Kevin Figueiredo

REVIEW: Extreme – Six (2023 Japanese import)

A special joint post today with Jex Russell – Pop Culture Nut.  Read his review by clicking here!

EXTREME – Six (2023 Victor Japan)

Extreme fans never stopped believin’.  We’re delighted that people dig the new album Six, but we always knew.  Saudades was great.  Punchline was great.  We have always boasted about what Nuno was capable of, and it’s hard not to love Gary Cherone.  This is a band you just want to kick ass, and they do on their sixth (studio) album, shockingly titled Six.  There’s no dip in quality – there hasn’t been a dip in quality since their embryonic debut back in 1988.  It’s been nothing but peaks since then, though always different from one another.  Reviewing Six is less about praising it (which is easy) and more about seeing what Extreme are doing differently this time.

We talk a lot about riffs here, but rarely have Extreme riffs been as direct and heavy as the one on “Rise”.  This, by the way, is the song with the solo that seems to have taken the world by storm.  The spirit of Van Halen was definitely in the room when Nuno laid it down, and it’s an undeniable highlight of the song.  The solo is as impressive and hooky as a song unto itself.  Another figure that people are starting to notice is drummer Kevin Figueiredo.  It’s hard to stand out when you’re Mike Mangini’s replacement in Extreme, but Kevin kicks it!  (Joke intentional – die hard Extreme fans know.)  “Rise” could be the heaviest Extreme song to date.

Riffing continues on “#Rebel” (pronounced “hashtag rebel”), another contender for heaviest to date.  The riff is definitely a monster, and Nuno augments it with those tasty licks he’s known for.  Gary Cherone, meanwhile, sounds to be in better voice than he was back in the 1990s when he joined Van Halen.  He doesn’t seem to have to push as hard, no longer going overly gritty when he’s givin’ ‘er.  The solo is another marathon workout, and just a pleasure to bang along to from start to finish.  Like most great solos, this is a fully composed piece of musical performance.

Third standout riff in a row, “Banshee” is yet another butt-kickin’ banger.  It’s not fully pedal to the metal this time, with the verses being a little less loud, allowing Gary to get slinky.  Bassist Pat Badger forms a formidable groove with Kevin here, which gives Nuno room to play around.  The solo, once again, is thought out like a miniature song within a song.

Finally on track four, we get a breather!  A brilliant acoustic song called “Other Side of the Rainbow” is just a thing of beauty.  The vocal harmonies of Gary and Nuno gel better here than anywhere else on Six.  This is pure pop, as Extreme have occasionally done (and done so well) on albums past.  There are elements of Extreme II and Waiting for the Punchline here.  It somehow sounds like a lost remnant from the decade of the 90s.  One of the best Extreme songs in the entire canon, and a brilliant Queen-like performance from Gary.

Continuing down the acoustic road, the ballad “Small Town Beautiful” definitely recalls the softer moments on Punchline.  The blend of vocals here is really special; those trademark harmonies.  Things shake up once again on the bass heavy “The Mask”, with co-lead vocals by Nuno Bettencourt, a rare treat.  Gary takes over on the choruses, while Nuno takes the verses in an affected voice.  “Rip off the mask, I’ll show you who I am!” howls Gary on the menacing chorus.

The unusual “Thicker Than Blood” has an industrial tint, but actually is closer to a reflection of Nuno’s 1997 solo album Schizophonic.  It absolutely could have come from that album, but it would have been one of the better tracks if it had.  The solo here is a wicked little number.  They take it down to a heavy grind on “Save Me”, another song with a downtuned 90s flavour, but a searing chorus.  It’s two completely different moods, verse and chorus.  Quality remains high.  Variety continues.

Another soft acoustic number called “Hurricane” sounds like Simon and Garfunkel, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  Extreme could do Simon and Garfunkel a hell of a lot better than Disturbed.  Nuno takes a rare acoustic solo here.  A very special song.  Extreme throw another curveball on the effects-heavy “X Out”.  We’re reminded, perhaps, of “Evilangelist” from Punchline, but with more of that industrial synthy vibe.  There’s an undeniable Stranger Things vibe to the synth line.

A complete 180° will spin your head on “Beautiful Girls”, a light tropical summery number about…shockingly…beautiful girls.  It’s just pop, pure and simple, and there’s nothing to feel guilty or shameful about.  (There’s only one line I dislike – “California Girls, I wish they all could be” – gimme Canadian girls any time!)  Bottom line, Extreme have never been shy about going way outside the box.  “Beautiful Girls” represents the furthest they’ve gone since Extreme II back in 1990.  The guitar solo is pure Brian May, 100%.  There’s no denial, except for that wicked burnout at the end!  Some might say, “This sounds like Sugar Ray!”  I say, “Sugar Ray could never sing nor play like Extreme do.”  Interesting that on an album with Extreme’s heaviest rockers, we also find their their most pop song.

The acoustic guitars remain out for album closer “Here’s To the Losers”, another brilliant tune that goes in another different direction.  It has an anthemic shout-along of “Get up!  Chin up!  Drink up!”  (Your beverage of choice, of course!)  It’s like a rallying cry and it’s a terrific closer.  The key change at the end is really nice.

