Photo: Rob Shotwell
When it comes to excitement, there’s nothing more surprising than a set of established musicians getting together to issue a strong debut album worthy of praise across all metal platforms quite like Category 7. The members including seasoned names with Armored Saint, Machine Head, Vio-lence, Overkill, Shadows Fall, Exodus, and Adrenaline Mob under their belts – the sound a great cross section of thrash, groove, and shred / neoclassical charm, all rolled up in this catchy songwriting format that remains easily digestible. A mid-year favorite that will stand the test of time, probably hitting many high marks for critical / fan acclaim for this season (and beyond). We reached out to guitarist Mike Orlando on a fairly busy press schedule to learn more about the group’s beginnings, how the songwriting worked, thoughts on the players and what they brought to the table, if this will be a live act as well, how younger musicians can strive for setting themselves apart in the scene, production outlook, and future plans.
Dead Rhetoric: This union between musicians as Category 7 has been years in the making. Discuss how things came together – and how difficult it may have been to keep things under wraps until the right time to unveil what many are calling a metal ‘supergroup’?
Mike Orlando: Sure. It started early on with myself and Phil Demmel. We’ve been friends for years, we thought that we had to do something together. At the end of his tenure with Machine Head, at some point we thought we needed to do something. Fast forward a couple of years later, he had done some fill in touring and after that we decided to start this. Jason, myself, and Phil were out drinking one night, and we thought this was the second step – as we really wanted to do this. We started to get everything going, and it’s really hard to keep something under wraps that you are so excited about, busting at the seams. Our management didn’t want to make a big, drawn-out thing – let’s just come out of the gate. It was a different angle these days, because everything has been done so many times. Why not do something a little different and surprise everybody.
Jack came in because of Phil, he was the only player we considered for bass. He was a monster player, great style. John really was the only singer. I remember the three of us in the beginning, who would be our top singer? And every one of us said John Bush (laughs). That was pretty easy, he’s that amazing and for all of us he’s our favorite hard rock, metal singer. He’s incredible across the board in so many different ways. It was a no brainer.
Dead Rhetoric: How did the songwriting and recording sessions go for this debut album? What were some of the surprises or challenges that came up – and how do you feel about the final product now that it’s about to hit the streets?
Orlando: The sessions were great. It started with me and Phil, since we write all the music together. We threw out a ton of riffs sitting together, I would take the riffs home in my studio where you see me now. It was easy, I made the riffs into full songs, or I had full songs I brought to the table with Phil and would ask him what he was thinking. “In Stitches” I had the main song and Phil came up with that incredible middle section that is just off the charts. It’s stuff like that. Something like “Exhausted”, I had that track specifically written for John because we started off writing – we sent one track to John, but we didn’t know a month or two prior if John was going to be working with us. We geared things towards him, and once we knew he was committed to this, it was very easy to write stuff for John Bush, at least for me as a songwriter. When I see the forest through the trees, I am zoned in and razor sharp. Case in point was “Exhausted” – that was for John. And that’s how the rest of the album went.
We did all the music and sent John all the tracks. He handles all the lyrics and all the melodies – I would never tell him what to write. I want 100% John Bush, as does Phil and the whole band. I couldn’t be more elated with how this whole album came out. It was a great collaboration with the writers, and the players are incredible as well. Between Jack, Jason, John, and Phil, I couldn’t be more honored to have such an incredible legacy of musicians here.
Dead Rhetoric: What do you consider some of the important aspects, hooks, or elements that Category 7 is trying to go for? As I feel like the material on this record is a great cross-section of different aspects of thrash, groove, modern, and shred-style metal…
Orlando: Yeah, those are all the aspects. We wanted to capture all of that in there. Even though the players are of an incredible technical level here, as a producer and a songwriter I always wanted to make sure the song is king. No matter what we can do, or how technical a player is, you have to have a good song to pull in a listener and keep them there – not just for one song, but a whole album. It was all about the song, the song – and then we brought stuff in. It has aspects of all those things, wrapped in first and foremost a song format. Not just shredding or being heavy for the sake of being heavy or playing fast for the sake of playing fast. It’s about groove, hooks, and songs.
Dead Rhetoric: How do you feel about playing in a twin guitar lineup with Phil Demmel? What do you consider the strengths or unique aspects that you each bring to the table for the greater good of the sound you are going for with Category 7?
Orlando: I love it. I’ve never done it before. It’s fantastic. We get to do dual harmonies together, it’s bigger, live it will be great because under solos there will be rhythms or meet in the middle of the stage and go off. Every song is myself and Phil – I didn’t want things to be this is my track, this is your track. We are a team, we are in this together, this is the Category 7 guitar attack of Phil Demmel and myself. I’ve always wanted it to be… whether I go for eight measures and then he goes, you will always hear the both of us. That’s the definition of a true team. I’m psyched and pumped to get out there to put it out live, to have a guitar partner like Phil with me.
