There’s been no new music from Extreme since 2008, Then suddenly, like Wonka opening the doors to his factory, it happened…
90s rock gods Extreme are back with a new album, their first in almost 15 years. Known for their mega-hit ‘More Than Words’, a classic that may have paid the bills but was never representative of their diverse sound.
Extreme aren’t an unplugged band but it is part of their DNA. Their first album was a delicious slice of 80’s rock gorgonzola, boasting such gems as ‘Play With Me’, as featured in ‘Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ and more recently ‘Stranger Things’. The follow up ‘Pornograffitti’ saw the band get their funk out and ‘III Sides to Every Story’ was an epic masterpiece that almost out Queened Queen.
The Queen comparisons have always been strong with Extreme, as well as justified. Extreme have never cloned Queen but it’s their creativity, ambition and refusal to be pigeon-holed that aligns them with rock’s royalty. Like Queen, Extreme are also one of the few bands where every album sounds different.
And speaking of Queen, Brian May introduced Extreme at the Freddie Mercury Tribute concert as “True Friends” and the only band on the planet that “understood what Queen was about”. The highest of praise anyone can receive. And, whilst Guns N’ Roses and Metallica stuck to the brief of playing their own songs, Extreme blew the world away with a medley of Queen classics done in their own style. It was at this point the tribute to Freddie truly kicked off.
Since III Sides, Extreme released two more albums; 1995’s grunge reaction ‘Waiting For The Punchline’ and 2008’s ‘Saudades De Rock’. Extreme have continued to tour, including a 25 year celebration of ‘Porno’ and in the mix was a stint in Van Halen for singer Gary Cherone and guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt showed Rhianna how to rock her live gigs. But on the new music side it’s been Extremely quiet, until now…
If you’ve read any Extreme post on social media, the comments are filled with fans begging for new music. The band owes them nothing, but the crowd’s impatience is palpable. The long delayed album has been promised for years, with delays caused by recording an album, then trashing it for a new direction, the pandemic and sourcing a new record/distribution deal.
Then suddenly, like Wonka opening the doors to his factory, it happened. A cryptic image appeared on Extreme’s social media channels. The next day another image appeared, but this time it was accompanied by an intense vocal by Gary. Each day a new clip has followed, including heavy bass, strings, an acoustic flourish and their trademark harmonies. These 15 second treats have been appearing each day, teasing fans with snippets of new music.
The clips are powerful. There are shades of Queen, as well as Extreme’s own ‘III Sides’. Some fans are still impatient, unable to wait another 10 days – which for them seems like an eternity. But for most, it’s a thrill. Each day another morsel, teasing fans of more greatness and what surely must be, at the very least, a new single but hopefully a new album.
And with new music comes a new tour. Extreme pride themselves on their live performances; Gary is one of rock’s great frontmen, up there with Mercury, Jagger and Daltrey. Then there’s Nuno’s guitar, which is effortlessly played night-after-night at blisteringly fast, yet melodic speeds. Their bassist Pat Badger is as accomplished as Bettencourt, producing eye-watering basslines and their drummer Kevin Figueiredo (drummer number 3 if you’re counting – which is way off the stools occupied by Pearl Jam or Spinal Tap) knows how to hit hard. This band are tight.
The core delay to the album has been the inability to tour in support of the album, caused by Covid. But times have changed and as we stare at the pandemic firmly in the rear view mirror, Extreme give us the greatest gift they can, the prize of new music. Which will almost certainly be accompanied by a world tour.
In true Extreme fashion, each clip sounds like it could be from a different band – further highlighting their musical diversity and a refusal to stand still. So what comes next? Who knows for sure, but with one day to go we’re going to find out soon.
UPDATE: Extreme’s new song ‘Rise’ is released March 1st 2023, having signed to Ear Music. ‘Rise’ is already available to stream on Spotify and YouTube.
Nuno Bettencourt also announced new album ‘Six’ to be released June 6th, with a tour to follow. We can’t wait and will keep you updated as more music is released.
For more teasing, check out Extreme’s official site extreme-band.com and head back here to Bad Tattoo for more Extreme, rock, grunge and metal news.
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