Saliva: Rise Up

To be honest, the prospect of reviewing the latest Saliva album, Rise Up (their first since the departure of vocalist Josey Scott), really didn't fill me with too much excitement. Nu-Metal never having been a sub-genre that got my juices slavering. However preconceptions are there to be blown from the water and that's exactly what this band have done with an excellent release which shows more maturity and a slightly wider palette than ever before. Bobby Amaru is the man replacing Scott and he does a simply excellent job of banishing any worries about how Saliva would fare without their previous frontman, his gritty, powerful and rich range striding with purpose across an album that certainly doesn't lack for self belief.

The likes of "No One But Me" and the album's title cut bristle with energy and the kind of brutish confidence that finds a band near the peak of their powers. Yes the likes of "Lost" almost reverts to type, a melancholic undercurrent attempting to undermine the forcefulness of what precedes it. However with the brooding "1000 Eyes" steering things back into more edgy waters, the earlier diversion acts much more as a mood changer than a signal of a front loaded album that fades as it evolves. Instead, "Army" finds a pounding groove and uses it to good effect, while "In It To Win It" brings a little synth goodness to add atmosphere and colour to a song which otherwise is happy to scream its delights in your face. Throughout, guitarist Wayne Swinney walks a thin line between full on assaults and gentle persuasion and comes out the other end smelling of sweaty success, while bassist Dave Novotny and drummer Paul Crosby thump out powerful smacks of authority at each and every turn.
Change isn't always a good thing, but then neither does it necessarily signal a turn for the worse. On this occasion Saliva have taken what could have been a fatal blow and turned it completely to their advantage. If, like me, you've always dismissed them in the past, it's time for a reappraisal, with Saliva looking set to Rise Up like never before!

Track Listing
1. Rise Up
2. She Can Sure Hide Crazy
3. No One But Me
4. Lost
5. 1000 Eyes
6. Redneck Freakshow
7. Choke
8. Army
9. Closer
10. In It To Win It
11. The Enemy
12. I Don't Want It

Added: August 20th 2014
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Saliva on facebook
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Language: english

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