The sequencing of this album is really interesting.  Though the first three songs sell it as a heavy monster, the diversity soon comes into play, and then we run into multiple acoustic songs in a row.  It’s unexpected but it works.  The Japanese CD has its bonus track of course, and it’s a simple radio edit version of “Rise” that allows the CD to end heavy, if you prefer it that way.  The edit version of “Rise” is a full minute shorter, but wasn’t really necessary except to satisfy radio formats.  Fortunately the solo is still a main feature of the song.

Extreme Six was expertly produced by Nuno Bettencourt.  The man’s talent knows no bounds.  In fact Extreme are one of the most talented bands to come from the 80s, end sentence.  Six is among their very best albums, which is to say, all of them but the debut.  The streak continues.  Extreme are the champions.

5/5 stars

REVIEW: Extreme – Saudades de Rock (2008 European & Japanese editions)

scan_20170115-2EXTREME – Saudades de Rock (2008 Frontiers in Europe, Victor in Japan, with exclusive bonus tracks)

Extreme were one of those bands that always seemed to resist reuniting. Nuno didn’t seem interested, or was too busy with Perry Farrell and Rihanna. When they finally did get the band back together, they did it right with a few tours and a new album to prove they still had the goods. 2008’s Saudades de Rock (Portuguese for “Nostalgic Yearnings of Rock”) earned positive reviews from rock critics.  It did moderate sales but the important thing was that it was good.

Immediately “Star” reminds us why Extreme were special in the first place:  Those harmonies, the good time Halen-inspired riffs, the kick-ass singer and a solid beat. Gary Cherone’s voice has aged well, coming over as a cross between Sammy Hagar, Freddie Mercury and Paul Stanley (good company to be in).  This song best exemplifies the “nostalgic yearnings of rock”, as the arrangement could have come from 1990.  Extensive (jaw-dropping) solos and a big chorus immediately remind us why this band was so critically acclaimed 25 years ago.

It’s not all longing for days gone by.  “Comfortably Dumb” concentrates its focus on the groove, like a bizarre cross between Soundgarden and the Trews.  The space-age guitar work by Nuno Bettencourt separates it from anyone else.  His style has matured nicely but still makes you wonder just how the hell he does it.  His machine-gun guitar riff on “Learn to Love” does the same.  It’s not all trickery:  these are also great compositions, with challenging rock arrangements.  Time changes and flurries of notes keep it interesting.  The middle section gives all the members a little time to shine including new drummer Kevin Figueiredo.

The first knuckleball is thrown on “Take Us Alive”, a genuine electric bluegrass shuffle.  Remember Extreme always prided themselves in their diversity, modeling themselves after Queen who were unafraid to do anything.  “Take Us Alive” is a new step for Extreme who have never gone this twangy.  Unsurprisingly they mastered this direction too.  A saucy funk rocker called “Run” goes in another direction, akin to Queen’s own funky experiments, just heavier.  Like Queen, Extreme topped it with a fine melodic chorus, but stay tuned for a superb outro.

“Last Hour” is not a ballad; more of a heavy dirge.  Nuno takes a quiet solo full of volume swells before going full shred. He then rips a page from the book of his solo album with the punky “Flower Man” (I say “punky” rather than “punk” since few genuine punk songs have a blazing Nuno Bettencourt guitar solo).  “King of the Ladies” is something else entirely, featuring Nuno on lead vocals.  It’s trippy, slinky, drony, modern and sultry with smoking instrumental sections and sounds like nothing else you can think of.  Few bands can take so many directions on one album and have it sound like a cohesive whole.

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Every Extreme album has at least one ballad, and “Ghost” is a wonderful continuation of this tradition.  With the focus on the piano, it’s a reprieve in the relentless guitar assault that makes up the majority of Saudades de Rock.  You have heard this sound before on albums like Extreme III.  We then visit the Houses of the Holy with “Slide” which possesses the unmistakable Zeppelin funk.  You’ll be wondering, where’s that confounded bridge?  The riff is a wink and a nod to “Sweet Emotion” and there is definitely some of that Aero-groove mixed with the Zoso Magic.

An acoustic reprieve is offered with “Interface”, a floaty ballad that fits this leg of the running order.  It merges into the funk-Halen of “Sunrise”, a nice heavy track before “Peace (Saudades)” takes us out on a dreamy, Queen-like ballad.  Yes that’s a lot of ballads late in the game and on paper it shouldn’t work.  It does because Extreme are consummate balladeers (each one being different) and successful composers of album-length works with a start, middle and ending.  “Peace” is a triumph and uplifting finale.

There are two bonus tracks available at the end of different versions of Saudades de Rock.  Both are old demos from the vaults, ancient relics of a pre-fame Extreme.  It’s a cool idea to release old unheard songs as bonus tracks, though unorthodox.  “Mr. Bates” (1986) is exclusive to Japan only.  It’s something like seeing old baby photos, or highschool yearbook grad pictures.  You wince and think “Well, they were young.”  Even so young, Nuno obviously had more talent than the average bear.  Europe got the better song “Americocaine” (1985), which shows off that blend of Gary and Nuno’s voices that, one day, would earn them millions.  You could imagine “Americocaine” showing up at the end credits of a minor 80s action movie.

