Consequently, Extreme's music is never easy to classify; it's not just heavy metal, hard rock, or pop— their albums cover all of that territory with a sweeping ambition and a social consciousness to match. Although a mostly hard rock band, it was the Everly Brothers-style acoustic ballad, "More Than Words," that crossed them over into the mainstream — it hit number one and the follow-up single, the acoustic-based pop rocker "Hole Hearted," hit number four.
They released two albums in the hey day of glam metal but received diminished attention from the mainstream following the grunge explosion following the release of Nirvana's "Nevermind" in 1991. Despite this, they released two more albums before the hiatus. Vocalist Gary Cherone went on to join Van Halen in 1997, replacing Sammy Hagar, and the group released "Van Halen III." He left Van Halen soon after, in 1999 and formed Tribe of Judah, with fellow Extreme members Pat Badger and Mike Mangini.
The group reformed in 2004 for a short tour of Boston and Japan as well as reforming in 2006 for a small U.S. tour. On November 26th 2007, it was announced that Extreme would come back in 2008 with a new album & tour.
In July 2007 Bettencourt quit Satellite Party for the Extreme reunion with Cherone and Pat Badger. On November 26, 2007, the band announced plans for a world tour in the summer of 2008 with King's X as well as a release date for their new album, Saudades de Rock, produced by Bettencourt. Kevin Figueiredo, who played with Bettencourt in DramaGods and Satellite Party, took over drum duties for the band. Original drummer Paul Geary would still remain involved with the band, albeit in a management position.
2015–present: Six
In a May 2015 interview with Eddie Trunk, vocalist Gary Cherone said that Extreme had been writing and demoing new material for their follow-up to Saudades de Rock, and would enter the studio in the fall to begin recording.
In a September 2016 interview, guitarist Nuno Bettencourt revealed that Extreme had been working on approximately 17 songs for their new album, and added, "We're about 17 songs into it. We're just wrapping them up. We've got to do vocals, some guitar. Slowly but surely."
In 2016, the band released Pornograffitti Live 25: Metal Meltdown, an audio/video presentation of its 2015 concert at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Casino.
During the 2017 KISS Kruise, the band invited original drummer Paul Geary to join them on stage to play "Hole Hearted". In June 2018, Extreme toured Australia with Mr. Big, which marked the latter's first tour of Australia and Extreme's first tour of the continent since 1993. After their Australian tour, they went on to tour Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok and Taipei. Extreme headlined Shirock 2019 alongside Scottish hard rock band Nazareth. On October 19, 2019, the band performed in India in front of over 30,000 fans in Ukhrul.
On February 17, 2023, the band began to release a different teaser each day, to end on February 28. On March 1, 2023, Extreme released the single "Rise" and announced that 'Six" would be released on June 9. On April 19, 2023, Extreme released the official videos for "Banshee" and "#Rebel" on their YouTube channel.
Current members
Gary Cherone – lead vocals (1985–96, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007–present)
Nuno Bettencourt – guitars, brass/orchestration arrangements, keyboards, piano, backing and lead vocals (1985–96, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007–present)
Pat Badger – bass, backing vocals (1986–96, 2006, 2007–present)
Kevin Figueiredo – drums, percussion, occasional backing vocals (2007–present)
Diskogs
Extreme (1989)
Extreme II: Pornograffitti (1990)
III Sides to Every Story (1992)
Waiting for the Punchline (1995)
Saudades de Rock (2008)
Six (2023)
Pornograffitti
Extreme Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sex on the brain
Pumped in my veins
Flowing from my head to my feet
Sex on TV
Rotation heavy
You and I are what we eat
It calls me on the phone
Can't stop this ringing in my ear
Sex in excess
Filling all our senses
Keep saying there's nothing to fear
Can't you read the writing on the wall
Can't you see the rising and the fall
All I see is porno-graffitti
All I hear porno-graffiti
See no, hear no
All I speak porno-graffitti
All I fear porno-graffitti
Speak no evil
Sex in 3d
No evil eyes see
Too much of it and you'll go blind
Sex education
Misinformation
Kiss me where the sun don't shine
Sex it surrounds me
Porno-graffiti
It's all so constitutional
Sex is literate
Read all about it
But censor where you all can go
Can't you read the writing on the wall
Can't you see the rising and the fall
All I see is porno-graffitti
All I hear porno-graffitti
See no, hear no
All I speak porno-graffitti
All I fear porno-graffitti
Speak no evil
Sex sells
The song "Pornograffitti" by Extreme is a commentary on the prevalence of sex and pornography in popular culture. The lyrics open with the singer proclaiming that he has sex on his brain, and that it is a constant presence in his life. He mentions the ubiquity of sex on television, and how it seems to be inescapable. Even when he is alone, he feels as though sex is calling out to him, and he cannot ignore it.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the prevalence of pornography, with the repeated phrase "All I see is porno-graffitti, all I hear porno-graffitti." The lyrics suggest that sex, and specifically pornography, have become so pervasive that they have become like graffiti, an unwanted and unsightly presence in our lives. The singer suggests that we should "speak no evil" of sex and pornography, which may be interpreted as a call to reexamine our relationship with these topics.
Overall, "Pornograffitti" is a critique of the way that sex and pornography have become normalized in our society. The lyrics suggest that we are inundated with sexualized imagery and that it is nearly impossible to escape. The song encourages us to be mindful of the messages we are receiving about sex and to consider the ways in which we may be impacted by them.
Line by Line Meaning
Sex!
