EXTREME - Six
July 13, 2023, a year 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.
