Recent Reviews

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

[ More Music Reviews ]


Category 5: Off the Ivory Coast (EP)
Category 5 Off the Ivory Coast new music review

Category 5: Off the Ivory Coast (EP)

AOR/Melodic Rock
3.0/5.0

Category 5 are familiar folk around the Detroit music scene, working as cover band rendering everything from Journey to Green Day. Category 5 expresses their own creativity with their first EP Off the Ivory Coast, a collection of five original numbers. Off the Ivory Coast is some consistent stuff, catchy melodic rock root firmly in the 1980's. The musicianship is enthusiastic and passionate throughout. I wish I had the same feeling about these five songs.

Home Again and I Wonder are fine numbers, but ultimately dull. Party If You Want To adds some saxophone and generally offers some 'party' liveliness, yet it still didn't move me. I'm guessing it's more animated when played live. The strong numbers are Lost in Legacy, a pure AOR piece with strong vocals and some sizzling fret work, and the totally unexpected 7 Daze Warning, a real melodic hard rock number that bludgeons the rest of the songs with its power. If Category 5 keeps this up, they will be on to something good. Otherwise, Category 5's Off the Ivory Coast is solid, but merely average, melodic rock effort from a very promising band.




CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

In Short

Category 5's Off the Ivory Coast is solid, but merely average, melodic rock effort from a very promising band.

Find A Review

Alphabetical Index

a b c d e f g h i j
k l m n o p q r s t
u v w x y z #
New & Notable
Read the Cruzh: The Jungle Revolution Album Review

Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]