Old-school Saliva

NILES — Never let it be said that Saliva is afraid of change.

The hard-rock band from Memphis, Tenn., has tried on a few styles over the course of its five-album career.

Songs like “Click Click Boom” and “Dope Ride” put the quintet in the rap-metal category in their early days. Top 40 ballads like “Rest In Pieces” occasionally shut off the testosterone gusher.

With their latest album, “Blood Stained Love Story,” Saliva continues its zig-zag trek and winds up in the musical land of   ... the All-American Rejects?

It’s only on one song, but “Twister” sure echoes “Swing Swing.”

Throughout the album, Saliva reworks some of the coolest riffs on the radio (Seether is another obvious influence) into something new. Sort of.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing, either. “Love Story” is textured and embellished and will probably spawn four singles, including “Ladies and Gentlemen,” which hit No. 1 on the Active Rock chart last week.

The CD also moves the chameleonic quintet closer to the 3 Doors Down-Nickelback mainstream than ever. You know it’s true, because hard-core Saliva-heads are already starting to call their heroes sellouts.

All of which brings us to Sunday’s concert at Eastwood Expo Center.

Which Saliva would show up: the raging rockers? Or the band that now pens introspective lyrics such as “Why can’t I become something more than myself? I reach and I’m trying to believe in me, but it’s just too hard to see” (from “Going Under” on “Love Story”)?

The old-school Saliva won out, although it did toss in “Starting Over” and “Broken Sunday” from the new album.

The hard stuff just went over better with the crowd, so lead singer Josey Scott kept it coming.

Saliva led off with “Black Sheep,” a pounding rocker from “Love Story,” and followed it up with a song whose title can’t be printed here.

For the full review, see the Entertainment section of Tuesday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.