Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)

[fix]

According to that review the whole album is lmao. I think you should set the expectations a bit lower haha.

Did you get to hear the record last night? I haven't seen many people talking about the LP!

Nope I didn't, the review is just very over-the-top.

[Schulzy]

The more I listen to This Is War the more I like it. The choir vocal punches are great. Myles' falsetto parts remind me of Calm The Fire along with the Reverb echo effect on his voice. Others have commented on the same things. I keep hearing different little guitar lines sprinkled throughout. Brian's bass slides and zooms during the "scheming, haunting" section are so pronounced that I actually sing them. Mark's solo has also grown on me especially the beginning where it mirrors the "Fight for your life" chorus. I love the dropout where Myles says "take control" and then "AND"! I'm upping the rating from a 6 to 7.5. After reading some of the album reviews and watching Myles do interviews I'm growing more excited for the album and am anxious for my vinyl copy to arrive.

[Dan Dando]

https://theafterword.co.uk/alter-bridge-pawns-kings/

Stumbled upon a short review.

[Dan Dando]

The choir vocal punches are great.

Would be cool if they played it live with a real choir performing those parts. Probably a ‘never gonna happen’ idea, but still

[SHEAKENBAKEN]

https://www.multimediamouth.com/alter-b ... blackbird/

This Is War is an epic way to start the record out. You are instantly greeted with heavy drums, bass, and the sound of Kennedy holding a sustained note as Tremonti begins to draw out his signature guitar sound. Kennedy does some epic vocal work on this record going from his mid-range to a beautiful falsetto.

This song is the perfect mix of heavy guitar riffs, melodic masterpieces, and the classic storytelling lyrics we’ve come to love and expect from the band. The guitar solo on this song sets the tone for what is to be expected for the rest of the record.

Kennedy belts out “Fight for your life, can you see what’s coming / fight for your mind, THIS IS WAR / Fight from inside and believe in something, don’t compromise who you are.” In the title track we hear a similar theme of fighting for something. This theme has led listeners to believe that this record is politically inspired. Whether this album is politically inspired or not is beside the point: the song is an epic Alter Bridge classic.

Dead Among The Living brings me back to the Blackbird era with some overtones of ABIII. The guitar work reminds me a lot of “Ties That Bind” while bringing the heaviness featured on the band’s third record. Tremonti brings some great harmonic vocals behind Kennedy’s upper register.

This song brings some great heaviness and keeps the flow of the record moving forward. This will be a fun song to listen to live from the band. The band delivers again on the guitar solo on this track. Another thing that is important to note is the rhythm; second composed of Marshall and Philips is so in pocket. Obviously they would be, but you can hear how attentive the band was to bringing a solid rhythm to this record.

This song is an incredible piece of work from the group.

Silver Tongue is the second single off this record and really helped set the anticipation for this record really high. The song opens with a great rift. This is another song that gives me Blackbird era vibes with some ABIII overtones.

This track also has some potential political themes as Kennedy tells the story from the point of view of a “charismatic leader” in an “ivory tower” and that people are trying to scale a wall and enter the space this leader is in. Kennedy has spoken about the meaning of this song being about something that can be mesmerizing and getting people to do something extreme.

The rhythm of this song kicks into high gear for the chorus and Kennedy fires off the words “You’re over the line, under the gun / I am the reason for what you done, Tooth of a crime, You can’t outrun / Under the spell of my silver tongue.”

The second verse sounds like the point of view of a leader or vice in someone’s life losing grip and control of power. Philip’s work on drums on this song is award winning.

Sin After Sin is the song that I think helps set this record apart. I believe that this song will be the tune that the band opens shows with. It reminds me of Slip To The Void with it’s slower opening and Kennedy playing in his lower register.

Fans have speculated that this song talks about former President Trump or politicians in general. It sounds to me that this song could be about anyone who is in a position of leadership and is corrupt in their position.

I honestly think that there could be a book written with this song as the inspiration. In the first verse, Kennedy tells the story of a “sick man” making his “final play.” In the chorus, he talks about this person wanting more than anyone who follows him should ever have to give and that this person commits sin after sin. In the second verse, Kennedy tells the story of the leader becoming somewhat sacrificial. It is a great story!

