Without skipping a beat, iconic Boston outfit Extreme is back with a new record and a new tour which will bring the legendary quartet back to town, performing on August 5th at Roadrunner with fellow Bean Town baddies Living Colour as support. Before that, though, the band will unleash their aptly title sixth full-length called, you guessed it, SIX!
“Rise” is it. And “it” is an opening number that is vintage Extreme but also perfect for the new world as it inhabits the now effortlessly following a 15 year gap from when 2008’s Saudades de Rock was dropped. From the start, it’s one of the more aggressive Extreme tracks focusing on the guitar-oriented shredding that made 1989’s debut album such a stand out with a particularly vicious solo from Nuno Bettencourt toward song’s end.
“#Rebel” is a thunderous anthem with vocalist Gary Cherone sounding just as vibrant as ever, Bettencourt sounding particularly virile, and the rhythm section of Kevin Figueiredo and Pat Badger on drums and bass respectively anchoring this hefty hardy Rawk opus nicely. “Banshee” has all the swag of your most favorite tracks from the ’80’s Sunset Strip Glam Metal scene while “Other Side Of The Rainbow” is a soaring new take on the token ballad from the band that pretty much perfected the art form.
“Small Town Beautiful”, on the other, hand is the real deal and a full blown ballad that gets all acoustic-like with Cherone full on crooning and sharing the mic with Bettencourt for another memorable ditty that’s easily an instant Extreme classic. Next, Badger takes center stage when the heavy bass bounce of “The Mask” takes center stage before the futuristic fanfare of “Thicker Than Blood” rallies with a huge chorus and Bettencourt’s synths on full display along with his spectacular guitar virtuoso skills.
“Save Me” is a steady stompin’ riff rollercoaster with a crunchy heft from Badger and Figueiredo as Cherone starts with a more sustained vocal approach until opening up for a striking chorus that’s yet another example of why the Extreme vocalist is still one of the best around. Bettencourt shines in the tenderly plucked “Hurricane” which laments the loss of a close friend with “X Out” bringing out the weird again for an eclectic hymnal with Cherone’s sweeping vocal delivery effortlessly switching between these broad strokes to that uncanny howl as the track thunderously throbs. “Beautiful Girls” has an island flair that’s fun and fancy-free before closer “Here’s To The Losers” delivers an empowering acoustic anthem complete with a great call-and-response gang vox sing-a-long section to end an album well worth the wait.
SIX arrives on June 9th through earMUSIC. Pre-order and pre-save yours now by heading here. For the latest from Extreme, including where you can see them on that aforementioned upcoming tour with fellow Bostonians Living Color, follow them across their socials by heading here, here, or here.