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

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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