The music surrounding the story is fantastic and really brings a new element to this record. At the end of the song, Kennedy and Tremonti have a back and forth singing of the line “sin after sin” and it is just amazing. I think they could have some serious fun with that portion of the song live.

Stay is the Tremonti led song that gives me the vibes of Godspeed with a bit of a heavier tone. Godspeed is off the Walk The Sky Record but the band doesn’t dive very deep into that sound. Tremonti delivers solid vocals on this song.

Stay brings the album down in intensity while allowing the band to continue to add a variety of music styles.

During the bridge, Tremonti and Kennedy trade places and Kennedy takes the lead vocals for a moment. It is nice to hear Kennedy doing backup vocals for Tremonti. I believe this will be a fun song for both fans and the band live.

Holiday could have found a home on ABIII had it been around during the time. Alter Bridge has this signature guitar sound they like to do with their intros. Holiday has a certain swagger to it that makes me think that Kennedy had a real good time recording this song.

The breakdown on this record brings back the heaviness that we love from Alter Bridge.

Fable of the Silent Son is the signature epic song that Alter Bridge fans look forward to hearing on every record. The song starts out with a finger pick intro that sets up the song to be one of the more mellow songs on the record. Kennedy’s opening notes utilizes his signature falsetto while being overlaid with a more midrange vocal set.

Marshall’s bass gently resonates in the background and the song builds up to the chorus and the band proceed to bring the heavy sound that is found album wide. Even though the song gets heavier, it still stays on the slower side of the record. It isn’t until the 2:50 mark of this song that you sense a change in mood for the song.

The second verse picks up a little in tempo while getting a bit darker. Kennedy sings in his mid-range.

In classic Alter Bridge fashion, the song kicks up in tempo while Tremonti and Kennedy trade off in face melting solos that tie up the entire record with a nice bow. After the bridge, the music fades and Kennedy begins to sing with a beautiful simple guitar stroke. As it feels like the song is coming to a close, the band kicks back in and takes you back on the journey.

Fable of the Silent Son wraps up with the sound of guitars and bass just playing out. Another epic song from the band.

Season of Promise brings me back to The Last Hero days with beautiful guitar work (My Champion). The band does a great job of bringing the album back down to earth while continuing to showcase their artistic vision for this record.

Season of Promise is an anthem for the fans to be able to shout at a live show. It is a feel good song that gives the listener a feeling of hope.

The guitar solo toward the end of the song brings much joy to my ears as it is such a signature on Alter Bridge records.

Last Man Standing opens up with a mellow vibe before the bass brings a dark feeling for the song. Kennedy opens in his lower register, which is sadly rare for him. Kennedy gets very breathy in his vocals before the pre-chorus.

Kennedy then goes into his signature higher register vocals as he belts out “When you’re the last man standing.” Once again, the theme of a person being compromised is back. It was a nice break with Stay and Season of Promise.

Last Man Standing takes listeners on a musical roller coaster. The song slows, and then picks up again, and then mellows out before picking up again.

In the bridge, Kennedy brings back his lower register vocals with very breathy singing. Kennedy’s vocal skills are on full display on this song. The guitar work on this song sets Last Man Standing in a class of its own.

You can hear Tremonti’s accompanying vocals clearly on this one.

The title track Pawns and Kings was also the bands lead single for this record. I wrote when the song dropped that this was “probably the strongest single the band has released since “Isolation” in 2010.” At the time, I hadn’t heard any of the other singles or the rest of the record. This song set this record up to be an epic album from start to finish.

The song opens with a beautiful guitar stroke and Kennedy singing “tear down the walls and show your courage as you heed the call, embarking on a journey yet to come” and then the band kicks in.

Brian Marshall’s bass skills are on display as this song just kicks you right in the face. Alter Bridge closes out their seventh studio album with the song that probably leaves you wanting more from them.

Pawns and Kings is probably the most “produced” song on the record with some light panning from left to right in the breakdown.

Overall, Pawns and Kings is definitely the bands best work since Blackbird. Pawns and Kings pays homage to the bands classic record, brings back memories of ABIII and sets them up for a prosperous future.

Alter Bridge continues to bring amazing records to the scene. My only gripe with this album is that is is just 10 songs. It is a short record. I believe this is Alter Bridge’s shortest album to date when it comes to song count.