Extreme played to their strengths, didn’t try to repeat anything from the past, while giving fans exactly the kind of album they needed.  The bonus tracks don’t fit, but who says a “bonus track” has to fit?   These are bonuses in the truest sense.  Rare little treats you can’t find anywhere else.  Any fan of the 1989 debut album Extreme will love them, because that is the era they resemble.

4.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Extreme – Pornograffitti Live 25 (2016 Japanese 2 CD set)

scan_20170114-4EXTREME – Pornograffitti Live 25 (2016 Victor Japan 2 CD set)

When you hear that an album like Pornograffitti (which defined one of our teenage summers) turned 25 last year, don’t it make you feel old?  Maybe you haven’t played it in a while.  (If you haven’t, here is a refresher course.)  It was one of those discs that had appealing songs from start to finish, each different from the last.  All 13 songs (14 if you include the solo “Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee”) are reproduced in sequence on this new live CD release, fresh from a hot show in Vegas in 2015.  You can buy a blu-ray or DVD of the concert too, but CD collectors will want to spring for this Japanese double set.  On a second disc you get “Play With Me” (given more exposure in the movie Air Guitar Nation) and “Cupid’s Dead”, normally exclusive to the video version.  The total package is close to an hour and a half of some of Extreme’s best songs.  The Japanese printing also has its own cover art, though no other exclusives.

The familiar taped intro of rain and piano inaugurates the “funked-up fairy tail” that is Pornograffitti.  “Trying so hard to keep up with the Joneses!” begins Gary and and the Vegas crowd knows all the words.  With Nuno Bettencourt and Pat Badger helping out, the Extreme vocals are nice and thick live.  The sound is beefy goodness, wound up in electric guitar strings.  Kicking it on drums, Kevin Figueiredo keeps things pretty close to the way original drummer Paul Geary did it.  “Decadence Dance” is sincerely good nostalgia.

Following the vague storyline of the original album, “Lil’ Jack Horny” shows up amidst shimmery guitar harmonics and a funky lil’ riff.  The horn parts (tapes?) jack up the funky little guitar number, which carries over to “When I’m President”.  Nuno squeaks and squonks while Gary waxes poetic.  “So go ask Alice, ah you know what he said?  What did he say — remember, I wanna be elected?”   Maybe one day Gary, because it is indeed true:  just about anyone can be president!  Cherone promises that things’ll be different.  You can even be in his cabinet!

The funk peaks (obviously) on “Get the Funk Out” which remains as silly and fun as it was 15 years ago.  (Listen for a little bit of a lyrical modernization from Nuno!)  It’s pure live smoke only slowed down by the obligatory audience participation section.  This appropriately segues into “More Than Words”, which is slightly more than a singalong.  Stripped naked of the loud guitars, Nuno and Gary can still harmonize as clean and perfect as they always have.

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“Money” resumes the rock, as Gary bemoans the modern worship of the almighty dollar.  Nimbly killing it on both guitar and harmonies, Nuno Bettencourt is a super hero.  He does it again on “It (‘s a Monster)”, a stock album track that goes from point A to point B at top speed.  Some real gems start showing up a in steady string from there.  “Pornograffitti” possesses some serious funk metal riffage and guitar tricks, performed at an unbelievable level of rock supremacy.   Then it is time for the slow jazz lounge croon “When I First Kissed You”.  Piano flourishes and Figueiredo on brushes lend it a really pretty dusky sound.

“And now back to our regularly scheduled program!” shouts Gary as Extreme once again puts on their rock and roll shoes.  It’s time for “Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)”, another funky rock combo.  Nuno plays some of the fastest licks ever attempted, but that is mere warm-up, for next is “Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee”, the legendary guitar instrumental that re-defined the guitar instrumental for a short while.  There is no time to recover because it’s straight into “He-Man Woman Hater”.  This Van Halen-like blast contains some of Nuno’s finest fret abuse.

Pornograffitti was also a little different, and one aspect of that is that it ended with two ballads.  Historically that has been demonstrated as a risky way to end an album, but Extreme pulled it off by using two that were different from any of the others on the CD.  “Song For Love” was a big pompous Queen-like anthem, and you can all but see the lighters and cell phones waving in the air.  “Hole Hearted” was the memorable acoustic closing number, great for campfires and rock concerts alike.  Live is just as solid as the studio original.

Onto to the Japanese bonus CD with its two bonus tracks.  “Play With Me” has always been a bit of a novelty, but notable for its sheer velocity and Mozart-a-go-go guitar dexterity.  Few players have chops like these.  “Cupid’s Dead” is a set highlight – heavy, funky and progressive at times.  Extreme III deserves as much praise as Extreme II: Pornograffitti so it is quite pleasing to have this adventurous track close.

Bravo to Extreme for making this trip back in time a real treat.

4.5/5 stars