Extreme Set to Release First New Album in 15 Years, ‘Six’

Extreme is releasing its first new album in 15 years, Six, and have shared the lead single “Rise.”

Out June 9, Six is the band’s sixth album and first since Saudades de Rock in 2008 and was inspired by the death of guitar great Eddie Van Halen in 2020.

“When Eddie Van Halen passed, it really hit me,” said guitarist Nuno Bettencourt in a statement. “I’m not going to be the one who will take the throne, but I felt some responsibility to keep guitar playing alive. So, you hear a lot of fire on the record.”

Dawn wakes the silence / Of a fainted lullaby / Day breaks the eyelid / From a song sung in my eye, sings Gary Cherone on the hardened “Rise,” which opens the 12-track album. “Musically, it’s aggressive,” said singer Gary Cherone of the song. “Lyrically, it’s a cautionary tale on the rise and fall of fame. You get seduced into it. Once you’re on top, they’ll rip you apart and tear you down. That’s the nature of the beast.”

Following the release of Saudades de Rock, Bettencourt began touring with Rihanna as the lead guitarist on her Last Girl on Earth Tour in November 2009 and has continued playing on her following tours, including Loud (2010), 777 (2012), and Diamonds World (2013).

Cherone has been releasing music with his band Hurtsmile, which he formed in 2007 with his brother Mark and Joe Pessia, while founding bassist Pat Badger and drummer Kevin Figueiredo have been performing with their Eagles tribute band Dark Desert Eagles since 2017.

“With Extreme, there’s always a lot of passion and a little piss and vinegar,” said Cherone of the band’s reunion and new album. “We’re not in competition with anybody else, but we strive to outdo ourselves. There are some moments on this album where we did.”

Cherone added, “We’ve managed to stay together after all of these years. We feel like we have something to prove when we get on stage or in the studio. Because of that, I believe some of these songs are among the best we’ve written.”

As with any of the band’s albums, from their 1989 debut Extreme through Saudades de Rock, the new album is also chock full of surprises.

“Whatever you think an Extreme album is after two or even three songs, it’s not,” said Bettencourt. “That goes for every record we’ve ever done. True Extreme fans know to expect the unexpected. I feel like we need a good old-school rock album. Six is definitely modern, but you can put on headphones and go on a journey from top-to-bottom. It’s like ‘Extreme 2.0’.”

Extreme, ‘Six’ Track Listing:

1. “Rise”
2. “#Rebel”
3. “Banshee”
4. “Other Side of the Rainbow”
5. “Small Town Beautiful”
6. “The Mask”
7. “Thicker Than Blood”
8. “Save Me”
9. “Hurricane”
10. “X Out”
11. “Beautiful Girls”
12. “Here’s to the Losers”

Photo: Jesse Lirola / SRO PR