[SHEAKENBAKEN]

https://markusheavymusicblog.org/2022/1 ... wns-kings/

For many years Alter Bridge has been one of the most popular and successful bands in recent rock and metal history. A cornerstone for this successful career of the band is the consistent line-up. Since 2004 Mark Tremonti, Myles Kennedy, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall play together and are a well-rehearsed team. What certainly contributes to the fruitful collaboration is that each of the band members has enough freedom for their own (solo) projects, which fosters new ideas and inspiration.

The band premiered in 2004 and has in the meantime released six outstanding albums.

Now ‘Pawns & Kings’ is the next longplayer of the quartet and the expectations are high. After the title track has already been unveiled as a single in the summer of 2022, the curiosity for the new album has increased even more, as the track reflects all the trademarks of the Alter Bridge sound. Hard riffs meet great vocals and well thought out melodies. A few weeks later a second single followed with ‘Silver Tongue’ and here the typical sound of the four musicians is again echoed. ‘Silver Tongue’ fascinates also with a clever interaction of verse and chorus, which gives the track an entertaining variety.

‘Pawns & Kings’ is a hard album where riff power is in the spotlight. This is evident when listening to the opener ‘This is War’. The song does have a few quiet moments. Nevertheless, it is the loud riff assaults of Tremonti that encourage you for headbanging.

The seventh Alter Bridge album is bursting with energy and you can feel how happy the guys are to make music together again after lockdowns and distancing. The power that songs like ‘Dead Among the Living’ spread is contagious.

Also worth mentioning is ‘Stay’ with Tremonti on lead vocals. The song shines with its catchy melody line and gives the band the opportunity to attract new fans. After this musical excursion Alter Bridge kick it up a notch again with ‘Holiday’. In addition, the song comes with a chorus that is simply irresistible and immediately invites you to sing along. Everything that makes up the sound of the band is merged in this song.

The centerpiece of the album, however, is ‘Fable of the Silent Son’. With eight minutes running time, the song surpasses all other songs on ‘Pawns & Kings’. Furthermore, the song gives the band the opportunity to present the entire musical and emotional range in one song in a varied fashion.

Atmospheric, rather dark, powerful and epic, this is how the song presents itself to the listener and manages to inspire the audience. This track is definitely a highlight on the album and at the same time shows the versatility that defines Alter Bridge.

‘Diversity’, that is a good cue. ‘Pawns & Kings’ in its entirety is extremely rich in variety. No song is like the other and yet it is the typical trademarks that tie everything together. Alter Bridge had released only good to very good albums so far. This continues with ‘Pawns & Kings’. Their new longplayer is the most mature and varied in the band’s 18-year history and you can already look forward to seeing the guys live on stage again.

[rising_waters007]

https://markusheavymusicblog.org/2022/1 ... wns-kings/

…‘Diversity’, that is a good cue. ‘Pawns & Kings’ in its entirety is extremely rich in variety. No song is like the other and yet it is the typical trademarks that tie everything together…

This is good to hear, and I picked this up at the LP.

Others have mentioned it, but AB albums more or less offer something for everyone, and I think P&K is no different-maybe with a little grittier overtones.

But I still think this is a very good album.

[joshuabeau]

Question for anyone who ordered through the AB shop..

Have any of you gotten your shipped notification yet? We’re less than a week out and I haven’t gotten anything yet.

[riemslag1]

No, but theyare often late with shipping.
No risk for them to already ship at least the international orders. But my past orders learned me to hope to receive my orders from their webshop within one and a half month after release date. Organised and planned shipping just is not their speciality, and unfortunately they never learn from previous album-releases.

[rising_waters007]

Question for anyone who ordered through the AB shop..

Have any of you gotten your shipped notification yet? We’re less than a week out and I haven’t gotten anything yet.

I haven’t yet. Hoping I get that notification tomorrow or Tuesday…

[CrowsOnAWire]

https://www.metaltalk.net/interview-ma ... e-game.php

I’ve copied and pasted the interview section of the article:

Interview / Mark Tremonti, Alter Bridge, winners in the game
October 9, 2022

With their incendiary and ambitious seventh studio album Pawns & Kings due for release in a few days, MetalTalk’s Paul Monkhouse grabbed the opportunity to catch up with the very amiable Mr Tremonti during a recent visit to discuss the new album, their forthcoming tour with Halestorm and Mammoth VH, their journey so far and what the future holds.

