The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

[phatnonphatness]

Haha not gonna argue with you there. Hope we haven't put too much of a damper on things. Just trying to be honest.

Even if the album as a whole isn't as good as it could be, there are some great songs. The Last Hero and This Side Of Fate being two stand-outs.

I actually really love Twilight too. Nothing too interesting about that one, but it just sounds like signature AB to me. Don't think many people like it though...

[Andy92]

That's really all I'm trying to say. I like reading everyone's opinions. But come on, it's record release day.

[phatnonphatness]

I will say this: on Fortress, I felt the verses were often the best part of the song. With The Last Hero, I think it might be the bridges.

[Lotha]

We did have, like, 4 songs before the release that influenced the formation of some opinions I think (including mine).
Would like to give it a few more spins but it's gonna have to be individual songs, not the album in its entirety.

[slasherbridge]

I've got a bit of a fun fact regarding the guitar solo for Show Me A Leader.
So back in October of 2014, I got to have a one-on-one artist session with Mark Tremonti at one of ABs Fortress tour dates. Since it was just the two of us, we breezed through the usual lesson he gives, and were able to just BS about music and the like. He talked to me quite a bit about his solo material he was working on (what was to become Cauterize and Dust), and some of the guitarists he had jammed with that he learned some new techniques from. He showed of the techniques (which he learned from Joe Bonamassa), then told me that it was going to be used in one of the songs on his solo project. He even showed me the lick itself right there in person. A year or so later, Dust comes out and hear the exact same lick in The Cage. Then, we get the same lick in Show Me A Leader.

So, I don't really get the criticism with people saying he copied his own solo. It's a new technique he's learned, and he wants to use it. I think it fits the solo perfectly, and it's a pretty cool technique.

[Crumbso]

We did have, like, 4 songs before the release that influenced the formation of some opinions I think (including mine).
Would like to give it a few more spins but it's gonna have to be individual songs, not the album in its entirety.

I think the real influence on everything was SMaL. It really is a weak track, despite a strong beginning. I've actually taken it out of my playlist. Currently I'm listening to it in this order:

1. The Last Hero
2. Poison In Your Vains
3. My Champion
4. The Other Side
5. The Writing on the Wall
6. Cradle to the Grave
7. You Will Be Remembered
8. Island of Fools
9. This Side of Fate

I like Crows on a Wire a lot too. A nice amount of light and shade in this album and if you cut out the weaker tracks it vastly improves it.

[Andy92]

I've got a bit of a fun fact regarding the guitar solo for Show Me A Leader.
So back in October of 2014, I got to have a one-on-one artist session with Mark Tremonti at one of ABs Fortress tour dates. Since it was just the two of us, we breezed through the usual lesson he gives, and were able to just BS about music and the like. He talked to me quite a bit about his solo material he was working on (what was to become Cauterize and Dust), and some of the guitarists he had jammed with that he learned some new techniques from. He showed of the techniques (which he learned from Joe Bonamassa), then told me that it was going to be used in one of the songs on his solo project. He even showed me the lick itself right there in person. A year or so later, Dust comes out and hear the exact same lick in The Cage. Then, we get the same lick in Show Me A Leader.

So, I don't really get the criticism with people saying he copied his own solo. It's a new technique he's learned, and he wants to use it. I think it fits the solo perfectly, and it's a pretty cool technique.

This is a really cool story. Thanks for sharing!

[slasherbridge]

I have a hard time objectively ranking anything Alter Bridge does because they are far and away my favorite band. If I were to rank it compared to their albums, it would probably be somewhere in the middle.
Fortress and AB3 were both huge albums for me. Fortress was such a fresh-sounding and concise record. Even the "weak" tracks were great to me. And AB3 really just hit home for me in terms of the subject matter. The moodiness of that record hit me at a time in my life when I could really relate to it. So it is always going to hold a special place in my heart. I don't think The Last Hero tops those two albums for me.

