Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Extreme - II Pornograffitti (1990)
Upon seeing Extreme's Pornograffiti receive a review in this site, I knew I had to check it out. I felt like I couldn't live the rest of my life without the knowledge that there's a lot more of this band than just a f***ing acoustic radio ballad. The album came out in 1990, the twilight zone year between heavy metal's reigning era of the 80s and the 90s era where Nirvana and their legion of grunge took over. You might find this opinion amusing, but this album is actually more metal than the band Cinderella has ever been...
Of course, I can't ignore Extreme being part of the glam metal scene with their ridiculous aesthetics. Their hair is bigger than a lion's mane, and their lyrics are more personal and journal-worthy than Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The vocals of Gary Cherone help give the band a heavier edge that differs from the wham-bam-glam of KISS and White Lion.
The opening highlight "Decadence Dance" had me worried at first this is just gonna be full-on glam metal with the piano and strings. Then the riffing makes a promising sinister riffing buildup then explodes into the heaviness that separates the band from the glam metal pack. Guitar master Nuno Bettencourt is a professional at performing solos, such as that of "Li'l Jack Horny". Then "When I'm President" has lyrics that are 3 decades behind the present day, but you can't resist Bettencourt's guitar harmonizing together with Cherone's vocals. Quite fun, with barely any disappointment! I'm shocked to hear some Parliament-esque funk blended into the band's metal in the aptly titled "Get the Funk Out" though not as shocked as I am about how heavy it is compared to this next more infamously famous track...
You know just what I'm talking about, the unfortunate acoustic ballad that is "More Than Words". I can't believe THAT SONG is what made this band exist in the mainstream, even though 90% of the rest of this album is nowhere near like that. Don't get me wrong, it sounds quite beautiful, but if you're like me, having listened to radio pop before developing your own metal interest, you can easily make that association with the softer mainstream sh*t you're tired of. Unfortunately, I live in a country where the only English radio stations are the ones that play mainstream pop songs with only the occasional "rock hour", so back then, I never got to experience Extreme's rock/metal side. Then again, even when radio stations find metal acceptable enough to play, they would probably think the songs from this album are too poppy to play. I wasn't thinking of dedicating this entire paragraph to that "radio hit", but considering its history, it had to be done.
Another highlight "Money (In God We Trust)" brings back the hard rock/heavy metal sound, as if their heaviness is still intact. "It('s a Monster)" brings back another heavy aspect, more of Bettencourt's shredding. Lyrics of personal crisis seem to cover the title track, all while the guitar continues galloping. The Sinatra-inspired "When I First Kissed You" sounds way too flat, having more of an unfitting lounge style. This was 8 years before the loss of Frank Sinatra and the lounge trend. Probably the weakest part of this mostly solid album, and I would much rather listen to "More Than Words" than this sh*t any day.
"Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)" is slightly forgettable though it still has nice potential. "He-Man Woman Hater" is the best highlight here. It starts with Bettencourt's shredding take on "Flight of the Bumblebee", while that's a great head-buzzer, it's not as much as the chorus later on. Absolutely great music and lyrics! There's some Beatles influence in "Song for Love", but it's nice song to sing. Then finally we have one more semi-acoustic rock ballad, "Hole Hearted", which I guess is a fine way to end.
I say while there is the hard rock of AC/DC, the guitars come close to reaching the heaviness of Metallica's Black Album next year. With that, Extreme's album is pretty much glam/heavy metal in an accessible mainstream level. With killer guitars and pretty vocal harmonies, it's a formula that suffers a severe lack of radio acknowledgement....
Favorites: "Decadence Dance", "When I'm President", "Money (In God We Trust)", "Pornograffiti", "He-Man Woman Hater", "Song for Love"