'Into the Pit:' Mark Tremonti

The latest project undertaken by a three-time Guitarist of the Year whose riffs have reverberated from Wembley Stadium to World Wrestling Entertainment is so far off base, you wouldn’t categorize it as “the last thing you’d expect” because it wouldn’t even land on the radar of what many would foresee from him.

But Mark Tremonti, guitarist of Alter Bridge and Creed, and lead vocalist/guitarist of solo band Tremonti that has produced five albums in the past 10 years, isn’t one to live life with regrets. Tremonti, who was honored by “Guitar World” as Guitarist of the Decade and named the fourth greatest heavy metal guitarist ever by “Total Guitar” magazine, is not interested in saying “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve” 20 years from now.

So Tremonti found something to more than tide himself, and fans, over prior to the Oct. 14 release of Alter Bridge’s forthcoming album Pawns & Kings. And the project is accompanied by a special purpose that hits close to home for him.

Tremonti put on a suit and tie, rounded up members of Frank Sinatra’s bluegrass popular singing band, and dropped Tremonti Sings Sinatra on May 27. It’s a complete album of Tremonti performing 14 of Sinatra’s classics — hits such as “Fly Me to the Moon” and “My Way” plus deep cuts like “Luck Be A Lady” — while teaming with an initiative called Take A Chance For Charity. All proceeds of the album’s sales benefit the National Down Syndrome Society after Tremonti and his wife discovered that their newborn daughter Stella was afflicted with Down Syndrome and needed open heart surgery, to boot, at 11 months.

In the trailer below, Tremonti discusses how the project came together following the approval of the Sinatra Estate. You can also watch a pair of his new videos below, then click on the SoundCloud widget at the bottom to hear our entire exclusive 1-on-1 conversation from Wednesday.

“Mark’s take on Sinatra is nothing short of uncanny,” Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, whose solo band features Alter Bridge vocalist/guitarist Myles Kennedy on lead vocals, said in a press release. “I could never have expected one of my fav metal guitarists to do such faithful renditions of Sinatra classics. Not only instrumentally, but vocally! And these recordings are for a cause near and dear to my heart; I was very close to an uncle who had Down Syndrome when I was growing up. I fully appreciate and support Mark’s commitment to NDSS.”

The likable and talented musician discusses the album in greater detail with ATM. Tremonti also names some of the celebrities he’s challenging to follow in his out-of-my-comfort-zone footsteps with Take A Chance For Charity, reveals which Sinatra tunes were his favorite and most challenging to record, whether he’ll be able to bring the act on the road and in particular to the Alamo City, and Tremonti also offers up a compliment of a lifetime he received from one of metal’s all-time greats.

But as is the case with all ATM interviews, there’s more to the conversation than meets the eye.

Click. Read. Watch. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

Mark Tremonti, a three-time Guitarist of the Year known for his riffs in Alter Bridge, Creed and solo band Tremonti, has stepped out of his comfort zone with his latest project (all photos by Jay Nanda / Alamo True Metal)

Tremonti teamed with Take A Chance For Charity to record and release an album May 27 of him singing Frank Sinatra classics backed by surviving members of Sinatra’s band.

Red Rocker makes Aztec's devoted Texas fans part of his musical Circle

The latest version of a Sammy Hagar-fronted band is called The Circle, but Saturday night at the Aztec Theatre, it could have been referred to by a number of other names: Sammy Hagar & The Signatures. Sammy Hagar & The Autographs. Or by the essence of its nature, something along the lines of Sammy Hagar and the Just Know How To Have Funs.

During Sammy Hagar & The Circle’s four-date December trek strictly devoted to Texas, a packed Aztec repeatedly returned the loyalty and approval for Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Vic Johnson and drummer Jason Bonham. So Hagar took it upon himself to give his John Hancock to whatever was thrust upon him on stage including hats, shirts, banners and towels, never losing a beat as he vocalized 17 songs dominated by his stints in Montrose, a storied solo career and that little era in Van Halen (see setlist in 32-photo slideshow below).

Sammy Hagar & The Sharpies? OK, maybe not.

In their return to the Alamo City following performances in 2019 and 2020 at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo (coverage here), the famed quartet went on shortly after 8 p.m., with a significant contingent of fans still getting their tickets scanned outside during second song “Rock Candy.”

The Aztec and/or Live Nation would be wise to swallow their pride and abandon, or at least alter, their policy of not releasing set times and simply stating that the ticket time (7 p.m. in this case) reflects when the doors open. Moreover, the Aztec’s Facebook page didn’t even make reference to the show on the day of, so those believing they were showing up during the opening act may have been surprised to find there wasn’t one.

The show ended at about 9:50 p.m., begging the question: when’s the last time a concert ended prior to 10 p.m., particularly on a Saturday? Hagar and Co. were mindful of the fact its fanbase is comprised of an older generation that doesn’t want to stay out past midnight watching a gig. Hagar and his crew undoubtedly count themselves, too, as performers who don’t want to be on stage around that time.

But don’t mistake those vignettes as a sign the 74-year-old “Red Rocker” is going to be rocking out of a rocker anytime soon. On the contrary. Maybe it’s Hagar’s penchant for always seeing the positive out of life. Perhaps it’s all those trips to Cabo Wabo. Or maybe it’s just that he’s naturally wired by “Mas Tequila” (ATM Facebook Live footage here).