I love the direction they are trending towards. Someone else mentioned that they felt like Alter Bridge are trying to please all of their fans by writing music that encapsulates their entire discography, and I agree with that assessment. I also agree that they shouldn't do that, and instead just go where the songs take them. They definitely seem to gravitate towards the moodier, darker, more "metallic" song arrangements. Not to say that I don't appreciate the uplifting type songs they put out. They have their place. However, the worst thing they can do is force a song that they aren't 100% behind.

One thing I think they could do is seek out a different producer. I like Elvis. People seem to give him more shit that he deserves, because I think Fortress and World on Fire (with Slash) were both great sounding records. But he really overproduced this. I'm cool with the extra layering of vocals when it is needed in a song, but it gets a little overboard on this album. Everything is so loud that it's almost exhausting to listen to. You can hear it from the opening drums in Show Me A Leader. It almost sounds like they are trying to break through my headphone speakers. The songs are already bombastic (in a good way); you don't need to produce them to the point of excess bombast.

TL;DR: I love the album, though it had the impossible task of topping Fortress and it failed. They are heading in the right direction, though I fear they are trying too hard to please everyone and it's a detriment to the overall album. The overall biggest detriment to this album though is the production from Elvis. Overproduced, overly bombastic, and where is the bass guitar? The best thing they could do for the next album is get a new producer.

[scarecrow]

My first impression is that it's too long and a step down from Fortress, but it's not their worst record. (That's AB III, of which I only really listen to five songs: the first three and the last two. Those are great, though!)

I think Losing Patience, Twilight, and You Will Be Remembered could have been excised. You Will Be Remembered is beautiful but the lyrics are unbearably hokey. Alternatively, The Other Side and This Side Of Fate rank among their most memorable compositions.

Looking forward to future listens.

[Raven]

I kinda wish people would take about a month to really listen to this album before trying to rank it amongst all of their others. I'm still trying to get down all the song titles, and most people are already writing full blown essays with citations lol.

That's why I'm not going to rank it amongst all the others. I didn't do the same when I heard Fortress the first time and I guess even to this day it's hard for me to rank AB albums.

It took me 3 years to like the Blackbird album lol its still last for me though with ODR which is good but completely uninspiring imo.For me its The Last Hero,Fortress,ABIII,Blackbird and then ODR

[slasherbridge]

I have a hard time objectively ranking anything Alter Bridge does because they are far and away my favorite band. If I were to rank it compared to their albums, it would probably be somewhere in the middle.
Fortress and AB3 were both huge albums for me. Fortress was such a fresh-sounding and concise record. Even the "weak" tracks were great to me. And AB3 really just hit home for me in terms of the subject matter. The moodiness of that record hit me at a time in my life when I could really relate to it. So it is always going to hold a special place in my heart. I don't think The Last Hero tops those two albums for me.

I love the direction they are trending towards. Someone else mentioned that they felt like Alter Bridge are trying to please all of their fans by writing music that encapsulates their entire discography, and I agree with that assessment. I also agree that they shouldn't do that, and instead just go where the songs take them. They definitely seem to gravitate towards the moodier, darker, more "metallic" song arrangements. Not to say that I don't appreciate the uplifting type songs they put out. They have their place. However, the worst thing they can do is force a song that they aren't 100% behind.

One thing I think they could do is seek out a different producer. I like Elvis. People seem to give him more shit that he deserves, because I think Fortress and World on Fire (with Slash) were both great sounding records. But he really overproduced this. I'm cool with the extra layering of vocals when it is needed in a song, but it gets a little overboard on this album. Everything is so loud that it's almost exhausting to listen to. You can hear it from the opening drums in Show Me A Leader. It almost sounds like they are trying to break through my headphone speakers. The songs are already bombastic (in a good way); you don't need to produce them to the point of excess bombast.

TL;DR: I love the album, though it had the impossible task of topping Fortress and it failed. They are heading in the right direction, though I fear they are trying too hard to please everyone and it's a detriment to the overall album. The overall biggest detriment to this album though is the production from Elvis. Overproduced, overly bombastic, and where is the bass guitar? The best thing they could do for the next album is get a new producer.

