Concert Review: John Bush and Category 7 at the Racket in NYC

Mark Kurtzner
3 hours ago
5 min read

Updated: 2 hours ago

Review by John Moore

Photos by Mark Kurtzner

On December 20, 2025, legendary Armored Saint and former Anthrax vocalist John Bush played The Racket in New York for a special solo gig celebrating his time with Anthrax. This could be labeled a ‘one-of-a-kind’ show, but in reality, this was a ‘three of a kind’ gig – three shows only, Bush plays Anthrax, in L.A., Chicago and New York. This was the last of the three shows.

John replaced longtime Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna in 1992, and recorded four albums during his just over ten year time with Anthrax: ‘Sound of White Noise’ (1993), ‘Stomp 442’ –(1995), ‘Volume 8: The Threat is Real’ (1998), and the fantastic, underrated ‘We've Come for You All’ - released in 2003. There was a fifth Bush Anthrax record, ‘The Greater of Two Evils’, in 2004, but that was the band re-recording a slew of earlier Anthrax gems with John singing.

That wasn’t what this night was about – this was about Bush doing the Bush-era Anthrax songs only, a great discography of music which has been largely overlooked in the last 20 yearssince Anthrax reconvened with Joey Belladonna and Bush returned to Saint. All four of the Bush Anthrax records are top-shelf: ‘Sound of White Noise’ was a big success when released on Elektra in 1993 – a Top 10 record, gold status, sold a bunch, “Only” was a hit single, big tour. But the later albums John did with Anthrax didn’t match ‘Sound’ sales-wise: not only because the later 90s and early 00s were metal’s ‘lean years’, but because Elektra Records legendarily changed label presidents, and the incoming powers-that-be simply decided not to push ‘Stomp 442’. When Anthrax left that label and signed with Ignition Records for ‘Vol. 8…’, Ignition immediately went bankrupt, throwing the band into limbo until they were able to sign to Sanctuary Records and release ‘We’ve Come For You All’ in 2003. Business issues aside, every one of these records arestuffed full of great songs. Like Dio Sabbath, Bush Anthraxreleased some really great music and this night's show was a celebration of those songs.

John brought along a stellar band of musicians, chiefly his bandmates in side-project Category 7: featuring Phil Demmel on Guitar (ex-Machine Head, Vio-lence), Mike Orlando on Guitar (ex-Adrenaline Mob), Jason Bittner on Drums (Shadows Fall, ex-Overkill and China White). Category 7’s bassist, Jack Gibson (also of Exodus) was unable to do this mini-tour, so bassist for these shows was Bush’s Armored Saint comrade, the one and only Joey Vera! A great lineup for these shows, not only because you have not only great players, but a built-in opening band (Category 7 warmed up these shows with a set of songs from the band’s 2024 debut). Adding further credibility,both Bittner and Vera have done time in Anthrax: Jason deputized for drummer Charlie Benante on and off at points when Benante was unable to tour, and Joey stepped in for longtime bassist Frank Bello (who was in the crowd tonight, watching the gig) when Frankie briefly left Anthrax to join Helmet in 2004.

A word about The Racket, where the gig was held – really coolplace, located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, right next to Chelsea Market, which was perfect for grabbing a meal before seeing a show there. Mid-sized room, even at a completely packed gig like this the sight lines were perfect no matter where you were standing, there’s a small upper level, and bars located on both sides of the main room, good beer selection, reasonable prices, cool bartenders and bouncers. I’d definitely see a gig there again.

As stated, John and the band started the gig with a short set of tracks from the debut, self-titled Category 7 record, which was released last year on Metal Blade Records. Great record, check it out. So essentially, the band was opening for itself, and Bush and the boys hit the stage as Category 7 and did a ripping 6-song set, kicking off with “Land I Used to Love”. The songs sounded great live, hammering stuff. Demmel and Orlando are a great guitar team, “Exhausted”, “Apple of Discord” and “In Stitches” were highlights, and after “Mousetrap” Bush left the stage and gave the stage to the band for the set-closing instrumental “Etter Stroman”.

There wasn’t long wait, and the main event started not long after Category 7 finished. Bush, keeping tradition alive from his Anthrax years of wearing basketball jerseys, hit the stage in a NY Knicks (Walt Frazier) jersey. If you’re a fan of the Bush Anthrax years, this was a great show. The room was packed – sold out by showtime, I’m sure – and this crowd was all-in for this set. The thrashing, roaring “Potters Field” from ‘Sound…’ started it off, full crowd participation vocally, straight into “Random Acts of Senseless Violence” from ‘Stomp 442’. Great mix of songs - ‘Sound of White Noise’ and ‘We’ve Come ForYou All’ getting the most love, but each Bush Anthrax recordwas represented in the set. Of course, you knew they’d be playing the bigger songs from John’s era of Anthrax (“Only”, “Safe Home”, “Fueled”, “Black Lodge”), and they did, but this night was a combination of the more well-known songs and some glorious deep tracks (in fact, the band mixed up the set slightly on all three nights of the mini-tour, meaning LA saw a different set from Chicago, and both those cities saw different sets than tonight in NYC – that’s cool).

Highlights? The whole damn thing. The band killed it. “1000 Points of Hate” and “Hy Pro Glo” were huge crowd favorites. Bush & Co. trotted out “Strap It On” for the first time on the tour at an online request of a fan who was in the crowd – who John mocked and praised for his relentlessness. Great tune, so cool to have seen. “Black Lodge” was the only relatively chill moment, with some on-point keyboards from Joe Angeline from Overkill bassist DD Verni’s solo band (DD Verni and the Cadillac band), and he told me after the set that he had one day’s notice to learn the tune – great job. By the end of the regular set – a one-two-three punch of “Safe Home”, “Room for One More” and “Fueled” – the vibe in the room was positively communal, the crowd roaring along, complete strangers back-slapping one another, and raising their drinks and voices in unison. Just awesome.

The encore was perfect – ‘We’ve Come for You All’ classic “What Doesn’t Die” keeping the great vibe going, the band clearly calling an audible to drop ‘Vol. 8’ deep track “Catharsis” in as an extra song, and then of course “Only” finishing an astoundingly great gig, every single person in the joint singing along. A hell of a gig, all hail Bush-Vera-Demmel-Orlando-Bittner, and the Bush Anthrax era.