The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

[WaywardOne]

I see what you're saying - I'm not sure if there is a specific technique they're repeating on those songs, but those riffs definitely sound very similar at times.

[Timotheus]

Really good cover of The Last Hero:

[PRS10Top]

I saw that. It's fantastic - those guys definitely do the song justice.

[anguyen92]

Well, for those that care, the My Champion lyric video on their official Youtube page has hit one million views. The only video to do so and is the most viewed video on their official channel. That's good to see. It was a nicely crafted lyric video.

[Nick_917]

Well, for those that care, the My Champion lyric video on their official Youtube page has hit one million views. The only video to do so and is the most viewed video on their official channel. That's good to see. It was a nicely crafted lyric video.

I love that lyric video. Good for them

[GeorgeBR]

Adding my cents here, Cradle To The Grave is by far my favorite...love that song. Otherwise, I don't like the direction AB takes over the albums, to me The Last Hero have not made a good impact. Still think Blackbird is their best album.

[VigilantSteve]

Honestly, after almost two months of hearing tracks, I still really really like Twilight. People felt that Fallout should have been taken off of ABIII, but I still really like that track as well.

Those songs are just well constructed AB songs that I personally feel that people really overlooked these days. They may not be complex or progressive, but you cannot "deny" that they are not proper AB songs.

People who thought that Fallout should have been left off of ABIII are crazy. If anything Make It Right should have been the one cut, then Breathe Again or I Know It Hurts after that.

[sam1oq]

A bit late, but here's my review of the album:

I have extremely mixed feelings about TLH. On one side it's horribly produced (and needs a remaster), the side project influences aren't integrated well, too many lyrical tropes (hello "deny") and at times it feels like they're just rehashing older albums, but on The Other Side (pun intended) it's got some of the best songs they've ever written, increasingly progressive songwriting and some very solid tunes to back it up with. Before I jump to any further conclusions I'll do a track by track review:

1. Show Me a Leader
This song is basically dedicated to Donald Trump as far as I can tell. Not sure whether that's a good thing. The intro to this one is one of the best things on the album. Progressive influences shine here, which is a good thing. Unfortunately the rest of the song doesn't quite match this intro. Even though it has grown massively on me and I enjoy it now as a great high energy track, it still doesn't fit the epicness of the beginning. The guitar solo is amazing though. The track is great, but I feel it could have been one of their best had the intro's quality remained throughout the rest of the song.

2. The Writing on the Wall
This is pretty much AB by the numbers as it follows a typical AB structure. The lyrics leave to be desired in a lot of cases with Myles falling into his lyrical tropes of "deny" and "You're to blame". It has a dynamics going for it so that saves it.

3. The Otter Slide
(Again, pun intended). I love this song. This is without a doubt Myles' best vocal performance on the album. The bridge is orgasmic, lol. Also those riffs are HEAVY. I lost my shit when I first heard the track when it leaked. From the moment the a cappella opening started I knew I was up for something special, and damn it was. Definitely one of my favourite tracks on the album.

4. My Champignon
I didn't think much about this song when it came out and still don't. A nice rock beat and melodies and a great guitar solo as always but it feels a bit forced. They just HAD to write that uplifting song. I can enjoy it when I'm in the mood though. It's not bad, but I feel AB should be beyond songs like this musically.

5. Poisson in Your Veins
Poisson is French for fish, so now imagine a fish swimming through your veins. I really dislike this. It was written solely for being played live. The chorus sucks balls with the Slash influences. His sound just doesn't match with AB. Ugh. Verses and solo are pretty good though. The lyrics also don't really appeal to me.

6. Cradle to the Grave
This is where the album gets really good. Tied with The Other Side, this track sits very high with me. Love the personal verses and Myles' singing. Heart touching. The chorus is amazing and it's a shame the guitars got buried in the mix. They provide amazing atmosphere here. Bridge is super awesome aside from "There's no way to deny" and the abrupt transition back to the chorus. This is the type of stuff they should be putting out more often. I already said it with Fortress and SttV, longer/dynamic tracks are where this band shines. Every step in the direction of prog metal is a good step.

