Extreme rocks Vegas with ‘Metal Meltdown’

Extreme’s 1990 album, Pornograffitti, was their greatest success. It peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and was certified multi-Platinum. It contained hits like “Decadence Dance,” “Get The Funk Out” and the power ballad, “More Than Words.” However, much like its peers, the Eighties rockers have drifted off into obscurity in recent years, but return in fine form in the second Metal Meltdown concert series filmed by classic metal bands at The Joint at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas.

Pornograffitti Live 25/Metal Meltdown celebrates the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking album that saw Extreme shoot to mainstream success. The 90 minute concert film features the album performed in its entirely as part of the Pronograffitti Anniversary Tour. The concert portion opens with the band discussing this opportunity with rehearsal video.

“We’ve never performed the who album on stage. For us it’s an interesting thing,” guitarist and songwriter Nuno Bettencourt states. “We thought we would do Pornograffitti in some places and then other people would get really upset. ‘Wait! How can you be doing this in the UK and Europe and not be doing in America?’ And then you do it on the East Coast and they say, ‘Why aren’t you doing it on the West Coast?’ So we set up rehearsal today. It’s great to be doing the Porno stuff.”

Musically, Pornograffitti is dominated by blistering guitar riffs, often with funky, syncopated timing, and incendiary, high-speed rock/metal solos. The record provided Bettencourt with widespread admiration from rock guitar enthusiasts, including Queen’s Brian May, and continual exposure in leading guitar playing publications. But it was the acoustic ballad single, “More Than Words,” that reached No. 1 on Billboard’s “Hot 100” chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for “Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.” The subsequent single, “Hole Hearted,” another acoustic track, was also successful, rising to No. 4 on the same chart. “Decadence Dance” and “Get the Funk Out” were also released as singles both landing on Billboard’s Rock chart and becoming fan favorites.

Outside of “More Than Words,” I wasn’t a huge fan of the band until I heard “Decadance Dance” and “Get The Funk Out” played on SiriusXM’s Hair Nation. The songs are heavy hitting and full of syncopation. The band brings that energy to the stage with a tight performance throughout. Most of the Porno songs were never played live before this tour, but the group — and fans — sound like they’ve been playing them for years. Singer Gary Cherone  can still sing and hit all the notes from the album. The songs sound fresh and rocking as if they were released this year, and not in 1990.

Mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound, the audio is stunning! It’s a clean, crisp and beautifully balanced mix in which all music should sound no matter the format. Nothing turns me off more than a bad mix, but you don’t get that here! The HD video is what you’d expect from today’s filming. It’s a great presentation and will make a great addition to any music fan’s collection.

Directed by Brian Lockwood (Bon Jovi, Metallica, Motley Crue), the Pornograffiti Live 25/Metal Meltdown package includes a Blu-ray, DVD, and audio CD of the complete concert that was filmed on May 30, 2015 at The Joint at the world famous Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. It also features Rockshow, a bonus feature-length documentary that takes fans through Extreme’s story, with exclusive interviews, ‘80s archive footage, and an exclusive photo gallery.

Blu-ray/DVD/CD

1. Decadence Dance
2. Li’l Jack Horny
3. When I’m President
4. Get the Funk Out
5. More Than Words
6. Money (In God We Trust)
7. It (‘s a Monster)
8. Pornograffitti
9. When I First Kissed You
10. Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)
11. Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee
12. He-Man Woman Hater
13. Song For Love
14. Hole Hearted
15. Play With Me*
16. Cupid’s Dead*

*Songs do not appear on the audio CD.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com