Sammy Hagar & The Circle certainly had their share of competition throughout San Antonio on this night. Right around the corner performing at the Majestic Theatre was comedian George Lopez. There were also other rock and metal shows such as a rescheduled August Burns Red metalcore gig at Vibes Event Center and Dallas natives To Whom It May headlining Fitzgerald’s. But the Aztec was the place to hear classic party anthems and even a few jokes and anecdotes from Hagar, Anthony and Bonham — the unassuming Johnson notwithstanding — for roughly 90 minutes.

And The Circle didn’t disappoint.

Seven of the 17 tracks were of the Van Halen variety, including “Right Now" and “Why Can’t This Be Love” before The Circle devoted the lone Led Zeppelin tune to Bonham — the son of the late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham — “Rock ‘N’ Roll” (ATM Facebook Live footage of all three here). Anthony dedicated “Right Now” to Eddie Van Halen, but surprisingly, that appeared to be the only time the late iconic guitarist was mentioned by name.

Van Halen died Oct. 6, 2020, of a stroke at a time he and Hagar remained mostly on non-speaking terms, though the frontman of Montrose, Sammy Hagar & The Waboritas, Chickenfoot and the era often referred by others — affectionately or not — as Van Hagar had frequently stated he would be open to returning to Van Halen with Anthony.

The Circle also gave the Aztec patrons what they came for with “Three Lock Box,” “There’s Only One Way to Rock,” “Heavy Metal” and “I Can’t Drive 55” (ATM footage below) and more Van Halen tunes such as “Top of the World,” “Best of Both Worlds” and “Finish What Ya Started,” the latter featuring Hagar’s patented cry of “I need some PUSSY!” (see slideshow).

Johnson, one of Hagar’s cohorts with The Waboritas, may not play the Van Halen solos the way the namesake of that band did, nor may he make anyone forget about EVH. But that’s not even close to being the goal with The Circle, and if you show up to a Circle show expecting as much, well, you’ve likely had too much Beach Rum or tequila.

The band ended the night with an a cappella version of Van Halen’s “Dreams” that included Bonham filming live to his Instagram page, along with the lone Circle offering of the evening “Affirmation” and Van Halen closer “When It’s Love” (ATM footage of all three below).

Whether he’s on stage living out his dream and spanning his career, celebrating a birthday at his nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, or jamming with and interviewing musicians on “Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar” via Mark Cuban’s AXS TV network, Hagar only knows one way to live and rock. That refreshing outlook may be as influential as anything he has sung the past five decades.

The Circle’s first rodeo two years ago at the AT&T Center may have been a rockin’ good evening. But its post-pandemic toast to Texas in 2021 could not have been any brighter or come at a better time.

Hello, Baaaaby, indeed.

Michael Anthony (from left), Sammy Hagar, Jason Bonham and Vic Johnson acknowledge the cheers after headlining a packed Aztec Theatre on Saturday night (all photos by Jay Nanda / Alamo True Metal)

Hagar brought his band The Circle to town and once again dominated the set with Van Halen, Montrose and solo classics.

Hagar and Anthony begin their 5150 strut during “Best of Both Worlds” as Johnson plays a riff.

Bonham tells a story to the crowd.

Anthony provided plenty of his unique background, and sometimes lead, vocals.

Hagar declares “I need some PUSSY!” during 1988 Van Halen hit “Finish What Ya Started.”

See the article for a slew of ATM’s Facebook Live clips and footage of an additional six tracks at the bottom of the review.

'Into the Pit:' George Lynch

As the electric virtuoso behind each of the most well-known Dokken and Lynch Mob albums the past four decades, George Lynch etched his name in guitar greatness long ago. As he’s grown older, Lynch has also ballooned his contributions to the metal scene in a plethora of side projects, supergroups and solo material.

Lynch’s latest endeavor finds him reuniting with longtime Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson and his former Lynch Mob and current Warrant vocalist Robert Mason on the sophomore effort for The End Machine. And while the group’s self-titled 2019 debut included Lynch’s longtime Dokken, Lynch Mob (and even 1979 outfit Xciter) drummer in “Wild” Mick Brown, the forthcoming record sees the retired Brown give way to his brother Steve Brown on the kit. The 12-song offering Phase2, which features a rockin’ video for “Blood and Money” (watch below), will drop April 9 on Frontier Records.

Lynch, 66, discussed the record along with his Dokken and Lynch Mob past, the future of his undertakings, his passion for crafting Mr. Scary guitars — named after his renowned 1987 instrumental on Dokken’s Back for the Attack album— and reflected on several significant events in his career and within the rock scene today for Alamo True Metal. Click below to watch one of the classic videos in which he participated, the Hear N’ Aid project, referenced during our chat.

Click here to watch our previous interview that also featured then-Lynch Mob vocalist Oni Logan in 2015, and click the sound widget below to hear today’s conversation in its entirety.

The renowned guitar virtuoso goes 1-on-1 to discuss the forthcoming sophomore album from The End Machine called "Phase2" with his former Dokken and Lynch Mob mates, his passion for crafting guitars, the 35-year anniversary of the Hear N' Aid all-star project, some of his numerous side groups, reforming as Dokken in 2016, remembrances of the late Eddie Van Halen and more (ATM photo: Jay Nanda - 2016)