The intense desire for sexual pleasure
Sex on the brain
The constant preoccupation with sexual thoughts and fantasies
Pumped in my veins
Sexual desire coursing through the body
Flowing from my head to my feet
The all-encompassing nature of sexual desire
Sex on TV
The abundance of sexual content on television
Rotation heavy
The frequent airing of sexually explicit content on television
You and I are what we eat
The idea that we are influenced by the media we consume, including sexually explicit content
Sex when I'm all alone
The desire for sexual pleasure even when alone
It calls me on the phone
The incessant thoughts and fantasies about sex
Can't stop this ringing in my ear
The persistent nature of sexual desire
Sex in excess
The danger of indulging in too much sexual activity
Filling all our senses
The all-encompassing nature of sexual desire and its effects on the senses
Keep saying there's nothing to fear
The idea that society often downplays the negative effects of excessive sexual content and activity
Can't you read the writing on the wall
The warning signs are clear and present
Can't you see the rising and the fall
The cyclical nature of societal trends and dangers
All I see is porno-graffitti
The overwhelming presence of sexually explicit content in society
All I hear porno-graffiti
The frequency of sexual content in the media
See no, hear no
The idea that society often turns a blind eye to the dangers of excessive sexual content and activity
All I speak porno-graffitti
The influence of sexually explicit content on speech and behavior
All I fear porno-graffitti
The potential negative effects of excessive sexual content and activity
Speak no evil
The imperative to avoid indulging in excessive sexual content and activity
Sex in 3d
The increased immersive quality of modern sexual content
No evil eyes see
The inability of society to see the dangers of excessive sexual content and activity
Too much of it and you'll go blind
The idea that excessive exposure to sexual content can have negative effects
Sex education
The formal teaching of sex-related topics
Misinformation
The prevalence of inaccurate or misleading information regarding sex and sexuality
Kiss me where the sun don't shine
A crude and vulgar reference to anal sex
Sex it surrounds me
The all-encompassing nature of sexual desire and content in society
Porno-graffiti
Sexually explicit content
It's all so constitutional
The legal protection of sexually explicit content under the First Amendment
Sex is literate
The widespread and open discussion of sexual topics
Read all about it
The abundance of sexual content in society
But censor where you all can go
The need to regulate and limit access to sexually explicit content
Sex sells
The idea that sexual content and imagery is often used in advertising and media to attract attention and increase sales
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY F. CHERONE, NUNO BETTENCOURT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Danny Waysted Official Hard n Heavy Channel 🇨🇦
1990 ( Nuno Is Amazing On This One WOW )
Pat Badger
Nuno Bettencourt
Gary Cherone
Paul Geary
1. Decadence Dance 0:00
2. Li'l Jack Horny 6:53
3. When I'm President 11: 44
4. Get the Funk Out 16:06
5. More than Words 20:30
6. Money In God We Trust 26:12
7. It's a Monster 30:16
8. Pornograffitti 34:39
9. When I First Kissed You 40:57
10. Suzi Want's Her All Day What? 44:55
11. He-Man Woman Hater 48:40
12. Song for Love 54:55
13. Hole Hearted 1:00:48
Danny Waysted Official Hard n Heavy Channel 🇨🇦
1990 ( Nuno Is Amazing On This One WOW )
Pat Badger
Nuno Bettencourt
Gary Cherone
Paul Geary
1. Decadence Dance 0:00
2. Li'l Jack Horny 6:53
3. When I'm President 11: 44
4. Get the Funk Out 16:06
5. More than Words 20:30
6. Money In God We Trust 26:12
7. It's a Monster 30:16
8. Pornograffitti 34:39
9. When I First Kissed You 40:57
10. Suzi Want's Her All Day What? 44:55
11. He-Man Woman Hater 48:40
12. Song for Love 54:55
13. Hole Hearted 1:00:48
Tim Cloutier
An OUTSTANDING album that sadly came out to late for it's "style." Meaning, the "Seattle Grunge" movement was rolling in, and killing everything in it's path. But hats off to a band and c.d. that DOESN'T have one throw away on it. Killer horns, rippin' guitar playing, excellent vocals, and an array vocal singing / harmony. 🤘🏼🎹🎤🎸🥁🤘🏼
FeelingShred
you play the damn thing and if you like it enough to continue listening to it, then you keep it... it's not rocket science 🤣🤣🤣
Jonp
@Papigringo "It's Love" made the charts at least. Great band!
Papigringo
Their sound was reminiscent of '80s glam/hair metal, but with this album and the next one they really distanced themselves with their lyrical content. There was much more to Extreme than songs about groupies and fast cars. Sadly, I don't think people knew what to make of them. Their two big hits were anomalies within their catalog, and I think casual listeners were completely thrown off by that fact. Much like King's X, an absolutely phenomenal band that was misunderstood by many and overlooked by many more. At least they grabbed those two hits, unlike King's X!
T E N S I O N
Tremenda banda. Los vi en 1992 en Argentina. Increíble.
onetripwonders
Nuno's guitar work will be revered as legendary for this record alone (and punchline). He is truly one of the best lead guitarists in rock history and this one of the best rock guitar masterclasses ever.
Albert Ramos
Grandísima banda. Enterrada en la gran epoca del Hardrock de los 90 pero sin duda con Nuno Bettencourt uno de los mejores guitarristas de rock de siempre
greekfreak1980
Masterpiece of an album, it´s basically "VH goes Funk".
It´s a shame that:
a). most people only know "More than Words"
and
b) Extreme could never make another album that is that good.
P.S. Nuno was absolutely on fire here, technique, tone, riffs, solos... the whole package.
anibal hernandez
b) I guess you missed 3sides to every story.