NMC #218 TREMONTI/THE DARKNESS

[RJhog (Admin)]

by "last minute substitution rule" RJ

***some tracks may have bad language***

Tremonti (Cauterize)

1. Radical Change

2. Cauterize

3. Dark Trip

4. Fall Again

5. Sympathy

The Darkness (Last Of Our Kind)

6. Open Fire

7. Roaring Water

8. Mighty Wings

9. Sarah Oh Sarah

10. Conquerors

 

[Jon]

Tremonti--Thumbs Down

More chuga-chuga music. What I just had to listen to is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point during this rambling, incoherent listening experience was there anything even close to anything that could be considered listenable. Everyone who listens to this now dumber for having listened to it. I award this thumbs down, and may God have mercy on your soul.

[RJhog (Admin)]

I can't really totally disagree with you.  Well, it's not as bad as your description, but it really is devoid of any real hook.  The drums are a little overpowering for me.  The guy has a decent voice and plenty of talent.  But my personal opinion is that he needs to sit down and noodle with his guitar and write some melodic songs that don't try to bash your brains.  Until then, I guess I'm finished with solo Tremonti as well.

[Scott]

Well said...  proceed with caution when it comes to this band...

[Jon]

The Darkness--Thumbs Halfway Up

He's toned down the over-the-top screaming I see. There's still some, but not as much as the earlier albums. Maybe there is the same and I just don't care. This is kinda ll over the place, parts sound like they're from the 70's while others sound like they're from the 80's. Some of the geetar work in "Roaring Water" sounds like "Jazz"-era Queen. Really cool stuff, I kinda waited to here songs from this album posted in NMC before making a purchase. Now I shall purchase, mostly for that one song. But that's enough. 

[RJhog (Admin)]

I don't love this but I don't dislike it either.  It's somewhere in the middle for sure.  The first track here has a Cheap Trick vibe.  I certainly can't see this making an appearance in my Top 10 this year.

[Scott]

THE DARKNESS ... Two Thumbs 66.67 percent up

Think I already commented on the cool track you open this playlist with over on f-book.   So lets start with Roaring Water...  Nice riffage right up-front.  And much like Jon I too am glad his falsetto is scaled WAAAAAAYYYYYY back.  I've always liked this band musically but his vocals have always stopped me from any purchase.  Mighty Wings kinda fell flat for me at least until his vocals went WAAAAAYYYY UP and then it lost me even more.  Sarah Oh Sarah was better but it still isn't resonating like those first two tracks though it has moments, like the keyboard work and even his vocals, OK, its growing on me, I need to hear this one again...  Conquerors is pretty good, nothing special though, I give it a half of a point so 3.5 out of 5 on this, doesn't put me in purchase mode, but maybe another listen would??

[Scott]

TREMONTI ... Two Thumbs behaving like ear plugs

Soooo disappointed with this, I thought the hype That Metal Show talked about when they discussed this was that it may be more approachable and melodic than his debut solo effort, but this is simply not.  The title track - which is usually the best track - simply sucks, garbage.  I'm sure its tougher than I would expect but these seem to be thoughtless bashfests tunes with no value other than, well I dont know, worthless to me....  Dark Trip at least can be heard and followed, but its monotone and the down tuning doesn't work. Fall Again, well, see what typed for Dark Trip.  Sympathy, see what I wrote for Fall Again.  This was just not good...  But Im sure that was more than predictable.

[RJhog (Admin)]

I definitely didn't think that either of you guys (You and Jon) would like it.  But then again, I don't expect ya'll to like most of what I post.  But this, after listening to it a couple of times myself, was a no-brainer.  It was devoid of any melody whatsoever.

[Niels (Mod)]

TREMONTI - Thumbs sideways

This album is a bit better, than the first Tremonti-album. There ARE some more melodic songs on it, especially in the latter half of the album. The first half is the same kind of "bash your brains in"-songs, or at least the start of the songs, as first time around, but so was some of the latest Alter Bridge-album. I agree, that the guy is talented, but he really wants to be too tough a guy on his albums, where the songs aren't that rough at all. Only the "package" and the riffs.

THE DARKNESS - Thumbs down

The Darkness started out as a joke to me (and many others). It's not funny at all anymore. I bought the album, they released before this one, and it had it's moments. This one hasn't got any moments at all for me. They still appear to be a joke, but it's a very sad one. There's Bad News, Spinal Tap and The Darkness. Pathetic!!