With the summer Tremonti solo tour in England turning the heat up to a volcanic level, MetalTalk enjoyed the Shepherd’s Bush Empire gig. “That was a fun night,” Mark says. “‘It was at the end of the tour. I was like, man, why is it going to end? Because every time you switch gears, it feels like you’re starting over, and by the time end of the tour happens, you’ve got it dialled in, just having a good time. With Alter Bridge now, I’ve got to get it all back up and relearn everything. By the end of the Alter Bridge cycle, it will be, darn it, why has it got to end.”

Pawns & Kings is out this Friday. It is a staggering new opus in an already glittering career. With everything happening globally, the writing and recording were not different in terms of how they write as a band, just how they shared their ideas.

“Myles and I usually work separate at first,” Mark says. “We write on our own and then present ideas to the band and to one another. The first idea shared was Silver Tongue. Myles put it in a dropbox file. I turned in six or seven ideas for him.”

The bridge section for Silver Tongue was Mark’s contribution and the process was reversed on other songs. “So that’s a common thing where you’ll hear the beginnings of the song by one member and then the bridge sections of the other,” Mark says.

Even from the early days, this was how they worked. The Kennedy and Tremonti collaboration meant that each song was a 50/50 effort. “I think that was healthy and good because when you’re performing, you want to feel like every song you have ownership and you believe in it,” Mark says. “So we try to make our Alter Bridge songs feel like it’s an Alter Bridge thing. It’s not just his song or my song kind of thing. As time has gone by and we’ve become more independent with technology, we try to ensure everything is still a shared effort.”

The atmosphere of their seventh album, Pawns & Kings, is refreshing, and the songs show a real progression from the first album. The band have spoken in the past of AB III being quite a dark album where they were searching a lot. How does Mark feel they have progressed through the album cycle?

“I think AB III was definitely our darkest record,” Mark says. “The Fortress was a little bit more of a progressive record for us. I think that’s when we introduced that sound, and then The Last Hero was a record that I think was capturing lightning in the bottle. It was one of those things where we purposely came in, leaving everything loose and writing everything in the moment, which I don’t like doing. I don’t like writing like that. I like to be over-prepared for a record.

“Then Walk The Sky came out, our first number-one record and the world shut down. When people are coming to concerts more and more, and tickets are selling more and more, we had to turn everything off. So when this record [Pawns & Kings] comes out, I hope we can continue that way. We will see what happens because it’s been over two years since we’ve done a show.”

Mark and Myles handled the Covid-19 break well. Both had solo albums out, with Myles also recording with Slash. Both had UK solo tours too.

“There were silver linings in Covid-19 for sure,” Mark says. “I think everybody’s biggest benefit was spending family time. Even your normal business folks learnt that they could work from home. They can get rid of the retail space, and everybody can still be productive. So the world’s changed a lot.”

The UK has warmly embraced Alter Bridge. They have played some incredible venues over here. How does he feel about that relationship?

“I say it on the mic all the time,” Mark says. “We owe our careers to the UK. When we first started Alter Bridge, we fought and fought for every bit of ground we could gather in the United States and then when we came over to Europe, it was almost like we were welcomed right away. People heard us for what we were and not for what we used to be. There were no preconceived stigmas or anything like that. It was just a brand-new band. So right out of the gate, things went well here, and within a couple of record cycles were already on our way up. We’re very grateful.”

After the first Alter Bridge album, things wobbled a little bit. There were problems with the record company and the whole thing with Creed sort of coming back on tour. But Alter Bridge pushed past that as a band and got stronger and stronger. It must have been difficult at the time to keep focus, and you do wonder if part of AB III was because of the experience of the first album.

“That was one of the toughest moments of my life,” Mark says. “We were in survival mode. We had to beg to get out of a record deal and had to pay huge amounts to get out of that deal. We had put all this time in on our careers and were trapped in this contract. We can either pay to get out of it or retire.

