Review: Extreme – SIX

Absolute (June 9th 2023)

Reviewer: Jason Hopper

After fifteen long years, Extreme is back with their sixth album, the aptly titled ‘SIX’.  Six albums in a nearly thirty-five-year career are way too little output for a band with this much talent, but here we are after all this time with the band’s early press getting the internet talking once again with the phenomenon that is the band’s first single ‘Rise’. Much has been made about the guitar solo and it truly is a wonder to behold. Two more singles followed that continued the momentum, with the guitar solo in ‘#Rebel’ being a personal favorite (the matching chords with vocal fluctuations that begin the solo still gives me chills). With such great tracks being released, I could not wait to get the opportunity to review this while hoping that the momentum started would continue.

So here I find myself, after months of anticipation, with the new album. After numerous listens, I can tell you that this release has taken me by surprise, but not in the way I had hoped it would.  I feel like there was a bait and switch with the first three singles. Anyone expecting more songs like that are going to be disappointed, as that is all the album has to offer.

The other tracks showcased here vary from acoustic-based mid-tempo pop rock & ballads to what could only be described as “experimental constructs”. The first three singles open the album. Track four is the fourth single just released, the soaring ‘Other Side of the Rainbow’. Of the songs that have an acoustic presence, this is the best one and truly shows the fantastic harmonies between Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt. Curiously, in a recent interview, Nuno stated that this song was his favorite solo on the album. It’s good but nothing to me that would make it stand out in an exceptional way. Track five is the acoustic ballad ‘Small Town Beautiful’ and features Mr. Cherone’s best performance. His fluctuations floating over the melody are just perfect.  It’s amazing how good he still sounds after all this time.

Five tracks in and so far, so good…and then things start to derail. ‘The Mask’, while not a terrible song, feels like something the band would have written back in the mid-90s, when hard rock bands were trying to find their way in the changing landscape and came up with songs they thought people would want to hear at the time. It’s got an alternative swagger to it and in isolation, it could be a good way to break up the album and change things up a bit.

However, the following track throws things for a loop. Anyone remember that band Gary started back in the late 90s, called ‘Tribe of Judah’? If you liked that album, then ‘Thicker Than Blood’ is for you. A load of electronic sonics assault the listener and sounds like the track had been produced by Trent Reznor. The song also contains the laziest chorus of the collection, a repeat of the line “Love is thicker than blood” four times followed by “Blood is never enough” again four times. The final straw is the electronic noise coated over the Nuno solo and I have had enough.

‘Save Me’ follows next and is a return to that alternative 90s vibe. Gary’s vocals are the best part of this song, but it’s not enough to elevate it to anything but a filler track and something you would find on their mid-90s album ‘Waiting For the Punchline’.

Things get back on track with the soft and quiet ‘Hurricane’. No, that’s not me being sarcastic.  It’s a beautiful acoustic ballad and a return of the ‘More Than Words’ style with just Gary, Nuno, and a guitar. Violins and light snare strokes add some filling, but the song is a back-and-forth exchange of lyrics, with both sounding fabulous. Heartfelt and sincere. A highlight and very much welcomed at this point in the album.

That is immediately followed by the return of the industrial Nine Inch Nails inspired sound with ‘X Out’. If you like low base electronic keyboards, then this song is right up your alley. It’s more an industrial/electronica song than anything resembling hard rock. To my ears, Nuno’s guitar does not make an appearance until the guitar solo. Is he playing the keys throughout? Who knows. This gets my vote for least likely to make it into any of their live shows. If it does, it’s a guaranteed “bathroom time” for the fans.

Mercifully, ‘Beautiful Girls’ is the next track, and it is the opposite of what preceded it, an extreme tonal shift (pardon the pun). This laid-back, fun track is what is missing for a good portion of this record, with the lyrics resembling something you would hear off their first album.  This collection needed more of this type of feel. The band should be having a blast, not drudging in experimental mediocrity.

Final track ‘Here’s To The Losers’ is another acoustic based ballad. It has the lyrics and feel of Halestorm’s ‘Here’s to Us’. One of the catchiest choruses can be found here. The background vocals in the chorus are flawless and will compel you to sing along. A great way to end a very uneven album.

Extreme should have called THIS album ‘III Sides To Every Story’. What we have here is five core acoustic numbers, four 90s inspired rockers, and three 80s influenced bangers. Was this album recorded at three different times over the fifteen-year span? It sure sounds like it. I can’t shake the feeling that I was lied to with this album. The first three singles are not representative of the collection.

Two things could have helped with improving the album. First, they should have released ‘Rise’ followed by a more experimental track, then an acoustic one. It would have managed expectations better. Second, the sequencing is unbalanced. The first three singles are lumped together at the beginning. The experimental tracks are lumped together in the middle, with the exception of ‘Hurricane’ thrown between them. Spreading things out would have given the album a different feel and not pull the album down in the middle.

It pains me to write this review as I fully expected this album to be my album of the year and I know many people have been looking forward to it. I just want to manage expectations here. As it stands, it’s one third great, one third good, and one third awful. I would have preferred two more rockers to replace the industrial sounding songs. There cannot be fans looking forward to music like that from them. As it stands, this album would have made an incredible EP. Going into the album with that understanding, I think people will not be as shocked by what they hear.

Tracklist:

1. Rise
2. #Rebel
3. Banshee
4. Other Side of the Rainbow
5. Small Town Beautiful
6. The Mask
7. Thicker Than Blood
8. Save Me
9. Hurricane
10. X Out
11. Beautiful Girls
12. Here’s To The Losers