Metal has evolved over the past decade quiet drastically and many albums are hybrids of that metal evolution. In other words you seldom just get a thrash metal album in its purist sense, and many of today’s modern rock bands are a amalgamation of two or more particular genre’s. Remember when punk was punk undefiled? And what about hardcore? Hardcore today is not the hardcore I grew up with, for me it’s a hybrid evolution of the hardcore I grew up with. Don’t get me wrong I am not crashing down on the music scene of today, as there are a great many bands out there today who run circles around the bands of the past. What I am saying the waters are much deeper when you wade into the scene than what they use to be. There is an ark of great bands out there at the moment, of talented musicians bringing their own interpretation to the art of the musical world, and honestly I think you got to really bring something fresh, and earthquakingly good to rise above the pack, that makes people stand up and take notice. I think Tremonti succeed here in doing that.
To give you a brief rundown on the band, and the person, Tremonti is an American rock band founded and fronted by lead vocalist and guitarist Mark Tremonti, best known as the guitarist of the American rock band Creed, and the lead guitarist of American rock band Alter Bridge. Since his early years with Creed, Tremonti has received positive recognition as a guitarist and songwriter and has received a number of accolades, including one Grammy Award for Creed’s single “With Arms Wide Open.” He was also named “Guitarist of the Year” for three consecutive years by Guitar World, and in 2011 he was listed in Total Guitar magazine as the fourth greatest heavy metal guitarist of all time [Wikipedia] . The band plays in a melodic classical rock approach that is infused with a sort of post-grunge influenced heavy metal music style with progressive rock leanings.
Without going into intense detail and taking too much of your time. If you like Mark Tremonti’s writing contributions and efforts with Alter Bridge or Creed, of which wether you hate them or not are bands that have made a significant and historical imprint in the evolution of the rock world, then look no further. Go out and get this album, and add value to your musical atmosphere. That fingerprint signature style of writing is all over this, but with the added metal influence stamp on it. In Fact one gets the impression that he really has fun doing this style, and that in short is a contributing factor to the high level of quality he manages to bring to this project. It makes for an exciting listen. As good as Alter Bridge is, and possibly more commercially viable and accessible, I find Tremonti seems to give Mark some breathing room, a greater sense of writing freedom, and a truer reflection of some of the greater musical influences in his life. On “Cauterize” that sense of freedom and influence erupts into an explosive surge of musical thunder that pounds the ground with excellence and drive in an energy infused riot of sound and talent.
The album has some really cool speedy hard driving riffs and catchy choruses, but that is not what the album is all about. “Cauterize” bridges Alter Bridge’s more broody sound with Tremonti’s more noticeable heavier and faster riff experience. I noticed there are some interesting speed metal riffs, which I really enjoyed, and separated it from what otherwise could be another version of Alter Bridge adds to its collective quality and interest as a album. It is a well oiled machine of diversity in the rock spectrum. It bridges classic rock, with metal, giving it a darker, heavier tone than what you would find on any Alter Bridge albums.
Tremonti on “Cauterize” don’t keep to any specific formula as such, as they switch and changed things between and in songs, not limiting them to one particular style as such, and thus giving the listener a much larger listening experience, without sacrificing the foundational elements of the band, and the roots from where they come from. At best Tremonti have unveiled a rock album latched with classic and progressive melodic metal influences, to give it a darker and heavier sound than what one would expect from that genre. Yes the exo-skeleton that makes the hard outer body of the band is of metal influence, but that framework does not suffocate the broader spectrum of sound and creativity of the band. Tremonti is possibly not as strong commercially as Alter Bridge, and that can be due to the combination of writing forces at hand, but in many ways its better in my books. As I said before he seems to have a greater feel of freedom on here, and the passion seems more intense, and sound truer to his influences as a writer. So it might not be that ‘commercially’ notable sound that established him as a tour de force in the rock industry in bands like Creed or Alter Bridge, but what he does is gives the fans an album of that tour de force experience that delivers a release of solid rock songs that’s shows a band maturing in its shoes, and is a step above their debut release, “All I Was”. So if you enjoyed that release then “Cauterize” would certainly fill yeah cup.
Rating: 8/10
Written by Donovan de Necker
Tracklisting:
01. Radical Change
02. Flying Monkeys
04. Cauterize
04. Arm Yourself
05. Dark Trip
06. Another Heart
07. Fall Again
08. Tie The Noose
09. Sympathy
10. Provedence
Band members:
Mark Tremonti – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar
Eric Friedman – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Garrett Whitlock – drums
Wolfgang Van Halen – bass guitar, backing vocals
Studio albums:
“All I Was” (2012) [review]
“Cauterize” (2015)
Record Label: Fret12 Records, June 2015
Weblinks: Facebook / Twitter / Website
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Lyric video for: ‘Another Heart’
Video below: ‘Cauterize’ (live)