TREMONTI: The End Will Show Us How (ALTERNATIVE METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

After Creed's noticeable reformation, and while awaiting the next Alter Bridge album, Mark Tremonti continues his solo adventure with “The End Will Show Us How”, his sixth album under his own name. And from the very first notes, one thing is immediately clear: Mark Tremonti has rarely sung so well. His voice has never sounded so controlled, capable of nuance and intensity where, in the past, it might have seemed more limited. Yet, while this evolution is undeniable, it is not enough to mask a certain sluggishness in the compositions, compared to the hard rock and post grunge firebrands “A Dying Machine” and “Marching In Time”. This is due to the lack of relief and melodic catchiness of many tracks, giving the impression of an album that never really takes off and which, in any case, would have deserved to be much shorter.

Of course, the American's savoir-faire remains intact. The production, once again entrusted to Michael Baskette, is surgically precise. The guitars are sharp, the rhythm section impeccable and the overall mood of the album, darker than in the past, is unfailingly coherent. But that's precisely where the problem lies: this over-oiled mechanism lacks rough edges, and “The End Will Show Us How” struggles to captivate over time.

And yet, some tracks prove that Tremonti still knows how to hit hard. 'The Mother, The Earth and I”, the album opener, is a compendium of everything that makes Tremonti so strong: massive riff, perfectly measured dramatic tension, unifying chorus and effective solo. It's one of the highlights of the album, along with 'Nails', a real heavy blast that recalls the project's best hours. 'Live In Fear' and 'The End Will Show Us How' also stand out, buoyed by their sharp songwriting and hard-hitting rhythmic work.

But beyond these few tracks, “The End Will Show Us How” suffers from a real lack of depth. Many of the tracks struggle to stand out, the fault of overly predictable structures and vocal lines that end up sounding the same from one track to the next. The album aims to be more introspective than its predecessors, but this approach translates more into a drop in intensity than into real emotional power. And where “Marching In Time” found a balance between rage and melody, this new delivery gets bogged down in a certain monotony, giving the impression of a more fixed record, with often interchangeable track structures.

“The End Will Show Us How” is not a bad album. In fact, it's solid overall, buoyed by irreproachable performances and meticulous production. But after several listens, the overriding impression is of a record that goes round in circles, never reaching the heights of its predecessors.
- Official website

TREMONTI

THE END WILL SHOW US HOW

NAPALM RECORDS

ALTERNATIVE METAL