 |
|
| Home · Reviews · Interviews · Contests · Blog · Forums · Follow Us On Twitter |
|
by Tony Pascarella Published: August 29, 2004
Over the years, great things have come out of Tennessee. One that may often be overlooked is Saliva. The five-piece band from Memphis released their first album way back in 1997, a self-titled effort on Rocking Chair Records. Universal took over for their next one, Every Six Seconds, which was released in 2001. The following year, they followed up with the wildly popular Back Into Your System, which began their ascent to stardom on the Def Jam/Island label. After a 7 Series sampler in 2003 from Every Six Seconds, the band released their fourth LP, Survival Of The Sickest in August of 2004.The band has previously blended hard rock with rap-rock to quite a bit of success. On this album, they decide to try something new and end up using several different musical styles, starting with angry rock and advancing through to simple alternative rock to southern rock to even metal. While some may disagree, it shows the band is willing to move away from industry acceptance and release the music that they want to write and perform. Sure, they hit a few rough patches in Survival Of The Sickest, but well-rounded and complete albums are hard to come by nowadays in the alternative rock genre. This is a great effort from Saliva, and a refreshing rock album. Saliva Is: Josey Scott (Vocals) Chris D'abaldo (Guitar) Wayne Swinny (Guitar) Paul Crosby (Drums) Dave Novotny (Bass) Survival Of The Sickest's opener is the hard-charging Rock & Roll Revolution. Josey Scott's vocals are raspy yet screamed on the verses, but on the chorus he has almost a cynical tone to his voice. This is not a song to be played with the volume low. Bail & Switch is full of shrieking guitars and mature themes. Saliva plays themselves off as the next hard-partying rock 'n roll band; both guitarists do a very good job, even though some of the riffs blend together behind Scott's frequent pitch changes in his vocals. One Night Only is a more mainstream track. Pounding drums and riff-heavy guitars make the song good, and the vocals are dark yet rather well-written, pushing the song over the edge. Both a song of resilience and braggadocio, Saliva pulls it off cleanly. This has definite single potential, as well. Speaking of singles, the next song, Survival Of The Sickest is both the leadoff single and the title track. From a surprisingly melodic chorus not usually found in hard rock, the band advances to fist-pumping instrument work. Scott's lyrics are by no means clean, but you should have known that before picking the album up. If you've heard the single on the radio, make sure to check it out in its full uncensored glory. You lose the aggression that vibrates through every second by hearing the radio edit. A great guitar solo halfway through punctuates the track cleanly. Going a little heavier on the bass on No Regrets (Vol. 2)the band does a more laid-back song. It has a moodiness factor, but it's much less angry overall. Eventually, the song picks up. It actually is reminiscent of Saliva's inclusion to the Daredevil Soundtrack, which was titled Bleed For Me. The vocals and instruments sound very similar. Josey has a regretful tone to his singing, and the band itself plays hard, but the song isn't meant to be an ear-bleeding display of rock 'n roll showmanship. Two Steps Back is a personal favorite from the album. An upbeat intro leads into Scott's vocals, which set up a very infectious chorus. Both guitar players exhibit their mechanical prowess on Two Steps Back. This is a song that you can't help but get into. Between catchy (and subtly humorous) lyrics, an almost-painful rhythm and a bit of glossiness, this song is very good. If you want to mention the best Saliva songs, this needs to be up there with Rest In Pieces, although on the opposite end of the spectrum musically (this is heavy, Rest in Pieces was not as much so). Open Eyes is a bit less hard-rocking. Scott's lyrics sound a lot like Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down, but he doesn't appear on this album for another four tracks. It's a very emotional song that is vocal-heavy. The instruments are quite a ways in the background, with Josey Scott's vocals taking precedence. It sounds like some of 3 Doors Down's work from Away From The Sun. You know, lovey-dovey emotional song with no aggression whatsoever; this is a nice touch, but seems a bit too farfetched to be overly effective. F*** All Y'All is a headbanging, fist-pumping, flashy track from start to finish. They even seem to channel Slipknot with semi-unintelligible screaming. This is Saliva's attempt at metal. Funneled by a driving rhythm and great guitar work, Josey Scott's anger is very much on display. It may be too hardcore for some fans of the band, but it's just one of the many faces of Saliva. The band switches to an almost whining style with I Want You, where Josey Scott demands what he can't have. The opening power chord has the same vibe that Bleed For Me (from Daredevil) had. By no means is this song bad, but it's not really anything to write home about. Josey's vocalizing is a bit irritating and overdone, but the instrument work is solid here. Carry On is a heavy song, but the problem is that is sounds too much like all the other ones. There's not enough musically to differentiate it from the rest of the album. Razor's Edge is one of the best songs on Survival Of The Sickest. It features 3 Doors Down's Brad Arnold; this is a musically airtight song, meaning there's nothing that detracts from any other part. Vocals are superb, with a definite Lynyrd Skynyrd feel. Toward the end of the song, there are some stellar guitar riffs accompanied by energetic and powerful drumming. This is a good example of Saliva's attempt at southern rock; it's an excellent showing. No Hard Feelings has an obvious nasally sound to it. I'm not sure if Josey Scott meant it or if he just had a cold that day, but this song is difficult to in places. The screaming is fine, but when he actually tries to sing, the Steve Urkel resemblance is uncanny. This song just doesn't have anything to really set it apart, either. There isn't any amazing instrument work, and Josey's vocals are too raw. That's the only way to describe it. There is a five-second blank track before the band launches into the hidden track, Sex, Drugs & Rock-N-Roll. The song is excellent yet a bit clichéd. From impressive guitar riffs to Josey Scott's catchy vocals to great yet slightly underused drums, this song has it all. It's a song that will knock you back in your seat and drag you along for the ride. Harshly sung but beautifully executed, the song can hang with the best of them and is one of the best on the album. You will gain a newfound respect for Saliva after listening to Survival Of The Sickest. Their versatility is on display with thirteen tracks that run the gauntlet from hard rock to metal to southern rock. Josey Scott does a nice job vocally, although there are a few spots that could use some improvement. This album will mostly kick you in the teeth and leave you wondering what just happened. If you're a Saliva fan, you should love this next step for the band. If you're not, give it a shot; there are some very good tracks on this CD, and it may well turn out to be one of the more diverse hard rock albums released this year. Overall Rating: A- Official Saliva Site: Click here Picture is copyright 2004, Island Records. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 1997-2010 Burlee LLC. All rights reserved. | Reprints | Privacy Policy | Disclosure | About Us/Contact Us | RSS Feed |