Josey Scott - vocals Wayne Swinny - guitar Jon Montoya - guitar Dave Novotny - bass Paul Crosby - drums

 

For gold-selling Memphis turbo-rockers Saliva, the past couple years of their decade-long career have brought an ocean swell of such change. One or more members have had children, stopped drinking, ended longterm relationships, gotten married and/or left the group, and each instance has been accompanied by a new sense of clarity.

 

As a result, Saliva's fifth album Blood Stained Love Story resounds with a previously untapped level of passion, energy, sincerity and diversity, not to mention an undeniable melodicism that will endear the band to anyone that feels any sort of connection between reality and music.

 

Blood Stained Love Story is an album of growth, a realization that there are more important things in life than cover stories, photo shoots and big Hollywood parties. But while it may be more mature than Saliva's past efforts, it's no less turbulent.

 

Saliva scored hit singles with "Your Disease" (#3) and "Click Click Boom" (#15) and spent most of the year touring before the record went gold. They returned in 2002 with Back Into Your System, a more melodic disc with fewer hip-hop references. The album also went gold, thanks to the #1 hit "Always" and its successors "Raise Up" and "Rest in Pieces."

 

The band's last album, Survival of the Sickest, which came out in 2004 was Saliva's unabashed tribute to their influences, resurrecting the seismic sounds of classic hard rock with the reverence and fortitude of true fans. As cathartic and enjoyable as Survival was, when Saliva reconvened after Scott's Hollywood stint (in addition to playing a starring role in "Wanted" he had a bit part in the movie "Hustle and Flow"), they knew it was time for a return to form. Only this time they wanted to steer clear of the extra-curricular activity that previously fogged their future.

 

"We all had the chance to party and do the rock star thing," Scott says. "We got that all out of system, and now things are more serious and valuable. We've found out what really matters to us, and now we want to get down to the business of real rock n' roll - undeniable writing, albums and live shows, with no stupid shit in the mix."