Tremonti's 'Marching in Time' - Album Review

Two of the most prolific songwriters in modern hard rock must be Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti. If they are not writing songs together for an upcoming Alter Bridge album, then they are writing songs for their other projects: Kennedy for his solo albums and his on-going collaboration with Slash, and Tremonti for his solo band. Alter Bridge's last album, Walk the Sky (which I reviewed here), came out in 2019. For me at least, it was a bit of a return to form following 2016's somewhat weak The Last Hero (which I also reviewed here). Despite the band's relative productivity, they tend to take a break following an album's touring cycle to allow its member to indulge in their other projects. True to form, following the Walk the Sky tour Alter Bridge entered into a bit of a dormant period. I am not sure what affect the COVID-19 pandemic had on the band's plans, as I think that much of their Walk the Sky tour had already happened by March 2020, but either way the band was put on the backburner. As a result of this downtime, Kennedy released his second solo album, The Ides of March (which I reviewed here), earlier this year, and has recorded another album with Slash which is due out next year; while Tremonti has been busy writing and recording the fifth album with his self-titled band. I hesitate to call the Tremonti albums true solo albums, as Tremonti has always had more a band feel than that of a true solo project, but Tremonti's albums have always been spearheaded by their namesake. The first Tremonti album, All I Was, was released back in 2012 - and the band have been going from strength to strength since. I have enjoyed all of the band's albums, but perhaps their finest work to date is 2018's ambitious concept album A Dying Machine (which I reviewed here). As good as the three albums that preceded it are, everything really seemed to come together nicely on A Dying Machine. It was a great mix of heavy riffing, slightly progressive arrangements, and a strong alternative rock atmosphere - all of which showcased Tremonti's skills as both a guitarist and as a singer. Tremonti has come into his own in some ways fronting his own band, and I think his vocal skills that have surprised a lot of people - given that he is generally known for his guitar prowess. He sounds great on all of the albums vocally, but A Dying Machine contains possibly his best vocal performance overall to date. As such, A Dying Machine will be hard to top. In an attempt to do so, the band's aforementioned fifth studio album Marching in Time was released last month. While, in my opinion, it is not as good as A Dying Machine, there is still a lot to enjoy here. The album is probably heavier overall than A Dying Machine, with Tremonti's signature songwriting and guitar style driving the album's twelve songs. There is less of A Dying Machine's somewhat progressive, atmospheric approach - despite the new album sounding bigger than the band's early work. Marching in Time also sees the recording debuts of two newer members of the band, with Tremonti and long-time guitarist Eric Friedman joined by bassist Tanner Keegan and drummer Ryan Bennett (Eye Empire). The album is once again produced by long-time collaborator Michael 'Elvis' Baskette, who helps to give Marching in Time its signature thick sound.

The album's overall heaviness is apparent the moment that its opening track A World Away kicks off. While the song does soon speed up, its opening moments are characterised by a sludgy, slow-paced riff that has a real tech metal groove - while Bennett's mechanical drumming provides an off-kilter backing. Fear not, Tremonti have not morphed into a djent band; but the song's opening is certainly the most angular that the band have sounded. When it gets going, however, the vibe shifts to something more familiar with hard-driving verses (although some of the song's opening groove is maintained) and a real sing-along chorus that features the strong vocal melodies that Tremonti has become known for of late. The chorus provides the album's first hooky moment, and it opens things up after the more groove-based and angular riffing that characterises the rest of the piece. The combination of the strong riffing and the big chorus will ensure that the song goes down well live - and a fluid closing guitar solo helps to bring everything together. Now and Forever retains the overall heaviness, but drops the groove-based approach for a more typical modern metal sound - with the opening riff and Bennett drum pattern sounding like something akin to Trivium's recent work. I love how Tremonti's solo band allows him to explore the more metal aspects of his songwriting. Alter Bridge have certainly become heavier over the years, but I would not say that they are consistently heavy enough to be considered a true metal band. Tremonti are however, and the riffing throughout Now and Forever showcases this. There is a real tightness and aggression in the song's riffing; but there is still plenty of time for melody - with another big chorus containing some hooks. The chorus may not be quite as strong as the one found in the album's opening song, but the slightly darker approach here suits the song nicely - maintaining the song's vibe as a result. If Not For You reins in the overt heaviness somewhat. It opens with some effects-heavy synth strings, before a drum machine groove joins the fray - which Tremonti sings over. The relatively low key intro contrasts with the songs that came before it nicely - and even when the band kicks in for the chorus, with a chiming guitar lead and strong rhythm, the piece has something of a ballad-esque vibe. This is despite its full band hard rock sound, but the more dynamic approach taken allows the piece to feel much more gentle - even though there is still plenty of Tremonti's trademark thick guitar tone bulking out the song. Thrown Further returns to the heaviness of the album's opening with a choppy guitar riff and an overall faster pace. That being said, however, there is still a strong alternative rock vibe throughout. There are occasional moments on Tremonti's albums that recall his old writing style with Creed - and the verses here have a little of a post-grunge tinge. The drumming is much simpler, which allows the riffs to feel less metallic, and song is very vocal-focused. As such, there is a strong American radio rock vibe throughout the song - and it is a good mix of heaviness and melody.

