TREMONTI – Marching In Time (2021)

Mark Tremonti is one of those musicians who simply cannot stop. The music is always there, trying to get out of his head. His solo band TREMONTI albums have generally been sold on the premise that the sounds therein are ​‘too heavy’ for Alter Bridge – but in reality, Mark simply needs more outlets.
The upcoming ”Marching In Time” is his fifth release in nine years (only one fewer than Alter Bridge in total), giving some idea of his creative yield. It’s a more straight song-format opus than the band’s previous albums, still a jaw-dropping platform for the guitarist’s brawny riffs and rippling solos, all of which stand out but never to the detriment of the songs.
Some may argue that straddling the divide between modern rock and the more jagged fringes of old school metal can’t yield greatness; “Marching In Time” begs to differ.

Opener ‘A World Away’ and the driving ‘In One Piece’ are typical – intensely marshalled riffs, veering into heavy riffs but leading to melodic hooks that would work equally well for virtually any mainstream rock act. ‘Now and Forever’ is even more melodious; take off that distortion and this is a radio-friendly tune.
On ‘Thrown Further’ a vigorous tempo builds to an especially purgative pay-off – the themes and structures are plainly influenced by the darkness of lockdown while the melodies shout defiantly for release. ‘If Not For You’, for example, is as emotive as Tremonti gets, a brilliantly worked mid-tempo rocker.
Many of these songs – and especially ‘The Last One Of Us’ – could have been stripped down to acoustic bones and still sounded good, but with Tremonti you’re guaranteed the full feast.

While there are certain formulas at play, there’s no denying that the title-track is up there with the artist’s best work. This open letter to his children is a climactic way to wrap things up, supported by some breathtaking musicianship, not just from Mark but notably from powerhouse drummer Ryan Bennett.
All of which makes ‘Marching In Time’ perhaps Tremonti’s most complete – and direct, accessible – album to date.

01 – A World Away
02 – Now and Forever
03 – If Not for You
04 – Thrown Further
05 – Let That Be Us
06 – The Last One of Us
07 – In One Piece
08 – Under the Sun
09 – Not Afraid to Lose
10 – Bleak
11 – Would You Kill
12 – Marching in Time

Mark Tremonti – Lead and rhythm guitar, lead vocals
Eric Friedman – Rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
Tanner Keegan – Bass guitar, backing vocals
Ryan Bennett – Drums, percussion

Pre order;
www.amazon.com/Marching-Time-Tremonti/dp/B098WHPBRL