7. Losing Patience
This track starts out nicely but it quickly becomes apparent that it should actually be a B-side. I love the main riff and the verses but the rest just isn't up to par with the rest of the album. I'm really annoyed by all the arena rock choruses on TLH and this song is the main abuser, followed by Poison. The song ends on a strong note though, the final "While your life is still worth saving." is spine chilling.

8. This Side of Fate
The first of the two epics. Where to start? The quite first chorus presented as a verse going into the actual chorus is a very clever trick that works very well. The transition into the second verse is also great with a crying guitar from Mark (?). Then the BRIDGE, wow! Building up the tension first over sincere Myles singing into full intensity back to sincerity and suddenly going in full force to one of the best ever build ups to a guitar solo which is executed amazingly. Couldn't believe it was Myles at first. Dang that guy is GOOD. Then back to the chorus we have another surprise: it's sung an octave lower and it works. Mark's solo to finish it off, but it ends not really strong IMO, making it just not perfect.

9. You Will Be Remembered
This song has more cheese than my girlfriend from Gouda. Definitely not a fan of this one. Maybe I'm a heartless bastard, but I just don't feel much for this. It feels like they needed to write a ballad like this. AB can do better than country anthems right?

10. Crows on a Wire
A bit AB by the numbers and another arena rock chorus (though it's presented acceptable here), but this time it works very well. The metal influences seem to work well on AB and this song to no exception. Great headbanger. Bridge/solo is again very strong. Not much to say about it for the rest.

11. Twilight
An AB III homage. Strange song that seems to work well but on the other hand is just average. I wish it was longer and didn't end so abruptly. I wish Tremonti would sing here. Seems like a song he'd do well in for some reason. The chorus is weird: "TWILAIIIIGGHHT" is just weird, but the dynamics work well. Bridge is too short. This one could have been much better imo.

12. Island of Fools
I think this is the best song on the album without any significant progressive influences. A straightforward headbanger that just madafakin SLAYS. Heavy as fuck, super catchy/epic chorus and killer solos. Rhythm section is at the top of their game here. I was so disappointed not to see this live in Amsterdam.

13. The Last Hero
This is the best thing they ever did, period. Beats Blackbird, Words, Fortress, CoA, etc. clean. This is just a perfect metal song. Sits comfortably alongside mammoths such as Hallowed Be Thy Name or Master of Puppets. The immediate vocal intro is cool, then gets heavy as fuck, goes into amazing verses and into the chorus which is epic and catchy at the same time. The lyrics are also very strong here all around. The bridge is of course amazing, and that's an understatement. The breakdown is crazy, a perfect solo build up which is again Myles, an epic chugging breakdown section and back to the beginning of the song. Chorus again and an epic solo, from Mark this time. I thought that'd be the end of it, but it goes again into epic chugging and ends amazingly. I'm a total sucker for this song holy shit. Only wished to hear more from Mark's vocals.

14. Symphony of Agony (bonus song)
This one should have replaced Losing Patience. I understand why it's a B-side but that feels unjust when there are worse songs on the record. The tone of the solo is amazing and I can see why it was Mark's favourite solo on the record. Rest of the song is decent.

__________

Overall I find TLH a record that is extremely hard to place. The right signs are there, but it feels rushed and at times the solo projects take over the band (which is bad). I hope AB will do less side projects before AB VI and spend more time together touring and writing songs. Both Mark and Myles seem to have so many cool ideas at the moment that they all seem to go to waste on small sections of songs (riff from Losing Patience or intro SMaL eg, not even talking about the Tremonti songs). They should take the time and let it all sink in to write something really epic. Maybe churn out an EP with two or three long songs in the meantime.

