Tremonti
The End Will Show Us How

If we consider that before his adventure with Alter Bridge, his voice could only be heard in the shower, a smile comes naturally.

It was the "partner in crime" Myles Kennedy, who convinced Mark Tremonti. First a few small incidents as a backup vocalist, then an entire song (Water Rising from "Fortress"), and finally the definitive leap with the birth of the "Tremonti Project". And the rest is history.

Since that distant July 17, 2012, the band's debut date with the first release "All I Was", a lot of water has gone under the bridge. Five albums, each more interesting than the last, including a concept album, "The Dying Machine", which led to what critics have called the high point, namely "Marching in Time", born in the midst of a pandemic and filled with episodes of significant compositional power.

In the meantime, marked 2022, the parallel project "Tremonti Sings Sinatra" (see my review), which saw Mark step into the shoes (and strings) of the great Italian-American crooner. All in aid of the charity "Take a Chance For Charity", created by the guitarist of Italian origins, in collaboration with the National Down Syndrome Society, an initiative inspired by little Stella, the third child of the Tremonti couple.

While Alter Bridge are on hiatus and Myles Kennedy is on tour with his solo project, good old Mark thought it best to keep busy as always, releasing his sixth effort: "The End Will Show Us How".

Twelve tracks that remind us of the project's stature, between already known solutions and new experiments.

The first third of the tracklist moves entirely in the mid-tempo environment. "The Mother, The Earth and I" opens the dance and turns out to be the most sophisticated of the quartet. "One More Time" and "Nails", are the two episodes where the classic groove of the band is most evident, while "Just Too Much" could have found a place in the tracklist of some Alter Bridge release.

The title track "The End Will Show Us How" showcases Tremonti's vocal qualities, dresses as a ballad, and provokes thought, like "Tomorrow We Will Fail", keeping us still at a short distance from the whirlwind of power that will slowly pervade the subsequent tracks.

The fuse is lit with "I'll Take My Chances", where the reflection on geopolitical themes is advanced. The switch from hard rock to heavy metal is evident, with the first of many guitar solos by Tremonti, masterfully accompanied by the skilled sticks of Ryan Bennett and highlighted by the bass of Tanner Keegan.

"The Bottom" and "Live in Fear" are imbued with the power typical of the band's heavier pieces. The second, specifically, recalls compositional solutions of Sevendust, see the limited use of the synthesizer.

The emotional episode is not lacking either, as usual, with "Now That I've Made It", which brings mind and ears back to the gigantic "Blackbird", without making a comparison between the two.

It slows down and closes with the catchy loop of "Now That I've Made It", followed by the beautiful closing "All The Wicked Things", reminding us once again how good an idea it was to listen to Myles Kennedy's advice. On the refrains, the intertwining of strings between the first guitar and Eric Friedman's second is very pleasant, on a syncopated melodic carpet, which flows into more powerful riffs, channeled into a due solo unleashed from Tremonti's pick.

"The End Will Show Us How" is a very well-done work, which gains more value after a few listens. It does not add anything particularly innovative to what has already been done so well so far, but it consolidates certainties that over time are not always guaranteed. There are still experiments with synth sounds and new solutions on solos, which give a good part of the tracks an exclusive character that departs from the past.

Another piece is added to the precious mosaic of one of the best guitarists and authors of the last twenty years, active in no less than three different projects and with no desire to sit idle.

Tremonti will be in Italy for a single date at Magazzini Generali in Milan, on Monday, January 27. Another good piece of news for the band's followers, who will be able to listen to the new work and a valid selection of pieces live.