple of month or so again. And it is Armored Saint enjoying a 4 Tops track, which is music that we had been sort of … that is a few of our roots. As a lot as we love steel, we had been at all times massive followers of old style soul and artists just like the 4 Tops and Earth, Wind and Hearth and Stevie Surprise. Right here we’re carrying our fits in honor of these teams again within the day. And it was actual enjoyable to do this.

So Armored Saint is at all times prepared to stay our necks out and take a look at various things. We sort of really feel like we will do something. It is sort of broadened our model and we hold pushing ourselves, and that is one of many beauties of the band. It makes it actual enjoyable to write down music, which we’re additionally doing for a document that hopefully will come out in 2025 and performing and enjoying and only a strong friendship that goes again 50 years, which is insane.

Armored Saint, “One Chain (Do not Make No Jail)”

That is wonderful. Not many individuals get to say that anymore about their bandmates.

No, no, not many individuals can say that ever. Possibly the Stones.

Nicely, what else is on the horizon for you and in your to do checklist in the intervening time?

Nicely, at this level. I acquired myself fairly busy now placing myself in one other band. I even have this enjoyable blues nation band that I fashioned with one other buddy of mine. And he truly recorded a number of the vocals that I carried out on the Category7 document. In order that’s like an area band right here in Los Angeles referred to as Electrical Spaghetti, which is only a enjoyable factor. It is actually cool although. There’s some nice tunes. And it is me sort of sticking my neck out of my regular consolation zone, which is actually at all times a difficult factor for a musician and author.

I feel that is an excellent factor. In order that’s a number of enjoyable. I am fairly busy. It is in all probability a busier time than I’ve ever been within the final 20 years with music. In order that’s an excellent factor. Most likely much more dates, much more interviews and I am grateful for that. You are at all times placing me on, Jackie. I actually recognize that.

Oh, thanks a lot, John. I am an enormous, longtime fan of yours and I am very excited for all issues to return. And naturally, this nice Category7 document. Thanks a lot.

Due to John Bush for the interview. You may get the brand new self-titled Category7 album in bodily, obtain and streaming choices. Keep updated with the band by their web site, Fb, X, Instagram and Spotify accounts. Discover out the place you possibly can hear Full Metallic Jackie’s weekend radio present right here.