Waiting for the Punchline

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Extreme's third album was lost in the thunder of grunge, selling far below expectations. The group fought back with Waiting for the Punchline, blasting out at the new wave of hard rockers by saying they'll be "Hip Today" and, presumably, gone tomorrow. Such proclamations would carry greater weight if they were supported by music that didn't replicate the soft melodic crunch of '80s pop-metal. Nuno Bettencourt remains a stunningly accomplished guitarist, but as a composer he's stuck in an increasingly restrictive formula.