Dead Rhetoric: How much fun did you have in that final instrumental track “Etter Stormen” where you and Phil just go off on guitar?
Orlando: What an eight plus minute song to end an album! Phil came to me with the intro, I added some parts to it, we came together. It’s so great to be able to do instrumentals. Even before Adrenaline Mob I loved doing Sonic Stomp, an instrumental act. There still has to be a song. It’s a song that keeps you going – and it’s not easy when there’s no lyrics and no vocals, you listen to some cool music. Phil and I do go off, but in a tasteful way within the song. It’s not a shredfest, in the end I pull in my fretless guitar, he’s doing the bar work. He uses a bar, I don’t, it’s two different style players. Jason and Jack were amazing on the track as well. We pulled off quite a song.
Dead Rhetoric: Discuss the freedom to be able to create music and give open space to such a dynamic, iconic voice as John Bush through these songs – what were some of the highlights that came up through his lyrics, melodies, and attack on this record?
Orlando: It is the greatest honor ever to be able to work with somebody as incredible as John Bush. Not only vocally is he incredible, but as an artist, a lyricist, a person, he was so amazing to work with. Across the board, he is that great. He came up with such great topics and lyrics. It’s not just his voice, although I feel it’s even better now, decades later. He’s on the top of his game, on top of the mountain, screaming for the whole world to hear. I couldn’t be more honored and grateful to be able to write music with John in this band. He is just off the charts.
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you see the importance of multi-pronged media attention to propel deeper interest in the band – beyond the already established work you guys have done over the years in previous outfits? Is this where you are happy to hear about the major push you’ve gotten through social media channels like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and significant airplay on Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal and other outlets?
Orlando: Yeah, it has been a great reception. We have a great label behind us with Metal Blade, a great team of people and the label, the PR department, Sirius XM with Jose Mangin. What an incredible supporter, I could not be more grateful to them – he has sounded the charge for us. It is awesome to have a great friend in the industry behind us. There are so many different aspects – hearing from James Hetfield and what he thought about Category 7, being very surprised. That is such an honor, it’s like coming from the king himself.
Dead Rhetoric: Will there be plans to take this band on the road depending on the schedules of other members – even if it’s on a limited basis with festival slots or special one-off shows?
Orlando: Yes, we absolutely want to tour the world. We want to play as many festivals as we can, and do all the things that we can do. We are not just going to be a ‘side band’ or project – this is a band, and that’s that. We have a great team behind us as far as management and booking are concerned – an iconic manager in Larry Mazur who has worked with the biggest and the best. Our booking agent as well, I’ve been with him for ages. We just have to be respectful and figure this out. We will look into 2025 with this and beyond.
Dead Rhetoric: How are you able to keep so busy and creatively viable on numerous different band / project activities beyond your producing endeavors – as it seems like the time is ripe for you to gain even more acclaim / appreciation for your abilities as a musician, songwriter, and producer?
Orlando: Thank you for that. I go into my own world in my head, just as I did with the incredible album I did Sonic Universe with Corey Glover. I like different styles of music; I do different things. Power, speed metal, and then Sonic Universe is rock, funk – heavy. Category 7 is the knockout punch heavy metal. I like to dive into a different style of writing. Producing, getting to be the mixing and mastering engineer for Category 7, it was an honor to have the guys trust me to bring this to the world. That’s the first step. You have to be of a certain level with what you are producing to gain the trust of your band first. Then you go out there and the label and everyone else backs you. I feel blessed to be able to have done this. I love producing equally as much as being a guitar player, songwriting.
Dead Rhetoric: If you had specific advice for the younger crop of musicians trying to elevate their work to move up the ranks and garner more attention and respect, what tips or advice would you provide that you think could help them out?
Orlando: That’s a tough one. I always say to people, try not to copy. Try to be a little bit original. Even when I am talking to a budding producer, be different. I hate breaking out albums and mixes that sound exactly the same as the last fifty albums and mixes. When you are listening to the radio for the last two hours, all the songs sound the same. I want our albums to sound a little different – just don’t follow the joneses. That’s what I did with my guitar playing, I never wanted to be this guy. I have so many influences, put them in a pot, mixed it up and whatever comes out, comes out of my fingers. Do what you feel is right – don’t follow the current trend of anything. That’s what I do.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the schedule for anything related to Category 7, Sonic Universe, or any of your other project/production endeavors in the next twelve months or so?
Orlando: Category 7 is a huge, top priority of course. The Sonic Universe album also just came out – I didn’t plan on it being so close, so that was not my idea (laughs). It’ll be hard to get to do both, but I also want to go out on the road with that. Living Colour, their touring schedule – what a resurgence, they are killing it. It’s globally covering things, because I am a Living Colour fan too. Category 7 will be a priority. I am always here in Sonic Stomp Studios, working with a bunch of current bands and clients in the area, people sending me files. I’m producing constantly, all year round.