CATEGORY 7 - USA

Category 7 - 2024 - Metal Blade

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Members
Vocals
Armored Saint, Stone Soldier, Doom Squad, Royal Decree, Anthrax, Metal Allegiance>>JOHN BUSH>>Armored Saint, Metal Allegiance

Guitar
Vio-lence, Torque, Machine Head, Dublin Death Patrol, BPMD, Kerry King, Overkill, Lamb Of God, Slayer, Metal Allegiance, Testament>>PHIL DEMMEL>>Vio-lence, BPMD, Kerry King, Testament - Solo, Adrenaline Mob, Noturnall, Frontiers All Stars, Stereo Satellite, Tred, Her Chariot Awaits, Noturnall>>MIKE ORLANDO>>Solo, Tred, Her Chariot Awaits, Noturnall

Bass
Circle Of Vengeance, Wardance, Exodus, Testament, Dawn Of Morgana, Metal Allegiance>>JACK GIBSON>>Exodus, Metal Allegiance

Drums
Fear Itself, Crisis, Suspended Animation, Stigmata, Ever Dark, Burning Human, Shadows Fall, China White, Hellspeak, Toxik, Anthrax, Overkill, Lynch’s Mr. Scary, Flotsam And Jetsam, D.D. Verni & The Cadillac Band, Prong>>JASON BITTNER>>Shadows Fall, Overkill, Prong




History & Biography
Metal Blade Records signed Category 7, the new project of vocalist John Bush (who was the last to join), guitarists Phil Demmel and Mike Orlando, bassist Jack Gibson and drummer Jason Bittner. The members moved in and out of projects and had collaborated in other acts before. This project was assembled in 2023. The band was compared to Thin Lizzy and thrash metal and a self-titled album was available on 26.07.2024. Category 7 was produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Orlando at Sonic Stomp Studio. He had also penned the majority of the songs. A video for the song In Stitches was out in advance. Category 7 announced a 2025 tour of USA for March. Support on all shows came from Exhorder (except Milwaukee). Additional support was provided by Hand Of The Tribe on all dates, as well as Dead By Wednesday on the first four dates. Most bands would lie or use a euphemism like "logistical difficulties," but Category 7 was frank when the announced tour was cancelled. Inadequate sales was the reason for the cancellation in December 2024. Lamb Of God’s Headbangers Boat 2025 was sailing from Miami, Florida, USA on October 31st. The line-up included Power Trip, Crowbar, Fear Factory, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Exploited, Nekrogoblikon, Gideon, Walls Of Jericho and Category 7.

Singer John Bush had several shows playing Anthrax songs from his time with the band. Bush was to perform songs spanning all four albums he recorded with the band, Sound Of White Noise, Stomp 442, Volume 8: The Threat Is Real and We've Come For You All, in the USA in December, 2025. Joining Bush on stage were his Category 7 band-mates Phil Demmel (guitar), Mike Orlando (guitar) and Jason Bittner (drums), along with his longtime Armored Saint band-mate Joey Vera on bass. Category 7 bassist Jack Gibson had a scheduling conflict. Category 7 was to open each show.

Hurricanes are often categorised according to their intensity in the Saffir–Simpson scale. A category 7 is fictional and has never actually been experienced. An American television series, however, had been called by that name.


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Category 7