TREMONTI | A Dying Machine | Album Review

Mark Tremonti is a busy man, and so are some of the people who have worked with him. Coming from the heavily reviled act by the name of Creed and later becoming a staple of a highly respected band in Alter Bridge, the guitarist has managed to do a lot in his music career that many people couldn't even do in their life. This includes also having a solo project that is just as respected and beloved as the Alter Bridge project is, even though it's lesser known and buzzed about. As wildly diverse and technically proficient as Mark Tremonti is as a guitarist and a songwriter, I haven't really been sucked in by one of his solo works since the debut album "All I Was". Sure, the two discs that followed were pretty good and have splendid moments scattered throughout, but for whatever reason I don't find myself revisiting these albums quite as often as other albums. Even his work in Alter Bridge is something I don't often come back to even though the Alter Bridge project has been a bit more consistent and alluring. With that in mind, we now have the fourth of Tremonti's solo works entitled "A Dying Machine" which has somewhat of a concept behind it that could make for some interesting as well as masterful music. And for anyone going into this album, the musicianship is definitely on point with what you'd expect from an album that has Mark Tremonti's involvement. 

I will say when I first heard the leadoff single from this project, which is the title track, I wasn't completely gripped. This is an expected affair from the band and even though it does have good musicianship and a solid concept whenever it comes to the lyrics, it really doesn't have as much lasting power. I actually enjoy this disc's second leadoff single, "Take You With Me" better because even with the competently good musicianship there is some lasting power. It also sounds a bit more upbeat, and that's something you will find a bit more often on this album, particularly a track like "From The Sky". As for the rest of the album, there is a lot of diversity that is placed within. "Bringer Of War", the album's opening track, has a very aggressive sound that is very easy to enjoy especially since Tremonti doesn't employ screamed vocals at all. It is definitely a well-executed style of metal/rock and songs like "Throw Them To The Lions", "Make It Hurt", and "The Day When Legions Burned" definitely hit hard on this album with the latter track even going for a little bit of a thrash vibe throughout its 3-minute runtime. This disc also has the ability to go much more melodic with cuts such as "Trust", "The First The Last", and "As The Silence Becomes Me", mixing softer passages with heavier guitar work, and there is definitely a lot to rave about with these songs. 

Do I think this is Tremonti's magnum opus or best work to date? Not exactly. This album is a bit long at over an hour and I'll admit there are some cuts that could have been shaved off to make this album a little shorter such as "A Lot Like Sin" and especially the closing track "Found" which really is just an instrumental piece that really could've been a hidden track to book end "Desolation", the track that comes before. Also, I would've liked to see Tremonti try some new things as well, such as go for some electronic styles to blend in with the rock vibe that is present throughout the album. Not exactly go overboard but mix it up enough to not make it stray away from its core sound. But, as an overall album, I can't shake off the feeling that this is well executed material. I don't see myself consistently coming back to this album as much as this project's first album "All I Was", but for what it's worth, this is a concept that is well pulled off and features some great tracks on it while still keeping this band's identity intact. Fans of any of the bands that Mark Tremonti has been a playing member of will immediately enjoy this without any question and metal and rock lovers looking for playing that is spot on with precision and intricacy will probably have a good time throughout. It may not keep its long term power, but overall, the machine that these musicians have built is still thriving to put out something good. 

RATING: 7/10 

What did you think about the record? Was it good? Was it bad? Let me know in the comments below. And of course, these are only my opinions. If your opinions are different, awesome! If they're similar, then that's great, too. So, don't hesitate- comment to me about it down below. Take care.