“So we paid to get out of it. We just finally paid that loan off. Not to be too forward about it, but people don’t see the behind-the-scenes things that have happened. We parted ways with our managers, so we were just guys floating on our own. We then signed a deal with Universal, which went south as well. We had to buy ourselves out of that contract. We were trying to write the best records we could.

“Look at Blackbird. That was a record written out of survival. We were trying to write the best things we could because we didn’t know if we were going to continue in our careers. AB III, maybe we were just disheartened and mad in general about how the band had been treated professionally behind the scenes.

“I think the dark side of that was just spiritual questions, Myles especially. The song Words Darker Than Their Wings came about my feelings on the whole subject. I think it was a perfect place for that song, too, to have both of our points of view about faith and spirituality. But still to this day, it is our darkest album.

“After that record came out, that’s when I finally felt secure with my career again. I felt like as long as we keep working hard, we’ve got this fan base we built up, and we were finally gathering strength again. Everything since then has been upwards.”

It would seem quite a catharsis making AB III, almost like getting it out of their system. It was of the moment, but they would grow stronger from the experience.

“I really enjoyed that record,” Mark says. “I like some of the moodier, darker stuff. I haven’t listened to it in a while, but I need to go back and check it out again.”

Alter Bridge have played at some incredible venues. The huge space of the O2, some huge festivals. I first saw them at the UEA in Norwich. They played at The Royal Albert Hall, which was incredible.

“I would say in my entire career, the two most special things I’ve been part of were The Royal Albert Hall performance and the Frank Sinatra record. When I’m a little old man, and I’ve got my grandkids sitting on my lap, I’ll say, ‘look what grandpa did’. Those will be the two things unless something cooler comes from here. And until then, those are the two highlights.”

The Royal Albert Hall has so much history. Everyone wants to play there, and you are aware, when you walk out on that stage, of the people who have stood there like Sinatra.

“We were very nervous the first night,” Mark says, “because its a lot to get a 52-piece orchestra up there. They had a camera crew, as there was no way in the world this wasn’t being filmed. This is going to live on forever. You better perform well. You better perform well the songs that you hardly ever play live. We didn’t play the songs we usually play. We played the songs that would fit better with the orchestra.

“So, at sound checks throughout the tour, we played the songs we had never played before to get ready for The Royal Albert Hall. It’s a huge difference between performing and rehearsing. When you perform the song live, the lights go down, there’s a flash, and you’re moving around. You are emotional, way different. Thank goodness it was good.”

Alter Bridge has the tour coming up soon with Halestorm and Mammoth WVH. How does Mark feel about this?

“That will be amazing,” Mark says. “With both of those bands, we feel like we’re big brothers. I remember the Halestorm guys crashing at my house when it seemed like they were kids when they were first starting out. To see where they’ve come since then is so exciting, and they’re just dominating. And I think Lzzy Hale is one of the most powerful voices in rock and her voice is absolutely stunning.

“I first saw Wolfgang at a Madison Square Garden show when he was seven or eight years old. I was able to open up for Van Halen, and Eddie gave me a guitar that day. Years later, he came to an Alter Bridge show, and then we became friends. He invited me to a Van Halen practice, which was nuts.

“He joined my band and played on two of our records. But he was destined to do his own thing. He wasn’t destined to be the bass player in somebody else’s band. He’s got way too much energy and talent not to front his own thing. Now he’s a Grammy-nominated artist, and I couldn’t be happier. Myles and I have talked about maybe doing something at the end of the set to bring members from each band up.”

With such a huge love for the band worldwide, they have been mentioned in the same breath as Black Stone Cherry and Five Finger Death Punch as the legends of tomorrow. How does Mark feel about taking that mantle on?

“For the last 5 to 10 years, we have been in a good place,” he says. “I think it’s a safe place. We are the band that is called on to be the direct support for monster bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden. Whoever the big headliner is, usually, we get to play right before, and it’s a safe place to be because it’s the biggest the crowd is ever gonna be for the whole show. Everybody is either there to see your band or the main band. If you’re the last band, some people leave early as they have to beat the traffic. But when you’re second to last, it’s one of the key spots. So it’s great. But it would be wonderful to get the nod to headline a festival. Hopefully it happens, but we’re not complaining. Like I said, that second to last spot is pretty sweet.”

Having seen Alter Bridge at Download a few times in that slot, they do make it so hard for the headliners.

