CD Review: Tremonti - All I Was

Written by Petra Whiteley Monday, 16 July 2012 11:55

Artist: Tremonti
Title: All I Was
Genre: Alternative Metal/ Hard Rock
Release Date: 20th July 2012
Label: FRET12 Records

Album Review

MARK TREMONTI is well known guitarist already from CREED and ALTER BRIDGE. As the soundtrack of his growing up was shaded by METALLICA and PANTERA especially he has longed to put down some heavier stuff than either of the bands he’s with permits him, so here is his solo debut effort titled as ‘All I Was’. Here he also takes up on being a lead singer. The album kicks off with ‘Leave It Alone’ and from the start it indicates that he’s still faithful to a melodic approach, and with this song you’re wondering what is he on about – heavier? But there comes the second song, ‘So You’re Afraid’, where especially the drums and the guitar solo are more in bed with Metal than Rock as it was with the opener. With the following ‘Wish You Well’ you start having a wish too and that is that he could have done less of guitar solos, it starts to feel now that their function is purely to show off rather than complement the song. Sometimes I also get to wonder if the hardness is really him or just because he can’t channel his inspirations more into the two bands he participates in.

What leads me to say that is that the lyrics aren’t really in sync with the heaviness of the music...And it just doesn’t feel that he’s entirely at home – because when he’s more at home it’s in the softer parts or softer songs such as ‘The Things I’ve Seen’ or ‘New Way Out’. On top of this, the heavier side follows more formulas than a unique way through it. At times his vocal could do with being stronger and have more of a presence and a bite, but the effort is good nevertheless. In many ways TREMONTI shows with his solo project that he’s a crucial part of the respective bands and how much those bands owe to him in their success. As a whole, the album is quite good and enjoyable if not exactly entirely convincing. Would I go out of my way to buy it? Well, not really, it doesn’t seem to have that element of timelessness and doesn’t make me enthusiastic enough. The fans I’m sure though will be filling TREMONTI’s pockets anyway.


Tracklist

01. Leave It Alone
02. So You’re Afraid
03. Wish You Well
04. Brains
05. The Things I’ve Seen
06. You Waste Your Time
07. New Way Out
08. Giving Up
09. Proof
10. All I Was
11. Doesn’t Matter
12. Decay


Line-up

Mark Tremonti – lead vocals, lead guitar
Eric Friedman – rhythm guitar, bass
Garrett Whitlock – drums


Websites

http://www.tremontiproject.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/MarkTremonti


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 7
Sound: 7
Total: 7 / 10