EXTREME - Six
July 13, 2023, 10 months ago
(earMUSIC)
15 long years have passed since Extreme’s fifth studio album was issued, Saudades de Rock. Finally, 2023 marks the arrival of its follow-up…the properly titled Six. And like its predecessor, Six features a line-up consisting of singer Gary Cherone, guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, bassist Pat Badger, and drummer Kevin Figueiredo.
As it turns out, Six was worth the wait – as the material and performances are inspired and match up well with their earlier recordings (including their breakthrough 1990 offering, Pornograffitti).
Ever since the beginning, a large part of Extreme’s sound/approach has been the guitar wizardry of Bettencourt – who despite being tremendously technically gifted on the instrument, has always put the importance of songwriting first. But as evidenced by the lead-off single/video from Six, “Rise,” Nuno can still wow you with his supreme six-string skills.
That said, the thought-provoking lyrics in such standouts as “Thicker Than Blood” offer proof that Extreme was never your average/predictable hair metal band. And to their credit, the quartet still sounds focused and inspired this far into their career – as heard throughout Six.
