Certain musicians will go down in history as the greatest of all time. Every generation has its superstars. Then you have some that will cross the generational divide. I think Mark Tremonti is one of those stars for sure. Tremonti is one of my music icons. I grew up listening to both Creed and Alter Bridge as a teenager while learning to play the guitar, he was one of the artists that I tried to emulate and learn their songs, to middling success. Also, over the last decade, for those who don’t know, he’s had another project on the go. The aptly named solo project Tremonti. It's a metal-focused project that allows the guitarist to let loose and also is the lead vocalist. This new record, The End Will Show Us How, is the sixth release from this project and is a journey into new styles and lyrical themes. I have to say, I find Tremonti, as a band, explosive and versatile. The way they craft metal-anthem after metal-anthem is inspiring. Their previous album, Marching In Time, was my favourite album of 2021. So, this one had big shoes to fill.
I think that this record is a step up in so many ways. A big and bold sound, clever use of the guitar, and well-written song structures. It has a decent mix of heavy and melodic all painted with the signature style of Tremonti. You can always kind of tell when he’s written a song, his fingerprints are undeniable. There’s that distinct tone and captivating power to the riffs that just hook you in so well. You can hear that on the tracks “Live In Fear” and “Just Too Much”. That hard edge that you’d get with a lot of mid-2000s metalcore records. Tremonti has never shied away from putting their influences on display. You can tell they’re paying dues to the alternative heavy sub-genres like metalcore, alt-metal and other varieties of that ilk. You can tell that they’re having fun twisting different sounds to make the gnarliest and epic riffs like on “Now That I’ve Made It” and the title track “The End Will Show Us How”. I do love how they play around with tone and sounds and then every song has sweeping and beautifully melodic chorus lines, it just feels like a tidy little bow on it all.
I think you may be asking me if I rate this as highly as Marching In Time. Since I counted that as my favourite metal album of 2021. Well, I would say this is a different experience and your appreciation may be quite different than mine. There was a viciousness and ferocity to that album that I just don’t feel here. That’s not to say that this album is bad or even worse. It’s just different. I felt like there was a more pulse-pounding pulse to that album. Whereas on, The End Will Show Us How, I feel there’s more of an atmosphere of emotional weight. There’s a desperate pain and anguish to the lyrics. Where you can feel Tremonti’s writing excel in a much more grander sense. So the difference comes down to a fast and heavy entertaining thrill versus a more grandiose idea of concepts and themes. It’s two different sides to the same project and shows incredible flexibility in songwriting skills.
I mean, from the opening notes of “The Mother, The Earth and I” you feel that sense of impending weight on you. There’s so much more to the lyrics, maybe at the cost of some of the more thrash-like elements. I felt that weight throughout this album and you get that sense of scale in the choruses. That’s where the soundscape opens and you feel that breathing room in the sound. That’s not to say that the album is completely devoid of those feelings of ferocity. “One More Time” and “I’ll Take My Chances” meet those standards.
The whole album sounds gorgeous with each instrument glistening in the layers. Each of the cymbal crashes and the little guitar licks are just little pieces of musicianship that you can appreciate. The thick bass tone is hefty and grounding. Of course, as you would expect of Tremonti, the guitar sounds so pristine. From the infectious riffs to the gut-busting solos you feel that mastery of the instrument. Then you have Mark’s vocal performance. He’s just refined his voice over the years. His breath control is wonderful and the way he’s able to find the notes is excellent. I can appreciate how he’s had to control his voice over the years, especially when he plays guitar at the same time as singing when on stage.
So, some closing thoughts. The End Will Show Us How is a fully loaded and well-packaged record with all the bells and whistles that you’d expect from Mark Tremonti at this point. I don’t think anyone would expect him to put out anything less than stellar. While I don’t think it’s as good as Marching In Time, I still enjoy this album immensely. In all honesty, I’m splitting hairs when comparing it to his previous output. It’s a more than worthy addition to his ever-growing catalogue of music he’s been a part of. The epic choruses are ones that I’m sure we’re all looking forward to singing along to when seeing him live in concert. The gritty riffs and beautiful melodies will keep me coming back for more and the insane talent and skill will continue to be the inspiration for many up-and-coming musicians for years to come. If you’re any sort of fan of rock and heavy metal, this is one to play at least once.
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