All I Was
All I Was brings Mark Tremonti's heavier guitar ideas into a melodic hard rock setting. The riffs have plenty of weight, and the faster passages show a clear interest in metal, but broad choruses remain central. It is an effective combination, even if the record stays closer to familiar territory than its most forceful moments initially suggest.
Tremonti also takes the lead vocal role. His voice has enough power and control to carry the songs, with a grungy character that fits the substantial guitars. He is more convincing when the melody has a clear shape than when the writing relies on the size of the surrounding arrangement.
Leave It Alone gives the guitar playing room to make an early impression. Its extended lead passage stands out on a record where many of the solos take a more predictable route. So You're Afraid and You Waste Your Time provide other strong examples of the band's guitar-driven approach, although the songs remain rooted in accessible hard rock.
Wish You Well increases the pace, and Brains gives the heavier playing a darker character. The title track also benefits from a speed-metal passage, briefly pushing beyond the album's more familiar rhythm and chorus shapes.
The Things I've Seen takes a more conventional ballad form, but Tremonti's singing gives it a convincing emotional centre. New Way Out is less effective, with a softer approach that lacks the same character.
The main limitation is variety. Several mid-paced songs move towards similar choruses, and some guitar breaks interrupt the writing rather than strengthen it. The playing is consistently capable, but the arrangements do not always make equally distinctive use of that ability.
Still, All I Was contains plenty of enjoyable, substantial rock. The best songs combine clear melodies with more forceful guitar movement. It is a solid introduction to this project, strongest when the heavier ideas change the shape of a song rather than merely increasing its volume.