“As soon as Metallica drops one note of their first song, everyone’s forgotten about Alter Bridge,” Mark says. “Over here in Europe, it’s so much more open-minded. I remember we were playing Hellfest, and it was Soundgarden headlining, Slayer direct support and us before Slayer. I remember saying, this is a terrible decision. The Slayer fans are not gonna like us. Slayer has the toughest fan base in the world. It ended up being one of the best shows we’ve ever done. So I applaud the European crowds and how open-minded they are.”

With the new album, upcoming tour, and Sinatra shows, how far in advance to Alter Bridge plan? “We pretty much have our schedule planned out through to the end of next year,” Mark says. “We will tour here at the end of this year, and then we will hit the States early next year. Then take a little break, and then do another States tour, and come back over here next summer. That’s not announced yet, but that’s usually the plan. Hit as many festivals as we can, US and European. Then the question mark is at the end of the next year. Do we do a third US tour? Do we go to South America? Do we go to Australia?

“Covid-19 made everything crazy. I know Australia is still kind of tough to travel in and out of. Myles and I have talked about wanting to get to Israel and hit a couple of other places we’ve never been to. I’ve never been to India.

“Along the way, I’ll be doing Sinatra shows whenever there’s an opportunity. I’ve got four booked right now. I am playing in Orlando for a gentleman’s retirement. The guy built the world’s best-sounding theatre in Orlando, and he’s retiring, and they want us to play his retirement party in the world’s best-sounding room. I can’t wait for that. 15 December 2022 in England. There’s a gala in March for Down Syndrome in New York. Then between Christmas and New Year, we’re playing Orlando again. That won’t be a private show, but open to the public. So as many opportunities as I get, I’ll do the Sinatra thing. I love it. I’m writing now for the next Tremonti record, too.”

Mark Tremonti, always busy.

[cheesedip1]

I like over-the-top!

I dont.

[riemslag1]

Really looking forward to next friday, but I must admit reading mark is already writing new Tremonti-stuff just pumped up my bloodpressure !

[anguyen92]

Question for anyone who ordered through the AB shop..

Have any of you gotten your shipped notification yet? We’re less than a week out and I haven’t gotten anything yet.

I can't tell at this point. Usually, when I've been ordering from the AB/Tremonti/Myles sites, I've been lucky getting the album the Monday or Tuesday on the week of release. This time around, I bought the album off the Napalm Records America store, so probably get that later in the week.

[joshuabeau]

Question for anyone who ordered through the AB shop..

Have any of you gotten your shipped notification yet? We’re less than a week out and I haven’t gotten anything yet.

I can't tell at this point. Usually, when I've been ordering from the AB/Tremonti/Myles sites, I've been lucky getting the album the Monday or Tuesday on the week of release. This time around, I bought the album off the Napalm Records America store, so probably get that later in the week.

Yeah. Same here. I was really looking forward to getting my album early but I guess not.

[CrowsOnAWire]

https://therazorsedge.rocks/2022-10-alb ... and-kings/

Album Review: Alter Bridge - Pawns & Kings
Reviewed by Tim Finch

As Alter Bridge prepare to release their seventh studio album it’s hard to believe they’ve been an entity for nearly twenty years now. But in the same breath they are so entrenched in the consciousness of rock fans it’s also hard to remember a time without them as an ever-present entity on the scene.

It’s been a busy time for the sum of Alter Bridges parts, both Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy have released solo albums in the past twelve months on top of that Kennedy has worked on Slash’s latest album whilst Tremonti also released his ‘Tremonti Sings Sinatra’ album which is an absolutely stunning piece of work in its own right. How they find the time to also work on Alter Bridge material is beyond me, but the busiest men in rock team back up with Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips for ‘Pawn & Kings’ this October and will follow it up with a full UK arena tour before the year is out.

As we traverse through the first few tracks ‘This is War’ and ‘Dead Among The Living’ that forceful Alter Bridge sounds returns. The unique tones in Myles voice shining through. The album starts as 2019’s ‘Walk The Sky’ left off. This is the Alter Bridge fans know and love.

