Review Summary: After the brilliant One Day Remains could Alter Birdge possibly produce another great album? That answer is yes, it has a much darker feel and musically it is outstanding.
The word on many Alter Bridge fans lips is FINALLY! After a near 3 year wait for Alter Birdge’s second studio album, FINALLY “Blackbird” is here. This album has so many expectations to live up to, mainly due to the fact the Alter Bridge’s first album, One Day Remains, produced one of the greatest rock albums of this century. Other reasons include that this band contains one of the best guitarists of this era, Mark Tremonti, a breathtaking vocalist Myles Kennedy and a great accompaniment with Brain Marshall on bass and Scott Phillips on drums.
So after putting this CD in your stereo the first noticeable difference between Blackbird and One day Remains is the dark tone on BlackBird. So after all this anticipation and expectations, the question is does this album surpass One Day Remains and do Alter Bridge again seem to amaze by producing a great album?
The answer is yes, although its so difficult to say if this album is better or equal to One Day remains, mainly due to the fact that two albums are so different. Here’s some advice, if you were a fan of Metallingus, Watch your Words and The End is Here on the first album and you stayed away from tracks such as Broken Wings, then this album will surpass One Day Remains for you. However if you are a fan of the classic Tremonti formula then unfortunately you will struggle to enjoy this album as much as One Day Remains.
Musically this album is remarkable, Tremonti really lets rip on this album and proves why many think he’s the best guitarist out there at the moment.
So track by track here is a in depth look at what to be amazed at, what to love and what to stay clear from (it may be hard to find a track though!).
1. Ties That Bind- This track will probably be rather familiar to most folk as it has been on Alter Bridge’s myspace since August. But for those that don’t know, let me tell you if you still think Alter Bridge as just “Creed with a new vocalist”. Shove this CD in your stereo, click track 1 and let your perception of Alter Bridge immediately change. The track opens with a quick grungey riff, drums then come in, and then the whole band just let rip with an aggressive yet enjoyable riff. Like always Kennedy’s vocals stand out like a sore thumb and Alter Bridge although producing a very different song manage to keep to the same formula, Catchy riff, memorable verse, powerful chorus, and boy do we love it. The song is one of the heavier of the album but a great way to open the album and prepares you for whats to come, Tremonti also has a nice solo at the end, nothing amazing but still very impressive. All in all great album opener and this song makes the statement that Alter Bridge have a new heavier sound. 8/10.
2. Come to Life- This was one of the first tracks that Alter Bridge played for the second album and most fans will recognise it as it has been played at many gigs previously. When I first heard it at a gig I was speechless, unfortunately this track translated well from live to CD. I felt the track was a lot more powerful live and Kennedy’s vocals really stood out. The song does however, produce a great catchy riff as always, and again keeps to the heavy theme. Tremonti also rips with a very shreddy solo and with keep guitar nuts happy. This track is by far not the worst on the album but is a disappointment after hearing it live. 6/10
3. Brand New Start- The album is slowed down a little here. With in my opinion one of the best tracks on the album. Although this track has a very classic Tremonti feel it really shows off the bands musical talent. The song has a slow acoustic verse and picks up with distortion in the chorus. Kennedy’s vocals really stand out on this track especially in the chorus, The bluesy fills by Kennedy also add affect. Tremonti again lets rip with another great solo, one of the best on the album. After hearing the heaviness of the first two tracks this song is a great way to recover and will have you singing the chorus for years its that catchy. 9/10
4. Buried Alive- Back to another Heavy track. Great intro with Tremonti having a little solo at the start. Although this song really doesn’t do much for the album, in terms of it doesn’t have the most catchy chorus and it doesn’t show off the band’s talent too much, its still a great song and is by no means a “filler” track. Tremonti experiments a little with the solo on this track but again is a great solo. Good track, nothing special, but a good track. 7/10
5. Coming Home- Probably the most different sounding Alter Bridge track we have heard. It keeps with the dark tone and has a very grungy feel. Because the track is rather different it makes you listen to it more and more. The track begins with a simple guitar hammering and then everything kicks in. Kennedy’s vocals are clear and powerful on this track. No amazing solo, which adds more affect as you are able to appreciate the excellence of what else the band have to offer. Not a particularly heavy track but an extremely different and satisfying track. 8/10