[WaywardOne]

A bit late, but here's my review of the album:

I have extremely mixed feelings about TLH. On one side it's horribly produced (and needs a remaster), the side project influences aren't integrated well, too many lyrical tropes (hello "deny") and at times it feels like they're just rehashing older albums, but on The Other Side (pun intended) it's got some of the best songs they've ever written, increasingly progressive songwriting and some very solid tunes to back it up with. Before I jump to any further conclusions I'll do a track by track review:

1. Show Me a Leader
This song is basically dedicated to Donald Trump as far as I can tell. Not sure whether that's a good thing. The intro to this one is one of the best things on the album. Progressive influences shine here, which is a good thing. Unfortunately the rest of the song doesn't quite match this intro. Even though it has grown massively on me and I enjoy it now as a great high energy track, it still doesn't fit the epicness of the beginning. The guitar solo is amazing though. The track is great, but I feel it could have been one of their best had the intro's quality remained throughout the rest of the song.

2. The Writing on the Wall
This is pretty much AB by the numbers as it follows a typical AB structure. The lyrics leave to be desired in a lot of cases with Myles falling into his lyrical tropes of "deny" and "You're to blame". It has a dynamics going for it so that saves it.

3. The Otter Slide
(Again, pun intended). I love this song. This is without a doubt Myles' best vocal performance on the album. The bridge is orgasmic, lol. Also those riffs are HEAVY. I lost my shit when I first heard the track when it leaked. From the moment the a cappella opening started I knew I was up for something special, and damn it was. Definitely one of my favourite tracks on the album.

4. My Champignon
I didn't think much about this song when it came out and still don't. A nice rock beat and melodies and a great guitar solo as always but it feels a bit forced. They just HAD to write that uplifting song. I can enjoy it when I'm in the mood though. It's not bad, but I feel AB should be beyond songs like this musically.

5. Poisson in Your Veins
Poisson is French for fish, so now imagine a fish swimming through your veins. I really dislike this. It was written solely for being played live. The chorus sucks balls with the Slash influences. His sound just doesn't match with AB. Ugh. Verses and solo are pretty good though. The lyrics also don't really appeal to me.

6. Cradle to the Grave
This is where the album gets really good. Tied with The Other Side, this track sits very high with me. Love the personal verses and Myles' singing. Heart touching. The chorus is amazing and it's a shame the guitars got buried in the mix. They provide amazing atmosphere here. Bridge is super awesome aside from "There's no way to deny" and the abrupt transition back to the chorus. This is the type of stuff they should be putting out more often. I already said it with Fortress and SttV, longer/dynamic tracks are where this band shines. Every step in the direction of prog metal is a good step.

7. Losing Patience
This track starts out nicely but it quickly becomes apparent that it should actually be a B-side. I love the main riff and the verses but the rest just isn't up to par with the rest of the album. I'm really annoyed by all the arena rock choruses on TLH and this song is the main abuser, followed by Poison. The song ends on a strong note though, the final "While your life is still worth saving." is spine chilling.

8. This Side of Fate
The first of the two epics. Where to start? The quite first chorus presented as a verse going into the actual chorus is a very clever trick that works very well. The transition into the second verse is also great with a crying guitar from Mark (?). Then the BRIDGE, wow! Building up the tension first over sincere Myles singing into full intensity back to sincerity and suddenly going in full force to one of the best ever build ups to a guitar solo which is executed amazingly. Couldn't believe it was Myles at first. Dang that guy is GOOD. Then back to the chorus we have another surprise: it's sung an octave lower and it works. Mark's solo to finish it off, but it ends not really strong IMO, making it just not perfect.

9. You Will Be Remembered
This song has more cheese than my girlfriend from Gouda. Definitely not a fan of this one. Maybe I'm a heartless bastard, but I just don't feel much for this. It feels like they needed to write a ballad like this. AB can do better than country anthems right?

10. Crows on a Wire
A bit AB by the numbers and another arena rock chorus (though it's presented acceptable here), but this time it works very well. The metal influences seem to work well on AB and this song to no exception. Great headbanger. Bridge/solo is again very strong. Not much to say about it for the rest.

