Ok, so the last Tremonti album was something of a shock outing. We knew, of course, that the man was talented, but the six-string fury of ‘Cauterize’ was above and beyond all expectations and left listeners dizzy with its explosive riffs, effortlessly addictive hooks and relentless pace. It was, therefore, something of a surprise to see Tremonti announce another album so soon (although a pleasant one) and, it turns out, the album is, in fact, a companion piece to the last effort, conceived at the same time.
That should mean off cuts, right?
Well, in any sane universe it would <cough> ‘steal this album’ <cough>, but ‘dust’ is easily the equal of its forebear and from the moment that the hook laden ‘my last mistake’ lands screaming on the stage, one leather clad leg planted firmly on the monitor, it’s clear that we’re on for one hell of a ride. As with ‘Cauterize’ the production is frighteningly clear with every raging riff represented in pristine clarity whilst Mark’s vocals surge over the top with both bite and melody intact. The result is a blistering introduction to the album that skimps neither on melody nor aggression and it’s easy to imagine the boundless ambition evident in the track leading Tremonti and his colleagues all the way to the vast arenas that once housed Creed. The pace hardly slackens as Garett Whitlock’s thunderous percussive deluge announces the arrival of the searing riff to ‘The cage’. Another track that neatly combines melody with a metallic firestorm, ‘the cage’ sounds like someone laced the Foo Fighters’ rider with LSD and then sent the band out with an instruction to play Metallica and Black Sabbath covers. With an awesome doomy slowdown that gives way to a fiery solo, ‘the cage’ is an early highlight and an awesome track. Sticking firmly to the heavier end of the metal spectrum, ‘once dead’ juxtaposes melodic vocals with a full-blown thrash riff that threatens to send fans into the throes of ecstasy. In contrast, the title track is the first song to really slacken the pace with its eerie guitar work and awkward rhythms recalling Soundgarden’s underrated ‘down on the upside’ album. ‘Dust’, it transpires, was merely the calm before the metallic storm of ‘betray me’, another bruising track that sees the pedal placed firmly to the metal, although the huge chorus that lies at the heart of the song sees the metallic firestorm tempered with powerful pop nous.
The second half of the album opens with the moody ‘tore my heart out’, a track led by gnarled bass and augmented with atmospheric guitar work that builds to a sweet groove on the chorus. ‘Catching fire’ emerges from feedback as a hulking monster built around a syncopated riff that suddenly gives way to one of the album’s most ferocious attacks. A lighter track, although still packing a powerful punch, ‘never wrong’ recalls Stone Temple Pilots with its deft melody and growling guitars whilst ‘rising storm’, as its name implies, is the sort of crushing assault built to send the mosh pit into a blood-soaked frenzy. The album reaches its breathless conclusion with ‘unable to see’, a powerful ballad that brings the album to an emotional close.
‘Cauterize’ was an immense album for Mark Tremonti and it demonstrated the true range of his skills as both guitarist and vocalist. It was one of last year’s finest albums and it was a surprise to see another record landing so quickly. Happily for fans and newcomers alike, ‘Dust’ shows no sign of slipping quality control and it is, in almost every way, the equal of its predecessor. Mark’s skill at mixing the most metallic of riffs with memorable melodic passages is in full flow here and both he and his band step up to the plate, delivering an album of bruising anthems that would easily fill stadiums without compromising on the power or emotion that made ‘Cauterize’ so thrilling. In short, whether you loved ‘cauterize’ and want to hear the band continue that journey, or whether you’ve yet to hear a single Tremonti song, if you love heavy rock with a melodic edge, then this is the album for you.
