Extreme share ripping new single, 'Rise,' detail forthcoming studio album

'You hear a lot of fire on the record,' guitarist Nuno Bettencourt says

Author:
Metal Edge

Extreme have announced a new album, Six, due June 9 via earMUSIC. In advance of the album's release, the Boston hard rockers have shared the first single, the ripping "Rise."

You can check out the video, directed by guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, above.

Regarding the new song, singer Gary Cherone said: "Musically, it's aggressive. 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."

Six is the band's sixth studio album overall and first in almost 15 years. Bettencourt said of the inspiration behind it, “When Eddie Van Halen passed it really hit me. 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.”

Added Cherone, “With Extreme, there’s always a lot of passion and a little piss and vinegar. We're not in competition with anybody else, but we strive to outdo ourselves. There are some moments on this album where we did. We've managed to stay together after all 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."

"Whatever you think an Extreme album is after two or even three songs, it's not," summed up 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.' "

You can check out the Six cover art and track list below.