Tremonti
Cauterize

Mark Tremonti, prolific music artist of our time. Active in the rock/metal scene for about two decades, in fact, he is the beating heart of three musical groups: (ex?) Creed, Alter Bridge, and more recently his solo band (simply called Tremonti).

The guitarist's musical journey is quite unique: while most mainstream rock/metal groups have often started with a harder and more aggressive sound that has progressively softened over the years, Tremonti has done exactly the opposite, starting from the '90s post-grunge and gradually moving towards an increasingly heavy and adrenaline-fueled style. This is particularly noticeable in the musical history of Alter Bridge, and even more so in the solo career of the Orlando guitarist.

It was at the beginning of the artistic collaboration between Myles Kennedy (frontman of Alter Bridge) and "his majesty" Slash, that Tremonti decided to embark on a more personal musical journey, giving vent to his thrash influences of the eighties, never neglecting melody (which remains the core of his artistic proposal). So, in 2012, he enlisted Eric Friedman on rhythm guitar and Garrett Whitlock on drums, later joined by bassist Wolfgang Van Halen ("son of the famous Eddie"): the result is "All I Was," a good solo debut that leaves room for speedy outbursts alternated with melodic parts, yet not straying far from the Alter Bridge compositions (essentially maintaining its "post-grunge metal-oriented" backbone). For the first time, Tremonti is not limited to the lead guitar, but steps behind the microphone as the main voice, a delightful novelty for fans.

Three years later, Tremonti aims to repeat himself with a second solo work, one that is even harder and more personal than the previous. This results in "Cauterize": how is it? Good, but it could have been better.

The objective quality of the tracks on this album cannot be disputed: all the pieces are generally well-structured, the mixing is of good quality, the riffs are wicked (but not too much), the singing (which was a bit approximate on All I Was) has significantly improved and at times resembles the performances of Corey Taylor in Stone Sour. "Radical Change" opens the album marking a not too "radical" change from the past, and foreshadows a nice continuation of the album, which generally happens. Noteworthy is the "dark" turn of the sound compared to the previous work, which gives the songs a certain "epic" quality that is pleasing, but in some ways brings the musical style even closer to that of Alter Bridge. Apparently, the album has no flaws, it comfortably withstands repeated listening… but there's something that leaves a bitter taste.

What doesn't convince about this "Cauterize"? It seems that this album wants to have a foot in two worlds. Tremonti is well aware that his followers are the same as Alter Bridge, so he doesn't dare to press the accelerator too much (even though the horsepower is there, all the musicians are well-prepared). The album, on one hand, pretends to be "mean," but on the other hand, wants to remain anchored to "radio-friendly" rock: the result does not fully convince. There is a certain lack of homogeneity and coherence in the album, not only among the various tracks of the album but in some cases within the tracks themselves. Just think of the title track: a very heavy main riff with a hammering double pedal, followed by a markedly melodic verse and chorus, too "discordant" compared to the opening of the track. Even "Another Heart" (the first single released) has the same problem: a very hard main riff followed by an overly melodic deceleration; it's as if you can perceive a forced structure in the heavier tracks. The best pieces are the slower ones, where Tremonti (also out of habit) knows how to move better, especially "Sympathy," "Dark Trip," "Fall Again," "Providence" (the latter reminiscent of "Blackbird"). Also, "Arm Yourself" is of excellent workmanship, perhaps the only fully successful "thrash" episode.

This album, if it has everything it takes to satisfy the fans of Tremonti and co., on the other hand, will be hardly appreciated by those accustomed to a completely different kind of metal. It's like witnessing a Ferrari revving up its engines, gearing up, even overheating, but in the end, doesn't take off, it stays put. I'm not saying the album is bad or not worth buying: it's something that is still above average. But considering who Mark Tremonti is, his great technique and compositional flair, and above all his in-depth knowledge (by his own admission) of Metallica, Megadeth, and others, I expected him to dare more, instead of remaining tied to radio grunge clichés (which calls into question the actual usefulness of this solo proposal, given the existence of Alter Bridge). The album lacks a certain homogeneity that in the previous "All I Was" (simpler and more direct, less dark) was well present. In this sense, "Cauterize" represents a step back.

In essence, a good album that has few (but determinant) flaws. It somewhat represents the artistic "struggle" of Mark Tremonti, perpetually torn between the metallic impetus and the melodic tendency. If the two elements marry well and find their balance in Alter Bridge (also thanks to the other compositional soul Myles Kennedy), that's not exactly the case here. I expect the aim to be adjusted with the next "Dust," coming out next year.