Blackbird Review

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Blackbird ReviewOkay, 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.
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AB III Review

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AB III ReviewExcitement and anticipation were the feelings just before I played this CD!
Alter Bridge deliver with full force here, the 3 year wait was worth it!
I read that this is a loose concept album of sorts. And believe me, there's 14 songs here,
but none of them tend to bore you half way through.
And after listening to this cd for 3 days straight now - in the car, Home, Office Radio.. & so on..
Below is my track-by-track review of this album.01. Slip Into The Void - Myles starts off this dark mood setter with soft sung, creepy vocals, something unheard in previous albums. Soft guitar picking in the background begin to paint a picture and give you a taste of things to come! The Riff here reminds me of "Find The Real"... Only darker and more twisted!
02. Isolation - this is the albums First single, all round fast paced and heaviest song on the album. There's some good drumming here.. Around 2m 19sec, Tremonti breaks into a brilliant odd / even time signature speed metal riff! Totally takes you by surprise... and of course, its followed by Myles' guitar solo.
03. Ghost of Days Gone By - The intro to this song brought a big smile on my face.. its very up beat with an almost punk feel to it... again, different! & a sound that's reminiscent of Alter Bridge's ghost of days gone by . . . . . ;o) But around the 2m 21sec mark, the song takes a complete 180° dive into darkness, reminding us what ABIII is all about \m/
04. All Hope Is Gone - This song is a highlight... its got a very different sound than other AB songs. Big Riffs combined with Myles' more soulful vocals. Its probably got the best lead solo of the album.
05. Still Remains - This song is all MeTaL! Its got a BIG Stop Start riff going with a few Mid Eastern elements in the beginning & end of the song.. Highlight here is the crazy chug chug riff around the 2m 40sec mark.
06. Make It Right - A very positive message in this song... Myles sings, "Only you can Make it right" This is a trademark AB track.. its got all the elements that make AB songs stand out and different from any other artists music. Big Chorus + Constant picking and a Good closing solo.
07. Wonderful Life - This is the ballad of ABIII and a possible second single. It will easily relate with anyone. Its up there with "In Loving Memory", "Watch Over You" & "Blackbird" I'd like to hear an acoustic version of this!
08. I Know It Hurts - Another heavy / fast paced song with a great ending solo. Reminds me of similar AB songs like "Metalingus" & "White Knuckles"
09. Show Me A Sign - Clocking in @ 5m 56sec, this is the longest track on ABIII. It has a Doomy feel to it and its mid tempo takes you back in time and seems to venture into Creed's Weathered ~ Human Clay territory... definitely not a bad thing! That funny saying truly fits here... "you cant make this $#!T Up!" ;o)
10. Fallout - Good Mid paced heavy track, which gives us a glimpse of Myles' Country / Blues Roots. its got a very anthemic Chorus and a sweet Solo by Tremonti.
11. Breathe Again - Really sweet song, its pure AB Style and on a similar pace as their songs "Down to my last" & "Before Tomorrow Comes" A good showcase of Myles dynamic range vocals.
12. Coeur D'Alene - A very smart thing Mark Tremonti does here, by filling in guitar parts while Myles sings. It makes the song sound very guitar driven! A very straight forward rocker with a sweet closing solo.
13. Life Must Go On - The moment I heard this song, the intro stuck in my head, cuz I knew I had heard it before, but just didn't remember where... Turns out Mark had played an acoustic version of it on his "The Sound & The Story" DVD, under the Alternate Tuning / Finger-style chapter. Its a beautiful mid paced track with a big chorus, definitely making it a worthy crowd sing-along-song! I like the way Mark plays the same intro towards the end of the song along with Myles Vocals, and the short sweet epic solo in the end. (My personal favorite song)
14. Words Darker Than Their Wings - This song is a duet of sorts, between Myles and Mark. Showcasing more of Mark's vocal skills, which is not a bad thing, because He's quite a capable singer in his own right. The song itself is done very differently though, its not just two individuals singing, rather its more like a conversation between the two. Its on the lines and pace of their epic "Blackbird" , it's got a very distinctive 12 string guitar tone and it couldn't be a better closing song. Myles takes his vocals here to their peak which for sure is the highlight of this song! In closing I'd like to say,
If One Day Remains was a transformation for them from Creed to AB~
and Blackbird was all about shedding old skin and out with the new~
I'd say over all this album boasts just one thing... and that is progression!
They're not Stagnant, but Constant and innovative in their own unique style!
Hats off & a Personal Thank You to Alter Bridge for this offering.
PS. Still waiting for the 3 bonus tracks, probably will review those too when they become available ;o)Update -
US Bonus#1 - Zero - this ones got a familiar riff to it.. reminded me of a song by 12Stones.. but how AB own it is amazing.. strong bass here and as usual, good solo by Mark. The song may be named Zero but definitely there's nothing Zero about it. Good addition to the album.
US Bonus#2 - Home - this song's similar to "Make It Right" & "Words Darker Than Their Wings" off the same album.. straight up rocker.. the reverb echo effect used in Myles voice makes the song sound epic..
Japan Bonus#1 - Never Born to Follow - This song is very different from anything AB have done, yes it's the typical AB sound, but has a very 90's feel to it with an almost dreamy hook.. the ooohhhs & whoaas are a give away! Almost sounds like something that Myles would have done when he was in Mayfield Four.. probably we will get to hear more of this on his upcoming solo. (My suggestion.. get the US version & just D/Load this song.. or get it off itunes.)
Pulling off a feat like this is not easy.. These guys recorded a total of 17 outstanding Rock Anthems for ABIII,
which is probably 3 tracks short of a Double Album.. in only 3 to 4 months ?
Songs here might not be breaking new ground,
but its an evolutionary growth process for the Band, to expand to the full potential of their sound.
Kudos & All The Best to the band members for their hard work!
RockOn \m/ \m/

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