Search - Alter Bridge :: Blackbird

The final nail in the coffin of Creed.

Nate McCooey | Lockport, NY United States | 10/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, so it's now official. Creed is dead, and Alter Bridge is here to stay.



Back in the summer of 2004, when AB's major-label debut "One Day Remains" was released, a lot of folks wrote these guys off as Creed clones or wannabes, merely because 3/4 of the band is made up of ex-members of Creed. And while some Creed-like sounds were present on that disc, on the whole it was fresh and exciting music from a completely different band. Guitarist Mark Tremonti was permitted to play in a fashion he never had before during his Creed days and the rhythm section, comprised of drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall (who actually left Creed before their 2001 release "Weathered"), really showed off its A-game. However, the true ace in the hole for these guys was new frontman Myles Kennedy, of Mayfield Four fame. With vocal range and passion that Scott Stapp couldn't match on his best day, Kennedy slowly emerged as a voice to be reckoned with in modern rock. The band had a few semi-successful singles in the form of "Open Your Eyes," "Find The Real," and "Broken Wings" (as well as WWE wrestler Edge using "Metalingus" as his entrance theme), but on the whole it seemed as if they couldn't escape from Creed's shadow. And although One Day Remains was certified Gold, the band's future didn't look too bright, as they remained unheard from for the better part of nearly three years.



Enter their Universal-Republic debut, just released today: Blackbird.



How does it sound? Well, to be perfectly honest, *much* better than the debut. These guys have clearly matured a great deal musically. Gone are almost any traces of the Creed sound that "remained." (No pun intended.) I suspect that a lot of that has to do with the fact that frontman Kennedy actually participated in the songwriting this time around, whereas the songs on One Day Remains were almost all Tremonti's work. And speaking of Mark, damn...how about those solos on this disc?! The man continues to push his own creative boundaries and make Alter Bridge's second release rock even harder than the first. Having only had this album for about four hours, I haven't had a significant opportunity to listen to it enough for it to sink in, but so far I like, no, *love* what I hear. Thus far, my favorite tracks are "Come To Life," single "Rise Today," "White Knuckles," and of course the epic, near eight-minute long title track dedicated to the memory of a friend of the band.



On a side note, the copy of Blackbird that I purchased from Wal-Mart included not any bonus track(s) but rather a bonus DVD, featuring interviews with Kennedy, Tremonti, and Phillips (and to a *much* lesser extent Marshall) about the songs and creation of the new album.



Take heed, rock fans. With Blackbird, this reviewer feels that Alter Bridge will finally get the respect they deserve.



"

Rocking second album!

Michael | Australia | 11/06/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Alterbridge return with an even better album than their powerful debut! This disc is filled with great rock tunes played by a tight band and the ever-impressive vocals of Myles Kennedy. On this new album guitarist Mark Tremonti is playing better than ever and achieves a nice wall of sound. Despite his increased presence, I really think that the highlight of this band is the intense vocals of Myles Kennedey. His dynamic voice is pure rock heaven and so enjoyable to listen to. Good solid production and a nice bonus track on the import version rounds out this great album. I think the only improvement could have been the flow of the album as I think the middle section is so strong that a bigger and more intense opening song would have been great. It feels like a long time since such a good rock band has been around and Alterbridge is definitely one of the quality bands out there."

I think they found the will to change...

I. Martinez-Ahmad | 10/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alter Bridge is 3/4 of what used to be Creed. On their debut they suffered associations with their former projects (mainly Creed, not so much Mayfield Four), and while being a fantastic cd, One Day Remains didn't do as well domestically as predicted. After much turmoil and three years, Alter Bridge is back with a new label and sound on their sophomore effort Blackbird. Songs such as Metallingus, Watch Your Words, Find the Real, and The End Is Here foreshadowed what Alter Bridge's main sound would become. Due to the full integration of guitarist and vocalist Myles Kennedy, the songwriting has changed and fresh new ideas and chord progressions are on display through out the album. With two guitars and improved bass, drums, and backing vocal work focusing on more agressive songs with stronger melodies and even more scorching solos can we really be dissapointed? If there's one fault it's that sometimes they emphasize their target notes (hooks) quite a bit and it can get tiring if you're not able to hear the bass, drums, and intricacies that beef up the sound and BUILD AROUND THE HOOK. There's quite a bit of diversity on here but for the most part the cd as a whole fits into the hard rock category.

Ties That Bind-Hard Rock with metal influences, fairly simple song structure but with HUGE riffs and beefed up final chorus with lead guitar and ending on a solo make the song a favorite. 9/10

Come to Life-Extremely downtuned groovy intro riff that rumbles into a driving verse followed by a dynamic pre-chorus and very melodic chorus. GREAT solo with backing rthym and again there's a final chorus with an added lead guitar riff. 9.5/10

Brand New Start-The power ballad of the album and it's a very good one with a bridge/solo that will have your mouth watering (jazz chords and shred+melody) until the very end. Myles adds mini-guitar intros to every verse over Mark's very bluesly clean progression. 10/10

Buried Alive-A hard rocker with a winding song structure littered with progressive influences. Two solos open and close the song. 9.5/10

Coming Home-One of the most unique sounding songs on the album. Very groovey but melodic metal riff controls the verse. While multi-layered guitar parts in the intro and chorus will have you listening really closely. No solo, but there is a a breakdown in the bridge that's very heavy and intricate. 9.5/10

Before Tomorrow Comes-One of the softer songs on the cd. Very major sounding with a lot of lead guitar touches and big harmonies and melodies through out the song. Has an almost progressive feel to it. 9.5/10

Rise Today-The single and the most generic sounding thing on this album without a doubt. Yet, despite all that, it's still a really good track because of the whole band working together and the intricacies between the guitars. 7.5/10

Blackbird-The highlight of the cd at 8 minutes long. Such an intense song about death and loss. The solos by Myles and Mark are amazing and aren't even the best parts of the song. Words cannot do the song justice. IT DOES NOT FEEL LIKE 8 MINUTES! 10/10

One by One-This one opens up really hard but then slows down and then becomes BIG but melodic in the chorus (heavy-agression=big). Very dynamic song that shows a lot of sides to the band. 8.5/10

Watch Over You-The softest song on the album. This is an acoustic driven soft rock song that has beautiful vocals and melodies in it. The bass line is an echo of the vocal melody and the song is just so sad...It's either gonna hit you really hard or you'll call it drivel 10/10

Break Me Down-A modern rock sounding song with major sounding verse. Good melodies but the song in itself is simple and doesn't do much but touches in the vocal melody and other intricacies make it a worthwhile listen. 8/10

White Knuckles-The most agressive track on the record. The chorus is complex but beautiful and the song shifts dynamics quite a bit. 10/10

Wayward One-The moodiest song on the record has a scorching solo, lead guitar intros to the verses, a great chorus, and an amazing bridge. One of the best on the cd. 10/10



Listen to this cd, I promise you won't regret it and chances are you'll become a new Alter Bridge fan before the last note of Ties That Bind hits."