The 15-year wait for Extreme's new album is over! On March 1, the band took the internet by storm with the surprise announcement for their next studio album by unveiling the video for "Rise." With its sonically and visually vibrant aesthetic, the video marks the band's return with their just released album Six, (today) via earMUSIC.

Extreme has sold 10 million records, topped the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, and packed major venues on multiple continents. Their sixth and most dynamic album hits harder than ever on there before. The band doesn't consider this album a comeback, as they never left and are excited about its release.

After years of teasing fans with the album's status, Gary Cherone [vocals], Nuno Bettencourt [guitar], Pat Badger [bass], and Kevin Figueiredo [drums] deliver a sonic masterpiece. Six shows that the band has revitalized their sound, production quality, and performances. All members buckled down at Nuno's home studio in Los Angeles to channel the electrifying eclecticism that redefines their sound and this album. Nuno comes out swinging with his most impressive and adventurous guitar performances to date, which is evident on the three singles, "Rise," "#Rebel," and "Banshee." 

His playing is nothing short of breathtaking, while Pat gets your ass moving, hitting you with the bottom end. Gary delivers his trademark silky-smooth vocals with ease and grace while providing captivating and imaginative lyrics. His poetic lyrical insights have always intrigued and pleased fans since they first appeared on the music scene in 1989.

With every Extreme album, there are always one or two songs where the band takes you down a different musical path. On Six, there is the haunting "X Out" and the calypso-driven "Beautiful Girls."

A heightened level of expectation is always assumed with a band's long-awaited return, but rest assured, this album kicks ass and is well worth the wait. Extreme continues to delve into their hard rock, metal, funk, blues, and soul roots while fueled by their diverse influences, interests, and musical influences over their career. They continue to prove they can deliver hard rock with a 21st-century twist.

This is a powerful and promising restart for Extreme, as we can only hope it doesn't take another 15 years to get more music from this band.

Correspondent Robert Cavuoto spoke to Pat Badger on another interview, - made possible by a collaboration with our friends at Sonic Perspectives - and explain why the band has not released an album in 15 years, and noted some songs are up to 10 years old. He also shares why you will never see Extreme dishing dirt on each other on social media, and the healthy friction which helps create these monster songs. Check out their insightful conversation below.

(Top photo – Joel Barrios)