by Steve Huey

Extreme came into its own on the concept album Pornograffitti, with the band's strongest set of songs and an intellectual theme revolving around the struggle for genuine love and romance in a sleazy, decadent society full of greed and corruption. The band shows a strong desire to experiment and push the boundaries of the pop-metal format, adding a funky horn section on "Get the Funk Out" and displaying progressive compositional leanings throughout, and virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt puts down his guitar for the enjoyable pseudo-lounge piano ballad of "When I First Kissed You." But of course, the album is best known for its two acoustic-guitar-only hits, the number one ballad "More Than Words" and the equally fine full-band rocker "Hole Hearted." Other highlights include "Decadence Dance" and "Song for Love."