Monte Pittman - The Power of Three

Monte Pittman may not be a household name in the metal world, but maybe he should be.You may not have heard of Monte Pittman, but he's been around. Having left for LA to become a rock star at 24, he ended up working in a music store and giving guitar lessons to Guy Ritchie (Madonna's ex), which led to meeting Madonna herself and eventually forming a very fruitful musical relationship that even saw him playing solo with her on David Letterman. Not bad for a boy from Longview, Texas.

What really matters though is Pittman's approach to songwriting. Rather than amaze you with fretboard virtuosity (not to say he doesn't have chops), shifting time signatures, or arcane conceptual storylines, he just writes highly listenable heavy music. There's some really great grooves that will stick in your head for days after listening, and that's just the kind of music I dig the most.

Having played with Prong (with writing credits) on a couple of their albums you can definitely hear that influence on tracks like Delusions and End of the World where Monte throws out some sweet down-tuned riffage. But there are lots of other great influences that come together here, including aspects of Motörhead and Alice In Chains, as well as a Guns and Roses feel that all mix together perfectly into a hell of a musical stew. I know I'm ready for another helping.

The Bottom Line: Pittman's The Power of Three is one great, modern, metal album, filled with crunchy riffs, great grooves, and a terrific sense of "the song matters most". I can't wait to hear whatever he does next.

Tracks To Make You Wonder What The Hell You're Doing Not Songwriting: A Dark House, On My Mind, and End of the World

- Genghis is *really* digging this album...