Rating: We always knew it was going to be good - but for Mark Tremonti (lead shredder of Alter Bridge and ex-Creed co-founder) to top his phenomenal first solo album, that was would have to be something mighty special indeed. Luckily, when you've got one of the best melodic minds in modern metal (try saying that ten times fast) you don't do things by half, and from the positively furious opening riff of Radical Change, through the soaring vocals of the title track and the unabashedly epic Fall Again or Providence, Cauterize is one HELL of an album. Genre-wise it ticks boxes left, right and centre - seriously, when things like the mid-point breakdown of Tie the Noose kick in, no volume setting on earth can do it justice - easily slotting into everything from heavy metal to hard rock, with plenty experimental song structures and everything in between to reign in some more wider listeners. So far the world is just getting used to this astonishingly proficient body of work (official release is June 9th, but those who pre-ordered are currently headbanging in heavy metal nirvana), but for fun instead of just reviewing the album, let's also rank the tracks. It's by no means definitive (honestly, everything on here is indescribably fantastic), but let us know what you think, and leave your favourites in the comments below.
