Tremonti
All I Was

An old adage says "he who does it himself, does it for three"; they will probably use this album to explain it better from today.

Until a few hours ago, for me Mark Tremonti was an excellent guitarist, with exceptional taste in solos and some memorable pieces composed in his work with Creed and, above all, Alter Bridge. Now he is something more: he has proven to be a versatile artist like very few in his field, a forge of ideas that, to see the light together, probably had to wait for Mark to invent this solo project. Moreover, here we see him in the new role of singer after years of backing vocals, and believe me, he doesn’t disappoint at all.

Gentlemen, here we are faced with a work with a capital "R": the "R" for Rock.

"All I Was" can be described as a pleasant pounding, like a punch in the stomach that makes us writhe with enjoyment.

The first track is just the prelude of what it will be: heavy riffs (this one more cadenced than others) for headbanging, incisive and direct sounds, precise breaks that are never out of place and more, it gives us one of the best solos of the album, something in which Tremonti needs no introduction.

As we continue to listen, we practically do nothing but hold our breath (and keep our heads from moving to avoid dangerous contusions) for almost a quarter of an hour, until we reach the chorus of "Brains", which gives us that touch of melody we expect sooner or later. However, let’s face it; the heavy guitars and double pedal will be the common thread throughout the album, and at this point, we have understood why the choice of drummer went to Garrett Whitlock: technique and incisiveness were needed, especially in the use of the double pedal.

The pleasant and very enjoyable "The Things I've Seen" serves as the prelude to the now famous and aggressive "You Waste Your Time", the single that launched the CD and for which we could also appreciate a live version on YouTube, in what they call their "rehearsal room".

And now we have the only moment of pause, the eye of the cyclone, the moment to catch our breath: "New Way Out" a ballad that I really appreciated, for the vocal interpretation, the melody, and the intention.

Everything that follows will only be a reaffirmation of what was said before; the excellent "Giving Up", the title track "All I Was" that practically summarizes all the work done (though not being the best piece) and the ending "Decay", which powerfully concludes the track list. The "poor" listener is left with a rare headache that entails as a side effect an idiotic smile imprinted on the face.

I cannot help but consider that Mark Tremonti is not just a guitarist, at least not anymore. This is a product that was sorely missed and we hope it lays the foundation to renew a genre, that of Hard Rock and Metal, which really needs it. Enjoy the listening.