Album Review: Tremonti - Marching In Time

I'll just say this; I've been growing less interested with every Tremonti record. The first one was a fun change of pace from Alter Bridge, and did something interesting throwing his melodic songwriting into the mix with some heavier, thrashier metal. The problem is the paired albums that followed were weighed down by songs that stretched things past their sell-by date, and I he was overmatched trying to write a compelling concept album about such an inhuman topic. It wasn't that Tremonti was losing his ability to write songs, but the project was taking turns away from what it was best served as. And considering that Alter Bridge's albums were better, I put my focus on them.

This album comes out of the gates re-establishing its identity. "A World Away" and "Now And Forever" feature deep, heavy riffs that are more metallic than even the harder-edged bits of Alter Bridge are known for. Mark switches from a thrashy pick attack to a sludgy groove with ease, and the latter song in particular features a melody that settles into the rumbling guitars beautifully. It takes me back to when I first heard "Brains" off the first album, and that's the niche Tremonti fills that neither Alter Bridge, nor Creed, can lay claim to.

"The Last One Of Us" takes us in a different direction, being a quasi-ballad that flirts with radio rock staples. Aside from it being a strong song that has a killer melody, what I like most about it is how it keeps the energy up despite its role on the album, sounding like a ballad on a crushing record should. It's the softer song, but it's hardly soft.

"In One Piece" is the typical Tremonti song that showscases his melodic writing in a way that a lot of heavier rock artists are unable to tap into. The song is heavy and brooding, the solo flashes all his technical skills, but the chorus is right from the best days of pop-rock. At his best, Mark writes better rock songs than most everyone on the scene. This album sees him at his best more than perhaps any of the albums bearing his own name.

The one place the album drags is "Under The Sun", where the groove feels a bit too slow, the chorus not explosive enough, and the flatness of Mark's voice is most apparent. Dave Grohl explained the "Wasting Light" album as if writing songs where every section was good enough to be a chorus. This song is the complete opposite, where every section should be the weak point. Instead, they all get put in the same song.

But that's one song out of a dozen, and with roughly an hour of music here, we can easily forgive one misstep. The rest of the album is Tremonti operating on all cylinders. As I mentioned at the start, I have been criticial of the last couple albums under this name, but not this one. Tremonti is back to doing what he does best, and not trying to be something more than he is. This album has a focus and a killer instinct that shines through.

"Marching In Time" is one of the best damn heavy rock albums of the year.