TREMONTI –DUST

Great heavy metal exists in 2016 in the form of Tremonti. First, let me start off by saying that I’m not a musician, so I’m not going to provide analysis on how tight, refined, or muddy the guitar playing is or how warm, wet or thick (sounds like I could be describing an adult movie at this point) the drumming sounds. This type of review might be good for about 5 – 10% of the listeners out there. What I am is a music fan and that’s the perspective I’m going to provide. I love music that appeals to my ears, great melody, isn’t it really that simple? So onward to Tremonti’s third release, Dust.

What do you do when you have so much creativity inside that two bands aren’t enough? Well, you form a third, of course. That’s exactly what Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum guitarist/singer/songwriter Mark Tremonti did around 2010 with a desire to create music more akin to his roots, those roots developed by bands such as Slayer and Metallica. Rounding out his band, going simply by Tremonti, is former Submersed members Eric “Erock” Friedman and Garrett Whitlock on guitar and drums, respectively, and Wolfgang Van Halen handling bass duties with Mark front and center on guitar and lead vocals. With the release of their critically acclaimed debut, All I Was, in 2012, it was immediately apparent that this was a departure from Mark’s other two bands, Alter Bridge and Creed. With a much thicker, heavier sound and the deeper vocals that Tremonti would provide, this is true thrash metal. Following up their outstanding first record, they would head back into the studio, with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Alter Bridge/Slash), to record not only their sophomore effort, Cauterize, but their third album, Dust, as well. Scheduled to be released on April 29. 2016, I had an opportunity to give it a listen and see if it would live up to the Tremonti legacy of greatness.

So how is this third release by Mark’s so-called side project? Well, to put it simply in the terms of a music fan, it’s AMAZING! Even though this record follows Cauterize, this is not a collection of B-sides from those sessions. Dust provides all the elements of a great metal record with its combination of speed and heaviness wrapped up in a package of impressive melody. From start to finish, Tremonti has put together a complete record, unlike most records, Dust does not have filler material, just push play and let it go; there isn’t a single song on this album that you will want to skip by.

Starting off with the opener “My Last Mistake”, it comes at you full force, at one point giving me the feel reminiscent of Megedeth’s classic “Liar”. Then there is the eerie vibe reminiscent of Tool’s “Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)” that is the intro to “Catching Fire”, that continues at one point sounding almost symphonic. “The Cage” carries some elements of grunge with a riff that could fit into a Soundgarden song. But don’t be confused by my comparison to some of metals greats, this is an original, new, fresh, modern metal album. Dust is not just about heaviness, with songs such as “Unable to See”, “Tore My Heart Out” and the title track, these cuts really showcase Mark’s vocal abilities. Then there is my favorite, “Never wrong”; why is it my favorite? I don’t know; it’s just one of those songs that I could hit replay on for hours and never get tired of (in fact, I have).

Not to be overlooked, Mark has assembled an incredible group of musicians. Erock is the perfect complement to Mark on guitar with an impressive resume, opening for such legends as Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang, as well as being a touring member of Creed. On the drums, Whitlock has provided some of the best drumming I’ve ever heard – period. His name deserves mentioning with some of metals greats such as Chris Adler or Dave Lombardo. He’s not there to simply provide a rhythm section; his drumming is an integral part of this band and is showcased throughout Tremonti’s work, one of the best out there and great to watch live. Then there’s Wolfgang Van Halen making his first appearance in the studio with Tremonti during these sessions. Take away his last name and it wouldn’t matter, he’s carving out his own legacy; check out “Catching Fire”. This group of musicians is showcased throughout Dust.

I could go on and on about how great this record is, but who am I to tell you? I’m just a music fan. Go out and check it out for yourself on April 29^th; I promise if you are a metal fan, you will not be disappointed. As Mark said ,“We go into every record questioning if we’ll be able to outdo the previous album. That’s my goal-to make a better record every time. If one fan thinks Dust is better than Cauterize and All I Was, we’ve done our job.” Well, Mark, I can tell you that you’ve done your job because this fan right here is going on the record as saying Dust is your best work yet. I absolutely love this record from start to finish, and I’m sure I won’t be the only one. I cannot wait to hear these songs live.

Review by Brett Tully, RockRevolt Journalist

CHECK OUT OUR INTERVIEW WITH MARK TREMONTI HIMSELF!