Holy shit! The riff that kicks off the new Tremonti album will blow your freaking socks off! It’s hard to believe just how potent it is, but here the riff comes blazing out of the speakers with a fury that is entirely unexpected. True Mark Tremonti still deals in the sort of clean vocals that might be expected from the man behind Creed and Alter bridge, although his voice packs a Chris Cornell punch that gives the song’s a touch more bite than found with the aforementioned acts, and it is an exceptionally strong outing from the talented guitarist.
Opening with ‘radical change’, the searing track that elicited the strong response above, Tremonti is clearly taking no prisoners. The guitar work is brutal, the backing band (comprising Eric “Erock” Friedman, drummer Garrett Whitlock, and bassist Wolfgang Van Halen) immensely talented and the music memorable. It is one hell of an introduction. Not that ‘flying monkeys’ is any less exciting. Despite a whimsical title, the track draws upon the likes of Soundgarden and Alice in chains for inspiration, with dark vocals howling in the darkness and strong harmonies on the chorus. Not a million miles away from the punishing material of Alter bridge’s phenomenal ‘fortress’, ‘flying monkeys’ deals out the crushing riffs and taut harmonies better than most and you soon find yourself succumbing to the rich power of Tremonti’s song writing. The title track is up next and, get this, it makes the first two tracks sound tame with its full-throttle approach. It’s as if on each track Tremonti and his band were hell bent on upping the stakes just a little bit more, and my god if it’s not one hell of an adrenalin charge to the heart. Despite finding myself waiting for the inevitable slowdown, it does not arrive with the ferocious ‘Arm yourself’, a track which sees Tremonti dealing out Metallica-esque riffs with unhinged abandon, whilst the deftly formed harmonies give the sublime heaviness just enough melody to stay on the right side of memorable – it is not for nothing that Mark Tremonti hangs numerous platinum records upon his wall, although such is the hunger on display here that you’d imagine this was his debut release.
Things finally slow down for the trippy, reverb-laden ‘dark trip’, the sort of track that would easily have made a killer single back in the days when heavy rock bands actually released singles. A dark, intense musical moment that steps back off the gas but does not reduce the power one iota, ‘dark trip’ is further evidence that on ‘Cauterize’ Tremonti is doing everything right. Such moments of calm can’t last, of course, and ‘Another heart’ is a masterclass in dynamics as Mark and his band switch between crushing chorus and melodic verse with ease. With its backwards delay and subtle, atmospheric melody ‘Fall again’ opens as an acoustic-led ballad, although the quiet intro disguises a muscular body that packs a frightful punch despite the perfectly arranged harmonies on offer. Offering up an almighty groove, ‘tie the noose’ is full-bore hard rock with attitude whilst ‘sympathy’ sees Tremonti and band take one last shot at redemption via the crushed velvet pop rock of Velvet Revolver’s second album before the album closes with a touch of Soundgarden-esque class in ‘providence’. A suitably elegant closer, it gives Mark a chance to exercise his remarkable skills on the guitar once more whilst his vocal work here is some of his most impressive.
‘Cauterize’ is an absolute belter of an album. Although it may not quite sate the appetite of the extreme metal fan, for those with a taste for heavy (often exceptionally so), yet melodic rock of bands like Alter Bridge, ‘Cauterize’ will absolutely not disappoint. Huge riffs, radio-friendly hooks, massive harmonies and sublime guitar work awaits all those who dare enter here and there is no question that the quality, which oozes from every track, will have you playing the album on repeat for some time to come. A hugely impressive effort, ‘cauterize’ is the crowning achievement in this talented guitarist’s canon – don’t miss out!
