ALBUM REVIEW: Monte Pittman / Power of Three (Part 2 of 3)

Artist: Monte Pittman Album: The Power of Three (Part 2 of 3) Release Date: January 21, 2014 (US) Label: Metal Blade Records Monte Pittman – Guitar, Vocals Kane Ritchotte – Drums Max Whipple – Bass _________________________________________ RATING: 4 out of 5 SKULLS!!!! ____________________________________ By: Joe Koza If the name Monte Pittman sounds familiar, you are probably a fan of Metal, Rock, Alternative, Blues, or Pop music. Wait a minute; I know what you’re thinking. “Pop music? I thought it said Metal Blade Records at the top of the page?” Indeed it does. “I can deal with some of those other genres, but not pop music, man.” Listen, I too was a bit surprised when I found out that Monte Pittman is best known for his work with pop artist Madonna. However, if pop music is not your cup of tea, don’t let this taint your opinion, as Pittman co-wrote several songs on Prong‘s monster albums Scorpio Rising and Power of the Damager. His solo project Pain, Love & Destiny was a head-banging teeth rattler, earning Monte several nominations and awards, along with scoring high on all charts. Part Two of a trilogy entitled, The Power of Three is a return to his deep metal roots. But before we address this monster of a release, a little background is necessary. Let’s get started. In November 2012, Monte Pittman released Part 1 of The Power of Three, an EP consisting of only acoustic songs. Successful in its own right, Part 1 left fans of the guitarist craving more. Now they are treated with what they have been waiting for, as we find ourselves at Part 2 of the 3-part release. Consisting of heavy, ass kicking, memorable riffs and hooks, this record is sure to have you driving over the speed limit at its thrashier moments (I’m will not be held responsible), and embracing its slower points. As soon as I popped this record into my car’s audio system and began listening, I knew it was going to be good. 2014 is rumored to be a massive year in terms of Metal releases, and if this latest effort by Monte Pittman is any indication, there is a lot to look forward to. Monte enlisted the legendary heavy metal producer Flemming Rasmussen to work on The Power of Three. The Grammy-winning Rasmussen is most famous for his work on three noteworthy Metallica albums: Ride the Lightning, And Justice for All, and Master Of Puppets. The overall sound that is captured on The Power of Three is in line with the vibe that is heard on many other albums that Rasmussen has produced. In essence, one loud, heavy, and aggressive sound to say the least. The Power of Three’s featured single, “A Dark Horse,” begins with a short acoustic piece that explodes into a riff on the same acoustic guitar that is ferocious in every sense of the word. My eyes lit up as I wondered how a sound this heavy and dark could come from a guitar acoustically, especially when the rest of the band and distortion kicked in. The tune eventually slows itself down and grooves like a motherfucker. If you enjoy head banging, and who doesn’t, you’ll enjoy this song. In fact, you’ll enjoy them all. As I began to recover from the madness that “A Dark Horse” delivered, I realized that others such as “Delusions of Grandeur” were no less pummeling. This track is appealing throughout and the main riffs, as well as the solo, were both able to grab my attention and hold it throughout. If you are the slightest fan of Metal and you do not enjoy this tune, “you’re delusional.” The holy grail of riffage for this album can be found on the song “Before the Mourning Son.” If Zakk Wylde were to hypothetically have a love child with Orianthi, and she were to bear a boy spawn – his riffs would sound eerily just like Monte Pittman. Stretch your mind around that for a minute, while you hit “play” so you can hear/see with your own eyes in the video just released this week.

Watch “Before the Mourning Son” (OFFICIAL):

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This is the basic trend that continues for the album’s entirety. I am very much a fan of how Pittman is able to change the dynamic throughout while never failing to keep things flowing smoothly. The transition from fast to slow and vice-versa is flawless. Being that some more aggressive vocals are pretty much absent until the last track of The Power of Three, I feel this record will appeal to a fairly wide audience. Whether you are a fan of really heavy music or just good old-fashioned Rock n’ Roll there is something for you on The Power of Three. Before listening (aka being assigned) to this album for review, I was not familiar with Monte Pittman or any of his work. He now has a die-hard new fan…and I’m not easily won over.