Blackbird



click on the image to go to their website


The new album from Alter Bridge has finally arrived.
Please note the lack of capitalisation of the title.
What can I say about this album?

Many things have happened since the last album (One Day Remains).
The band bought themselves out of their contract with their record label,
recorded this album, and signed with a new record label.
So, you could assume, the band has something they wish to achieve.

As you may know, Alter Bridge is basically composed of the members of the band Creed.
Creed were a huge commercial success and the record company they were with wanted them to return to being Creed.
Unfortunately, the guys had decided they didn't want to be part of Creed which is why they left.
Thus, the change of label.

Back to the music.
One Day Remains was the intial album from Alter Bridge and it was a resounding success for them
This was allied to an extremely hectic touring schedule building a fan base for the band.
As with Creed before, Alter Bridge is derived from a grunge base.
The difference between them and Creed was a more melodic style and the addition of a new frontman, Myles Kennedy.
Mark Tremonti was already reknowned as an excellent guitarist and letting him loose after the constraints of playing in Creed
certainly let him loose with some blistering work.
Most of the first album was written before Kennedy had bedded in with the band , so blackbird is really their first album in the overall band sense.

Follow all that?

Track listing:


Ties that Bind
Come to Life
Brand New Start
Buried Alive
Coming home
Before Tomorrow Comes
Rise Today
blackbird
One By One
Watch Over You
Break Me down
White Knuckles
Wayward One


The British version has We Don't Care At All as a bonus track, while the American release has
The Damage Done

So how does the album compare with the first?

Very well.

Myles Kennedy 's involvement with the writing has definitely altered the sound as well as some of the subject matter in the songs.
It also turned out (as anyone who has seen them live can testify) that he is an accomplished guitarist in his own right.
I think he only has one solo on the album, judging by the difference in the structure of the solo, but I'm not a musician.
I can tell that the songs are more rounded this time.
They still have the piledriver sound so beloved of grunge fans.
Downtuned guitars abound as well as  steam hammer chords.
If you like loud hard rock music with melody, this band will turn your head.

Kennedy's vocals soar effortlessly through,what will in the future be, anthems, like Blackbird and Buried Alive.

Blackbird in particular has a Black Sabbath  tinged riff.
My favourites are Buried Alive, and Come to Life.
Anyone who doesn't have their head nodding to the riffs in these has died!

There is also more emphasis on soft intros to the songs and generally softer songs like Watch Over You.

Creed never really made as big an impact this side of the Atlantic, but Alter Bridge definitely have the capability to change that this time.
They are touring in Britain soon and tickets are being bought quickly.

Go listen to the album on their website.

I've a funny feeling you may well hear a lot more of this particular band.