If you don’t know who Mark Tremonti is…well let’s just say I would be left with eyebrows raised. The famed guitarist is backed by a metal arsenal tonight as he brings his solo band to London, and showcases the 2015 album ‘Cauterize‘ that has been universally applauded by pundits.

[date]16th December, 2015[/date]
[venue]The Forum[/venue]
[city]London, UK[/city]
[support_bands]The Raven Age, Man the Mighty, Wearing Scars[/support_bands]

Mark Tremonti is a man who has never failed to impressed me. He has a lucrative career behind him in alternative music, being at the helm of Grammy-nominated bands such as Creed and Alter Bridge and writing hits that have reached the masses on all corners of the globe, it just seems not enough for him. As a metalhead at heart, he decided to ignite a solo career that would bring the unique clash of his background in alternative rock with the speed and aggression of Bay Area thrash.

2015’s sophomore effort ‘Cauterize‘ saw a refinement in the experimental sound, and it was good. Very good. Journalists from all around the world applauded the effort as one of the finest pieces Tremonti has offered given it’s unique yet strangely familiar style, and has made the end of year top 10’s for plenty. It’s that acclaim that has London’s Forum packed to the rafters this evening.

The usual procedure begins. Lights dim, intro blares out, horns go into the air, but as the band march on stage an overwhelming presence fills the room. That presence might just be that of Mark Tremonti himself, a man with nothing to prove yet still continues to pump out music that is loved by millions. The first notes of the evening are that of the title track ‘Cauterize‘, and suddenly the room is rocking.

Midway through the next track of ‘You Waste Your Time‘, The Forum is really in full swing. Beer is being spilled, chests are being beaten with emotional vigour and fans are singing to their lungs full capacity. Having seen Creed once or twice, as with Alter Bridge, I don’t think I have seen a crowd quite like this in the presence of Mark Tremonti before, it’s as wild as a true thrash audience. Clearly journalists aren’t the only ones to appreciate the style that the band has brought to the table.

The band are enjoying every second of this as the energy from the audeince really feeds into the movement of each musician, rocking hard to tracks like ‘Radical Change‘ and ‘Flying Monkeys‘, and of course the tempo of each song reflects on whether the fans prefer to do synchronised headbanging or throw themselves into the circle pit.

It’s unfamiliar territory for me to see Tremonti in this light, but it’s one every one simply needs to see. The raw emotion of the room at the end of ‘Wish You Well‘ shows just how appreciated this man is, along with the fine musicians that have formed this band. There was a ‘gone back to the roots’ feeling about the whole thing that seemed to recycle on the band and fans alike, despite Tremonti never releasing music of this calibre before, it just must have been that metal passion that made for a show that was great fun throughout.

With a new album due next year, we are greatly looking forward to the band’s return!