Saudades De Rock by Extreme

posted in: April 2009, Music Review | 0

EXTREME
SAUDADES DE ROCK

2008 Fontana Records
Purchase: Extreme-Band.com
Review by: Matt Crosslin

Hair metal in our magazine?  What next?  Rap?  Probably not, but hold on a second – Extreme never really was hair metal.  They got marketed that way, but never really fit that label.  Their first album was probably as close to hair metal that they ever got, but still with a healthy dose of funk.  By the time they hit it big, the hair part was gone and the hard rock/funk was in full effect.

Saudades de Rock seems to fit somewhere between III Sides to Every Story and Waiting For the Punchline, maybe with a little more energy than both.  Energy is a key word here – Extreme doesn’t sound like a tired old band trying to relive glory days.  They are really in to these songs, not caring if they make another radio hit or not.

“Star” leads off the disc with the classic Extreme sound in full force.  This is also the first single… which did get played on some classic rock stations when it came out.  There is a ton of shredder guitar all over this song (and the whole album actually), so if that turns you off – this album won’t be your thing.  The vocals on Saudades show more than a passing nod to the Beatles.  The funk is a little more integrated into the songs than it was their break-through Pornograffitti album, but it is there if you are listening.  In fact, that is probably what saves Extreme from any hair metal trappings.

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