Extreme returns for another shot

By John Benson

The band is ready to prove it’s got more than ‘More Than Words.’

The idea that ’90s rock act Extreme, which is known for its smash hit single “More Than Words,” would reform and name its first studio album in 13 years “Saudades de Rock” is beyond apropos.

The Portuguese word (pronounced “sow-dodge”) means to express a longing and underlying sadness for something or someone that’s been missing in your life, never quite sure if it will return.

For original band members — Gary Cherone (vocals), Nuno Bettencourt (guitarist) and Pat Badger (bassist) — such yearning applies to Extreme in a multitude of ways. Perhaps the biggest of which comes from the fact its most recognized hit “More Than Words” is pretty much an anomaly (except for its second most notable hit “Hole Hearted”) when compared to the act’s hard rock and funk metal sound.

“We still get that,” said Cherone, calling from his Boston-area home. “I remember the majority of people from the mainstream thought we were two guys in the band singing ballads. So we were fighting that pretty much our whole career. That is one of the things that waned on us in the mid-’90s, too.”

He added, “One story that comes to mind is we were on tour with Aerosmith in Europe, and we decided not to play it. It was Nuno and myself being stubborn. It wasn’t until Steve Tyler came into our dressing room and scolded us by saying, ‘When is the next time you’re going to be in Poland? You should play that song for the people who are your fans and want to hear the song.’ It was kind of like a father scolding his children.”

Even more surreal for Extreme is just because the band is known for its adult contemporary hits, rock fans that were familiar with the group’s heavier material then lumped it into the late ’80s and early ’90s hair metal scene, which became bankrupt when Kurt Cobain spread his alt rock grunge in 1991.

To this day, the band covets the respect among music fans, who in some cases define Extreme less for its style and more for Cherone’s brief tenure as Van Halen’s third lead singer.

“A lot of people ask me about Van Halen, and the band was great to me,” Cherone said. “That was one of my favorite moments on tour, but my regret is that we didn’t do a second record. We were writing after that tour, and it got a little bit dysfunctional and kind of fell apart.”

He added, “From the beginning I actually grew a thicker skin because I knew some would like it, some would hate it based on the loyalty of whether you were a Dave [Lee Roth] or Sam [Hagar] fan. Anybody in that position would have a target on their heads, but I think that probably made me a better performer and singer.”

When Extreme broke up in 1996, both Cherone and Bettencourt explored solo and other bands before crossing paths in recent years for a few one-off Extreme shows. Finally the two band leaders felt the time was right, which leads us to both “Saudades de Rock” (due out Aug. 12) and a new tour. Now including new drummer Kevin Figueiredo, Extreme comes to Cleveland for a Wednesday date at the House of Blues.

The band is hoping its new material — the groove-laden “King of the Ladies,” the funk rock “Learn To Love” and ballad “Ghost” — receives a positive reception from Extreme fans obviously ready to relive the golden days.

“The one thing is we’re not going to deny our past, so we’re going to look at it like we just picked up where we left off,” Cherone said. “We know we’re a heritage act, but for us that means putting out new music and hopefully giving our fans what they want during the tour by playing the old catalog.”

He added, “Our message is, ‘Thank you for sticking with the band.’ We will not disappoint, and the new record is hopefully everything they will expect.”