‘Silver Tongue’ mixes thing up a bit with the huge riff that introduces the listener to the tune, fast paced, with a razors sharp edge, and when the bass/drum line kicks in it just sounds majestic. Whilst ‘Sin After Sin’ has a darker feel to it, haunting vocals and a soundscape that will drag the listener in.

There is no mistaking this is an Alter Bridge album. If you weren’t a fan of the band prior, then this record will do little to change your mind. But for those open to something different and for the millions (and millions) of existing fans this is an album of the year contender.

[maximzub]

So my dad and I were talking today about bands I wanted to see live, and I brought up that we still hadn't bought tickets for Alter Bridge in Chicago. The last time that he and I remembered looking at the prices was a few weekends ago, and tickets were already selling fast. So we jumped on finding tickets. My dad of course wanted to include my mom in the conversation because all three of us would be going. So he went to ask her to look with us, to which she replied that she already bought the tickets weeks ago. Well, that's a pleasant surprise. So it's official. We're going to see Alter Bridge finally.

[CrowsOnAWire]

https://riffmagazine.com/album-reviews/ ... and-kings/

ALBUM REVIEW: Alter Bridge scores a checkmate on ‘Pawns & Kings’
Mike DeWald October 10, 2022, 12:01 am

Few bands in hard rock predictably deliver stellar, complete records quite like Alter Bridge. The rock and roll stalwarts have been rolling along without pause for nearly two decades, each passing record becoming a little more complex and progressive, pushing the musical limits of its members.

Their seventh album represents a bit of turning point. On one hand, it pushes the band into some of its heaviest territory ever. But on the other, it also dials in a return to the anthemic and memorable songwriting qualities that its earliest records exuded.

Pawns & Kings‘ 10 tracks run the gamut with callbacks to different points in the life of Alter Bridge—from unrelenting rockers and mid-tempo melodic power ballads to expansive and technically demanding progressive rockers.

The album’s opening track is a dramatic no-nonsense rock anthem, with vocalist Myles Kennedy’s signature upper register immediatly making its presence felt. The well-crafted chorus is focused and driven, with a clear message of non-compromise. The down-tuned riffs and melody-heavy track “Dead Among the Living” calls back to material that might fit on the band’s Blackbird album, with substantially more heaviness.

Guitarist Mark Tremonti remains one of hard rock’s MVPs on six strings. Tremonti’s fingerprints are all over the album, from the churning riffs to the complex and blistering solos; even adding lead vocals on mid-tempo rocker “Stay.” Tremonti’s guitar work blasts down the doors on brooding rocker “Silver Tongue.” Drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall hold down the rhythm section as Kennedy’s soaring vocals carry the urgency of the track.
Pawns & Kings feels much more in-character for a band that took on a more diverse, throwback sound on prior effort Walk the Sky. Here, Alter Bridge feels at its most comfortable, delivering compelling and musically thrilling tracks that span the hard rock spectrum.

Clocking in at nearly seven minutes, “Sin After Sin” digs more into the band’s progressive hard rock tendencies. Building from explosive riff-driven rock to more melodic mid-tempo vocals, Tremonti and Kennedy play off of each other’s impressive guitar work. Tremonti’s “Stay” has more of an upbeat anthemic rock sound, with a pinch of classic rock. Kennedy’s upper register blends particularly well with Tremonti’s lower register, making for some memorable harmonies.

The heaviness returns on “Holiday.” For as aggressive as this song is, the vocals sound like a blues cut; at least a bit. They put emphasis on the melodies.
It seems that Tremonti focused some of his more complex and expressive guitar work into the handful progressive tracks. The exquisite “Fable of the Silent Son” may be one of the most impressive songs Alter Bridge has ever written. The eight-minute track strikes a divine balance between heaviness, complexity, melody and anthemic qualities. It’s each of the band members operating at the peak of his abilities.

The band follows it up with more melodic hard rocker “Season of Promise,” again showcasing the interplay between the two vocalists. The group takes things home on aggressive and progressive footing, with a pair of tracks that eclipse five minutes: “Last Man Standing” and the title track.

[Crumbso]

Give it to me. I'm ready!

[Schulzy]

So it's official. We're going to see Alter Bridge finally.

Awesome! First time for you? My first AB concert was back in 2007 and I will never forget it. Acoustic! I was standing right behind this lady. My videos had terrible audio quality.