6. Before Tomorrow Comes- The album is slowed down a little here and the dark tone is put on hold. We are then hit with a track which in my view is one of the best on the album. The emotional of Kennedy’s vocals really stand out. If you are a fan of such Tremonti tracks as Down to my Last or You Stand Here With me, then this track will have you drooling over your stereo. The song opens with an extremely catchy riff and then Kennedy’s vocals come in. The chorus is the best part of the song as you can really feel the emotional of what Kennedy is singing about. Fantastic track and a great way to chill the album out for the time being. 9/10
7. Rise Today- I loved this track when I first heard it, but as I hear it more and more the more predictable it becomes. A bad choice for Alter Bridge to release as a single as there is so much more that this album has to offer. Again not a particularly heavy track and has classic Tremonti formula written all over it. The chorus is also quite weak compared to the rest of the album. The solo makes up for everything though as it has emotion and good old shred. Decent track but annoying that it was released as their first single. 6./10
8. Blackbird- Probably the most anticipated track on the album. During the making of the album this track was untitled “the epic” as it is an 8 minute thriller. The song begins will a very dark acoustic picking, then an extremely grungy riff kicks in. The heaviness of the track is apparent but the pace of the track is quite slow. Kennedy’s vocals are yet again very powerful and has a solo during the song. Tremonti’s solo also kicks ass on this track. So what the anticipation worth the wait? Yes. This song has it all. Kennedy;s lyrics are also very impressive and he signs then with pure feeling and emotion. The band really needed to push the boat out on this track and they have done quite successfully. in my view its still not the best track on the album but its one of those tracks that will grow on you every time you listen. So probably in a months time I’ll be giving this album 10/10 but for now. 9/10
9. One by One- Back to the sheer heaviness of the album. Starts with what I like to call a “classic head banging riff”. One thing that stands out is the unbelievable catchiness of this song. Be warned, after you listen to this song you will be singing it for weeks. The verse has a quieter mysterious tone and the chorus really picks up with Kennedy really putting his emotion when singing “One By One” during the chorus. In my view another extremely strong track, the interlude in the song is extremely satisfying. Great heavy/emotional track. 9/10
10. Watch Over you- This track is really hard to listen to, due to the plain cheesiness of it. It starts with a very nice acoustic riff and then Kennedy’s vocals kicks in. The lyrics in my view are pretty bad. It’s hard to think that this band are capable of producing such monsters of songs as Ties that bind and One by One and then they give us this. It feels like a very cheesy pop song. This track really does nothing for the album apart from make you wonder if the band were sober when they decided to put it on the album. 4/10
11. Break Me Down- Feels like classic Alter Bridge here. Heavy opening riff, Kennedy singing “ooooooooo” over it and then catchy verse and chorus. This song is so predictable yet so good! Again it will have you singing it for weeks. Kennedy’s vocals again stand out and the lyrics are well written. The break during the end of the song when the chorus is sang with just the guitar is great and sends shivers down your spine. Predictable song yet enjoyable. 8/10.
12. White Knuckles- As by then name this track is obvious it will be extremely heavy. Probably the heaviest on the album. The track begins with Phillips hitting is hi-hat twice and then a machine gun riff hits. The chorus is will make you cream and Kennedy lets rip “Hold On for your live” which is extremely satisfying. Classic break down with a contrasting heavy riff in the middle of the track. The track isn’t one of the best on the album but there are parts in this track that really make you grateful you spend you £13 on this album. Good track. 8/10
13. Wayward One- The ending track on the album. Pretty obvious that it will be quite a slow mysterious track. A lot like The end is Here, slow mysterious acoustic picking at the beginning and then a heavy chorus. Again rather catchy, the track is probably the most grungy track on the album. Kennedy’s vocals are very powerful. The solo, I can only use one word, “WOW”, that’s all I’m going to say you have to listen to it. Decent ending track, but a little to dark and grungy for my liking, but the solo makes up for it. 8/10.
All in All. This album is great. If you like heavy Alter Bridge this will without a doubt overtake One Day Remains. There are moments on this album which literally send shivers down your spine. Some tracks however let it down a little make you wonder why they made the album. However one of the best albums of the year and yet again Alter Bridge amaze us. 4/5
Top 5 Outstanding Tracks:
1. One By One
2. Brand New Start
3. Blackbird
4. Before Tomorrow comes
5. Ties That Bind
