DramaGods
Love

Awaiting the comeback after 13 long years of absence from his main band, Extreme, I set out to review this "Love", the first and only work of one of the numerous groups by the talented Nuno Bettencourt, the Dramagods. In reality, it would be their third work, following the debut "Population 1" and the EP "Sessions from Room 4", although these were released under the name Population 1.

Meanwhile, for those who don't know him, Nuno Bettencourt is a Portuguese-origin guitarist, mainly famous for his role in the Boston quartet, the Extreme, an underrated hard rock band from the early '90s, creator of excellent albums but mostly known for the hit ballad "More than Words". After the band's dissolution in 1995, the four members decided to pursue different paths, but Nuno remained the most active in the music field, founding several bands and maintaining a certain notoriety.

In 2005, he released this album, collaborating with Kevin Figueiredo on drums, Joe Pessia on bass, Steve Ferlazzo on keyboards; naturally, Nuno is on guitar and lead vocals.

Finally, after several years of experimentation in various musical fields with his solo work "Schizophonic" (an album that ranged from rock to punk, with slight hints of electronics) and the unconvincing works with Mourning Widows, Nuno returns to his roots, to his trademark, a driving funk rock that made him famous with Extreme during the "Pornograffitti" era. This "Love" is indeed a pure and simple CD, at times sweet and melodic, at other times dirty and raw, but capable of consistently maintaining high quality levels.

In particular, the influences of '70s rock are evident, and as you listen to the various tracks, it's not difficult to notice hints of the Beatles, echoes of Led Zeppelin, and inspirations from the Doors, especially with the extensive use of the Hammond organ in some tracks. The band's style and the overall sound of the album are inspired by these artists, yet never fall into plagiarism or clumsy imitations, displaying the class and personality of each member: Nuno, in particular, weaves never banal riffs and solos, always with taste and attention to melody before sterile demonstrations of technique; the bass is always present in providing accompaniment and often becomes the protagonist of riffs driving the song, as in the compelling "Lockdown"; Steve on the keyboards creates almost symphonic textures at times, and at others (as in the case of the wonderful "Sky") plays touching melodies in their simplicity; excellent is also Kevin's work on the drums, always giving the right groove to the compositions.

Regarding the songs that make up this platter, they contain all the distinctive traits of Nuno's compositions: on one hand, the energy of the opener "Megaton" pairs with the raw "Heavy" and the aforementioned "Lockdown"; on the other hand, there's a handful of excellent ballads, particularly the melancholic "Interface", the sweet "Something About You", and the very sweet and already mentioned "Sky" which closes the album. All the tracks consistently remain at excellent levels, but three compositions stand out in particular: "Pilots" and "Fearless Leader" for allowing room for some experimentation in the form of electronic inserts and synthesizers, which fit well into the song without distorting it, and "Broken", because after years, Nuno gives us an entirely acoustic composition, energetic and decisive.

In short, an excellent album, certainly the best since the times of Extreme, recommended for lovers of classic and pure rock and also for those wanting to discover something about Nuno, a virtuoso guitarist and also an excellent singer.