Health & Fitness
Saliva Rises Up
Saliva Rises Up
Band's Eighth Album Released This Week Features New Singer Bobby Amaru
By Brian Aberback
Saliva singer Bobby Amaru knew his first album with the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated heavy rockers would represent a big step in the band’s career. The question, in the minds of fans and critics, was whether “Rise Up” would be a leap forward or backward. The answer, in resounding fashion, is the former.
“Rise Up,” the Memphis quartet’s eight album, is a powerhouse of inspired riffing and anthemic yet heavy choruses, all topped by Amaru’s emotive vocals that have the power to command moshpits one second and bring an audience to a standstill the next. The album, Saliva’s first on Rum Bum Records, hit stores yesterday, Tuesday, April 29.
The album clocks in at just about 42 minutes, a compact set that never loses the listener but also leaves you wanting more. Standout moments include “Lost,” a poignant track about addiction recovery, the call to arms title track and the psychotic grooves of “Redneck Freakshow.”
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The band, which also includes guitarist Wayne Swinny, bassist Dave Novotny and drummer Paul Crosby, performs on Sunday, May 4, at the Stanhope House in Stanhope, NJ.
I spoke to Bobby Amaru the day of “Rise Up’s” release.
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Q: Today marks the release of your first album with Saliva. What’s going through your mind?
A: After spending eight weeks of no sleep and losing your mind making it, when it hits stories it’s definitely an achievement. It’s just great to get it to the masses. I was so excited I went to Best Buy earlier today and bought a copy.
Q: Saliva has been around for nearly 20 years and this is its first album with a new singer. Did the band feel this had to be a statement record?
A: I think what we did was go back to the drawing board. We all knew it would be a challenge and I knew how important it was. We had to do something big with this record. We wanted to expand our sound and “Rise Up” is a big step from anything the band has ever done. The recording process was very cool. Everyone showed up at the studio every day excited and everyone had input.
A: I think it was a big plus. Also, the previous few records they were shooting out to fulfill contract obligations. The band didn’t want to rush into a record deal this time around. Everything had to line up and it did. When you have Luis Bacardi (Rum Bum Records head and member of the rum-producing family) flying out to Wisconsin to sign your band, that’s a big deal.
Q: Do you worry at all about whether fans will accept you as the new voice of Saliva?
A: The reviews have been great; honestly I’m very overwhelmed by it. Even in the process of making it, the guy engineering the record called me at 2 a.m. He was mixing the song “Lost” and was so excited about it.
Q: “Lost” is a great song. Can you tell us about it?A: It’s about self-destructing and then overcoming that, whether it’s a drug addiction or a relationship coming apart. The song is for a friend of mine who’s been clean for four years. He was on everything, you name it. We wrote the song about what he went through and the recovery process.
Q: What are Saliva’s goals moving forward?
A: We’re trying to expand and reach a bigger audience. There’s been good word of mouth and we’ve been noticing the shows have been drastically getting better and better. We want to stay true to ourselves but also reach out and broaden our audience.
If You Go: Saliva, Deadfish Handshake, Xombie, Beyond Visible, Eli and Ascending From Ashes. 6 p.m. Sunday, May 4. $18 advance, call for day of show price. The Stanhope House, 45 Main St., Stanhope. 973-347-7777 or www.stanhopehousenj.com.
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