Saliva’s Rise Up was released on Bum Bum Records. The eighth album from the band features hard-hitting tracks that aren’t so much a wake-up for fans, but pure expression.
The lead singer on the album is Bobby Amaru. Wayne Swinny is on lead guitar, rhythm guitar, and background vocals. Dave Novotny plays on bass and background vocals, and Paul Crosby is on drums.
Amaru is impassioned, and his voice drives the music forward. “Rise Up” is a call to action. Some the rhythms sound more like chants. The hard-hitting opening song asks fans to make important choices. Amaru reminds fans that tomorrow could be the end. As the band’s thematic material repeats, it’s more an album about living in the moment than disaster. Each track does seem fresh, and new ideas arrive quickly. “She Can Sure Hide Crazy” is filled with great guitar, and it is the story about how the singer falls deep into the spell of a woman. Some of the sounds on the album are intentionally raw and grating. Twisted energy becomes a theme, and though the lead singer often isn’t self-sacrificing, he often seeks to rise above all the other tortured influences surrounding him.
“Lost” is a fine metal ballad, with Amaru saying goodbye to a woman. It is a great Summer song, for those who have blazed a trail they would rather leave behind. Right in the middle of the album is a song called “Redneck Freakshow.” The song provides lyrics about an ongoing saga about a “live wild” lifestyle. The album rocks on with songs like “Army” and “Closer.” The songwriters face their demons on the album, with “In It to Win It” and “The Enemy.” The final song on the album is “I don’t want it, I don’t need it.” It is a great end to the CD.
All in all, Rise Up is a strong statement. Metal has sounded that good before, but when if you are looking for bold songs with a hard rock sound, Rise Up could provide the very thing.