Mark Tremonti is no stranger to thick, bottom-heavy riffing and soaring leads, as evidenced by his work as the lead guitarist for Creed and Alter Bridge, but on his solo debut, which draws from the likes of Metallica and Pantera, he adds some considerable fuel to the fire.

Bolstered by a meaty rhythm section that includes guitarist/bassist Eric Friedman and drummer Garrett Whitlock (Submersed), the 12 tracks on the Michael Baskette-produced All I Was blend the stadium-sized choruses of Tremonti's previous band with the ferocious attack of classic speed metal, resulting in a voluminous hybrid of brooding post-grunge and breakdown-laden hardcore.