Let That Be Us, with its machine gun-esque drumming from Bennett early on, is one of the album's heaviest pieces - and it recalls the tone set on Now and Forever earlier. Comparisons to bands like Trivium can once again me made, as some of the riffing here has a strong modern metal vibe; but the overall warm production style and Tremonti's accessible vocal approach stops the song from sounding too different from the rest of the album. Tremonti's songwriting always emphasises melody too, and even the heavier songs on the album such as this one often pair things back - especially to allow chorus vocal melodies to shine. Let That Be Us' chorus is another strong one, and its faster pace allows it to really stand out as it is packed full of energy. The song is a highlight as a result for me. The Last One of Us slows things down again somewhat, and makes use of Tremonti's penchant for big, clean guitar chords. This has often been a big part of Alter Bridge's style, and the vibe is reused here to great effect. The song certainly sounds more like Alter Bridge than just about anything else on the album, and it is one that I can imagine Kennedy singing as a result. Tremonti sings it very well however, but the style chosen here just shows that there is sometimes crossover between Alter Bridge and Tremonti's own albums. Despite enjoying the song, I actually prefer Tremonti when they are operating at full tilt - and the heavier songs on the album are among my favourites. The Last One of Us provides a nice change of pace however, and the album benefits from its overall reduction in speed and heaviness. In One Piece ups the heaviness again, and it hits the listener from the off with its fast-paced double bass drumming and tougher sound - especially compared to the previous song. Despite this, however, the song sounds less like Trivium-esque modern metal - as it actually sounds quite traditional. Some of the riffing is pretty old-school sounding; with the fat guitar tone only reinforcing this feeling. The drumming feels more modern, but the sludgy sound recalls traditional 1970s metal - just forced through a modern-sounding filter thanks to the drums and occasional synths. The chorus is one of the album's best too, with a slightly dark overall tone that is complimented perfectly by Tremonti's rich vocals. A shredding guitar solo pulls everything together - and should remind everyone why he is held in such high regard as a guitarist. Under the Sun slows things down again, and takes a slightly darker turn thanks to more of an atmospheric synth presence. The chorus is heavier, with chiming guitar leads and thick rhythms, but much of the rest of the song is relatively low key - with guitar arpeggios, simpler drum beats, and the aforementioned synths filling the speakers. It is a song that recalls A Dying Machine somewhat, which often had more of an atmospheric sound due to its overall more ambitious reach. As such, Under the Sun stands out on the album as it sounds somewhat different - but the more overt synths help to add some overall diversity.

Not Afraid to Lose maintains the slower pace of the previous song, but it takes the route of a more traditional ballad. It is one of the album's least heavy pieces, and there are again strong Alter Bridge vibes throughout. Albums like 2007's Blackbird were packed with songs like Not Afraid to Lose, and the uplifting lyrics and sunny guitar arpeggios are a real trademark of Tremonti's songwriting at this point. While I like the fact that he focuses on the heavier side of his songwriting for his solo band, it is also good that he includes a few songs that strip away the heaviness and go for a more melodic and uplifting approach. This allows his albums to have plenty of light and shade - and Not Afraid to Lose feels like very much on the side of 'light'. Bleak is, unsurprisingly, a bit of a downer following the uplifting previous number - but the song is not as dark as it may appear. The heaviness is increased again somewhat, but parts of the song still maintain the stripped back nature of the previous cuts. Dark sections, with discordant guitar leads and plenty of acoustic guitar depth, are paired with a trademark Tremonti chorus for a bit of a hybrid sound - one that fuses melody and darkness nicely. The song's chorus is very hooky, and easy to sing along to, while parts of the rest of the song are somewhat unsettling. The mix of sounds works well however, and the song is another highlight due to its slightly different approach. Would You Kill gets back to the album's core sound. It ups the pace and heaviness again, and as a result it is a driving modern metal anthem with lots of great riffs and a powerful drum performance from Bennett. The verses are furious and groove-laden, while the chorus is full of hooks and backed up by a great guitar lead throughout. It is another chorus that is very easy to sing, and given the song's overall energy it is another that I can easily see becoming another live favourite. It is left to the album's seven minute-plus title track to close things out - and the band have saved one of the best until last. As the song is on the longer side, there is a lot going on throughout. It opens quite slowly with clean guitar melodies and some gentle Tremonti vocals, but things slowly build up as the song moves on - with the drum grooves becoming more complex and the synths having more of a presence. The song is certainly the album's biggest sounding piece - which is fitting as it allows all of the album's previous vibes to be pulled together as one. There are heavier sections here, as well as plenty of knotty riffs, but everything fits together nicely despite the song's length. The transitions are not jarring, and the overall balance between light and shade is well struck. It is the sort of song that showcases Tremonti as a songwriter and an arranger, and the album ends on a real high as a result. When taken as a whole, however, Marching in Time is another strong album from Tremonti and his band. I still think that A Dying Machine is his greatest work to date as a solo artist, but Marching in Time is also very good - and the overall heaviness throughout is certainly welcome. It does not seem like Tremonti is going to ease up on his solo career any time soon either, so I am sure that in a few years he will revisit this sound and I look forward to seeing where he takes it.

The album was released on 24th September 2021 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for If Not For You.