Official "The Last Hero" Thread (pre-release discussion)

[WaywardOne]

I definitely see the comparisons to White Knuckles, Cry a River and The Cage, but I was surprised that this song feels very similar to Show Me a Leader (without the intro, of course). The more I listen, the more parts feel related throughout the song. It's fun, it's got good energy.... not the greatest but it's a solid tune.

[anguyen92]

Just saying I doubt most Americans on this board prefer stuff like My Champion compared to their better songs. Maybe people who listen to pop radio, but not fans of the band.

But is the idea that fans want something both lighthearted like my champion or long and epic like blackbird or fortress that out of reach?

[Raven]

Im surprised no1 has brought up how similar the opening riff of Poison sounds so much like White knuckles

More like Cry a River.

I Don't hear that……..like at all ????

[SHEAKENBAKEN]

Poison In Your Veins Lyrics
How long will you cower down
Until you come to see
That courage is the higher ground
That change is destiny
The holy wars
You dare to win
Without fear and no remorse
The time has come to rise again
You were meant to be much more
Somehow
Somehow

Sounds different to "higher ground" to me, but can't work out what he's saying. Hollow?
"That changes destiny
That only those who dare to win
Let no fear have no remorse"

Pretty sure he says higher ground, but I hear 'that only those who' now. And the correction for the other line. Thanks, Ubik!

[Dolo]

Im surprised no1 has brought up how similar the opening riff of Poison sounds so much like White knuckles

More like Cry a River.

I Don't hear that……..like at all ????

Our ears differ. I don't hear Knuckles at all, but rhythm and drum-wise it has a strong Cry Me a River vibe.

[Raven]

Im surprised no1 has brought up how similar the opening riff of Poison sounds so much like White knuckles

More like Cry a River.

I Don't hear that……..like at all ????

Our ears differ. I don't hear Knuckles at all, but rhythm and drum-wise it has a strong Cry Me a River vibe.

Oh ok I'm mostly talking about the opening guitar riff though

[Mr. Slash]

Okay, I just listened through Poison In My Veins. Again, not really a fan of it. All of the new stuff feels like "Alter Bridge light" to me. Where are the amazing bridges and riffs? What happened to the heavy side of AB?

[Raven]

Okay, I just listened through Poison In My Veins. Again, not really a fan of it. All of the new stuff feels like "Alter Bridge light" to me. Where are the amazing bridges and riffs? What happened to the heavy side of AB?

Comment

[Lotha]

Okay, I just listened through Poison In My Veins. Again, not really a fan of it. All of the new stuff feels like "Alter Bridge light" to me. Where are the amazing bridges and riffs? What happened to the heavy side of AB?

I get the "rinse-repeat" feeling (and "light", too), like they were trying so hard to please everyone on these few songs with a Fortress-like middle ground, but I think they were kinda off mark there, at least from what I've heard so far, this is neither a pleasing amount of heavy/progressiveness/new sound nor a throwback kind of sound to their ODR/BB days. I hope it won't end up dividing their fan base. With these songs it doesn't feel like they've evolved at all since Fortress which makes me sad to hear.

Granted, they aren't bad, I just had higher expectations I guess.

[Raven]

Okay, I just listened through Poison In My Veins. Again, not really a fan of it. All of the new stuff feels like "Alter Bridge light" to me. Where are the amazing bridges and riffs? What happened to the heavy side of AB?

I get the "rinse-repeat" feeling (and "light", too), like they were trying so hard to please everyone on these few songs with a Fortress-like middle ground, but I think they were kinda off mark there, at least from what I've heard so far, this is neither a pleasing amount of heavy/progressiveness/new sound nor a throwback kind of sound to their ODR/BB days. I hope it won't end up dividing their fan base. With these songs it doesn't feel like they've evolved at all since Fortress which makes me sad to hear.

Granted, they aren't bad, I just had higher expectations I guess.

Oh ye of little faith

[SHEAKENBAKEN]

Jana for #BiggestHypeKiller2016

[Lotha]

Hype is bad, kids!

[SHEAKENBAKEN]

Hype is bad, kids!

So this is your tactic? Try and remove all hype pre-release for yourself so when you finally hear the record you might (key word being might here ) actually be surprised at how much you like it?

[Jaded Rescue]

Okay, I just listened through Poison In My Veins. Again, not really a fan of it. All of the new stuff feels like "Alter Bridge light" to me. Where are the amazing bridges and riffs? What happened to the heavy side of AB?

I get the "rinse-repeat" feeling (and "light", too), like they were trying so hard to please everyone on these few songs with a Fortress-like middle ground, but I think they were kinda off mark there, at least from what I've heard so far, this is neither a pleasing amount of heavy/progressiveness/new sound nor a throwback kind of sound to their ODR/BB days. I hope it won't end up dividing their fan base. With these songs it doesn't feel like they've evolved at all since Fortress which makes me sad to hear.

Granted, they aren't bad, I just had higher expectations I guess.

You are so spot on.

[Lotha]

Hype is bad, kids!

So this is your tactic? Try and remove all hype pre-release for yourself so when you finally hear the record you might (key word being might here ) actually be surprised at how much you like it?

That usually works better than OMGTHISISGONNABESOAWESOME thing that I tend to do sometimes.

I did check that review. There was one thing for one song that worried me, "business as usual", see, I really don't want business as usual and I hope it doesn't apply to majority of songs. Though it does for the ones I've heard so far.

Edit: and yeah, Jaded, I'd say I'm glad you agree, but I almost wish nobody would agree with me when it comes to this, don't wanna be right.

[Timotheus]

Poison is amazing. I absolutely love the chorus. It's not really the type of song I expect to love that much from Alter Bridge, but woo! "Release the poison in your veins" is a great line.

Oh, and the intro kinda reminds me of Creed's Fear.

The Other Side is pretty great as well. Pretty brutal lyrics. I know this song was probably inspired by ISIS, but I'm not sure if many Christians would be happy with lyrics like that. Love the chorus riff. It kinda reminds me of Muse's Supremacy riff, but without the Kashmir rhythm. And like Chtimixeur said, the riff/melody in the bridge is really cool. Minus points for the use of the word "deny" though.

[Lotha]

Minus points for the use of the word "deny" though.

Haha, did he? I wallowed in my negativity so much I failed to notice that

[Jaded Rescue]

Edit: and yeah, Jaded, I'd say I'm glad you agree, but I almost wish nobody would agree with me when it comes to this, don't wanna be right.

Same here. It's an unfortunate truth right now, to me at least. I never thought of it in exactly the way you put it but it all feels "safe". I want AB to tread new ground, and that doesn't simply mean getting heavier or more progressive.

[fix]

Haha I saw it too when shea was spelling the lyrics out. He said in an interview that 'rise' was one of his lyrical pitfalls, but he really can't deny his deny-fetish anymore...

[Lotha]

I want AB to tread new ground, and that doesn't simply mean getting heavier or more progressive.

Exactly. I'm used to my favorite bands evolving in sound significantly from album to album - it's why they stay favorite bands. I feel people even on this board tend to polarize the issue too much, like it's either heavy or it's not evolution, and it's not what I have in mind. On Fortress we had some very different songs that did not sound like anything they've ever done and they were not all 'more of the same' (and weren't that heavy either - Lover comes to mind, for example). It's simply what I'm hoping for, for TLH as well.