After almost 15 years, here's a new Extreme album! (2023's Six)

Alright, here goes my review for this album, or at least a first attempt given its freshness. But first, for those unaware of where I'm coming from, it's fair to briefly say that Extreme holds a special place as my favorite band. Probably the most relevant band that inspired me to pick up a guitar and play, even though there have been times when other artists or bands maybe held that top spot. One last thing to quickly add is that I have traveled overseas a couple of times to catch them live, most notably in the Azores, Portugal in 2004, which deserves its own post anytime.

Ok, so this year on February, after years of many promises that the fans would get an album "soon", Extreme began to release a different teaser each day, and that culminated on the release of single "Rise" and an announcement that their 6th studio album Six would be released in June. That surely shook the rock world and got them lots of attention from specialized media, most notably due to Nuno Bettencourt's jaw-dropping guitar solo (I knew he could do that, lol). A month or so later they dropped singles "#Rebel" and "Banshee", and more recently "Other Side Of The Rainbow", and finally here we are on release day when all fans are hectic listening, digesting and saying what they think of the album, which is also what I'm here for!

The first thing to consider, specially for those unfamiliar with the band's catalog, is that their intention with each of their records has been to cover new ground, to take their music more or less to new directions, to not repeat themselves, and they've warned the fans to "expect the unexpected". Before I heard Six, given the nature of the first singles released (more hard rock oriented), I have to say I had lowered my expectations a bit. I mean, I liked those songs and I knew they were above average, but personally something was missing. Now I can say that after hearing the whole package, I feel they saved the best for last!

One of the most notable things is that Nuno took over more vocal duties. For those familiar with his solo works, where he showcased these abilities, I'm sure this is exciting! And the great news is that he and Gary Cherone are duetting on a good number of songs, instead of splitting the task. This is something that hadn't happened at this level on previous albums, therefore, we get to hear a lot of this unique chemistry that is arguably the band's biggest strength.

It's also worth mentioning that some of the now revealed songs have an industrial, modern or more electronic sound, definitely different than their previous albums, specially "Saudades de Rock" which had clearer nods to their classic rock influences. However, as some have pointed, this is not entirely new if you consider Gary's project Tribe of Judah or some stuff on Nuno's records before the Extreme definite reunion in 2007. And even though I'm still processing some songs like "X Out" and "Save Me", I have to acknowledge their courage and boldness to put them on the album! They're really stretching out what the band can do and it's certainly worth some listens to let those songs grow.

I'll also write some song-specific comments that should enhance the review:

- "Banshee" for me still has one of their best grooves, one that requires the listener to crank it up and party! They must have drunk some water from the Motley Crue source, willingly or not, hehe.

- "Other Side Of The Rainbow": great pop song that has a good pace and sounds quite different than previous ballads by them.

- "Small Town Beautiful" is just stunning! Voices spot on.

- "The Mask": I'm crazy on this one. The groove is perfect from Pat and Kevin, as well as the vocal trade-off between Nuno and Gary! Lyrics also stand out for me.

- "Thicker Than Blood": one of the modern sounding ones, could be a Tribe of Judah tune. Nuno dug up his octaver pedal (used in a couple of songs from Dramagods and Saudades) for the solo.

- "Save Me": a clear contrasting intro, one of their biggest curve balls ever within a song.

- "Hurricane": another very powerful vocal performance from both Nuno and Gary over a Fleetwood Mac-tinged acoustic foundation and enriched by the string arrangement.

- "X Out": the strangest and most difficult one, but it is surely growing for me, and Gary shines on it (as he does on the whole album).

- "Beautiful Girls": a former simple pop song by Carl Restivo (he got to play bass in Extreme for a few dates in 2004), which was taken some steps further by Nuno and Gary with more great vocals and a fun Queen-ish solo.

- "Here's To The Losers": anthemic! Very fitting to finish off the record with this, having another new thing for the band with the choir or chant on the chorus.

I guess this is it for now. I must thank Extreme for giving the fans a special and unique gift! And for not being afraid to try new things here and there, at the risk of not living up to the expectations of some people. Peace and out!