To add to this (because I feel it was overly negative), I think they wrote a few songs on this album that could be amongst their best ever. Notably, This Side of Fate, Cradle to the Grave, The Other Side, and the title track. Even songs like Island of Fools, Show Me a Leader, and Poison In Your Veins are up there on the list.
And Myles really knocked it out of the park with his solos on this record. Kudos to him on that.

[Raven]

I have a hard time objectively ranking anything Alter Bridge does because they are far and away my favorite band. If I were to rank it compared to their albums, it would probably be somewhere in the middle.
Fortress and AB3 were both huge albums for me. Fortress was such a fresh-sounding and concise record. Even the "weak" tracks were great to me. And AB3 really just hit home for me in terms of the subject matter. The moodiness of that record hit me at a time in my life when I could really relate to it. So it is always going to hold a special place in my heart. I don't think The Last Hero tops those two albums for me.

I love the direction they are trending towards. Someone else mentioned that they felt like Alter Bridge are trying to please all of their fans by writing music that encapsulates their entire discography, and I agree with that assessment. I also agree that they shouldn't do that, and instead just go where the songs take them. They definitely seem to gravitate towards the moodier, darker, more "metallic" song arrangements. Not to say that I don't appreciate the uplifting type songs they put out. They have their place. However, the worst thing they can do is force a song that they aren't 100% behind.

One thing I think they could do is seek out a different producer. I like Elvis. People seem to give him more shit that he deserves, because I think Fortress and World on Fire (with Slash) were both great sounding records. But he really overproduced this. I'm cool with the extra layering of vocals when it is needed in a song, but it gets a little overboard on this album. Everything is so loud that it's almost exhausting to listen to. You can hear it from the opening drums in Show Me A Leader. It almost sounds like they are trying to break through my headphone speakers. The songs are already bombastic (in a good way); you don't need to produce them to the point of excess bombast.

TL;DR: I love the album, though it had the impossible task of topping Fortress and it failed. They are heading in the right direction, though I fear they are trying too hard to please everyone and it's a detriment to the overall album. The overall biggest detriment to this album though is the production from Elvis. Overproduced, overly bombastic, and where is the bass guitar? The best thing they could do for the next album is get a new producer.

Ok i think I've found why i love this album more than most from your review.I love the bombastic sound that most seem to hate i love the sound of the band attacking my ears with its drums and guitars pretty much like my other fav band Van Halen

[AB23]

These guys won't stop screaming why wasn't I warned omg

[slasherbridge]

These guys won't stop screaming why wasn't I warned omg

It took me 3 minutes to realize wtf you were talking about.

Now, I know, and I agree.

[AB23]

I'm right next to the stream cam. Check this out

[Felypesh]

I'm seeing like the other live concerts that they produce and the duration is like 30 minutes, they will stream the entire show?

[Micky]

It's album release day, so i'm going to listen to it a few more times before I give my final thoughts on it, but my overall impression is "meh". Could be better, could be worse.

[AB23]

This screams bamds lyrics go "Is this what you wanted from me?" and me and my friend shouted "god damn no. Stop."

[gazzaab]

Can someone please point me to where i can find the meanings behind the songs? I know its somewhere on this board but not sure which topic or page, or whether there is a youtube video about it. Thanks

[Lukeage]

I have been trying to focus more on the songs I haven't heard yet.

So far, I think I can see it will take a couple of listens to really get in to the album and I really like a lot of the songs on it. Some of them are a bit average. Some of them don't really strike a chord with me at all.

My favourites are definitely The Other Side, Poison In Your Veins, Crows on a Wire, Island of Fools, The Writing on the Wall, and Last of Our Kind.

My least favourite remains Show Me a Leader. While it is not the worst thing AB have ever done (Words Darker Than Their Wings holds that title as far as I'm concerned), I think it is close. There's just something about it that screams "play us on the radio because we have a message" and it all just feels so dead and mainstream and I just don't think AB need to be that. It doesn't suit them to be that kind of a band. I would take heart and soul and true meaning over popularity any day.

The rest of the songs are average so far, but, will likely grow on me with further listening.