11. Twilight
An AB III homage. Strange song that seems to work well but on the other hand is just average. I wish it was longer and didn't end so abruptly. I wish Tremonti would sing here. Seems like a song he'd do well in for some reason. The chorus is weird: "TWILAIIIIGGHHT" is just weird, but the dynamics work well. Bridge is too short. This one could have been much better imo.

12. Island of Fools
I think this is the best song on the album without any significant progressive influences. A straightforward headbanger that just madafakin SLAYS. Heavy as fuck, super catchy/epic chorus and killer solos. Rhythm section is at the top of their game here. I was so disappointed not to see this live in Amsterdam.

13. The Last Hero
This is the best thing they ever did, period. Beats Blackbird, Words, Fortress, CoA, etc. clean. This is just a perfect metal song. Sits comfortably alongside mammoths such as Hallowed Be Thy Name or Master of Puppets. The immediate vocal intro is cool, then gets heavy as fuck, goes into amazing verses and into the chorus which is epic and catchy at the same time. The lyrics are also very strong here all around. The bridge is of course amazing, and that's an understatement. The breakdown is crazy, a perfect solo build up which is again Myles, an epic chugging breakdown section and back to the beginning of the song. Chorus again and an epic solo, from Mark this time. I thought that'd be the end of it, but it goes again into epic chugging and ends amazingly. I'm a total sucker for this song holy shit. Only wished to hear more from Mark's vocals.

14. Symphony of Agony (bonus song)
This one should have replaced Losing Patience. I understand why it's a B-side but that feels unjust when there are worse songs on the record. The tone of the solo is amazing and I can see why it was Mark's favourite solo on the record. Rest of the song is decent.

__________

Overall I find TLH a record that is extremely hard to place. The right signs are there, but it feels rushed and at times the solo projects take over the band (which is bad). I hope AB will do less side projects before AB VI and spend more time together touring and writing songs. Both Mark and Myles seem to have so many cool ideas at the moment that they all seem to go to waste on small sections of songs (riff from Losing Patience or intro SMaL eg, not even talking about the Tremonti songs). They should take the time and let it all sink in to write something really epic. Maybe churn out an EP with two or three long songs in the meantime.

Late to the party, indeed! But this is one of the better reviews I've read, admittedly because it matches my opinions so well. Nailed it, sir.

[Dan Dando]

Agreed, good review. Though I wonder if you could shed some light on the way you opened your write-up on 'Show Me a Leader'? When you say you think the song is dedicated to Donald Trump, could you clarify what you mean by that exactly?

[Jaded Rescue]

Agreed, good review. Though I wonder if you could shed some light on the way you opened your write-up on 'Show Me a Leader'? When you say you think the song is dedicated to Donald Trump, could you clarify what you mean by that exactly?

From everything Myles said in interviews, I would kind of take it as the opposite. He wasn't happy with anyone in the political landscape and is asking to be shown someone who actually understands what being a leader means. Not sure how someone got "Donald Trump" out of that honestly.

[nildiven]

Agreed, good review. Though I wonder if you could shed some light on the way you opened your write-up on 'Show Me a Leader'? When you say you think the song is dedicated to Donald Trump, could you clarify what you mean by that exactly?

From everything Myles said in interviews, I would kind of take it as the opposite. He wasn't happy with anyone in the political landscape and is asking to be shown someone who actually understands what being a leader means. Not sure how someone got "Donald Trump" out of that honestly.

Not to mention they have a few songs about climate change.

Also, I interpret the song the last hero to be about the historical context of what lead to something like a nazi germany and the last hero is the person or persons willing to stand up to such injustice to prevent it from happening again.

[sam1oq]

Agreed, good review. Though I wonder if you could shed some light on the way you opened your write-up on 'Show Me a Leader'? When you say you think the song is dedicated to Donald Trump, could you clarify what you mean by that exactly?

From everything Myles said in interviews, I would kind of take it as the opposite. He wasn't happy with anyone in the political landscape and is asking to be shown someone who actually understands what being a leader means. Not sure how someone got "Donald Trump" out of that honestly.

It got out when everyone around me was talking about Trump so he was my immediate association. Now it more seems like a complaint about him, wishing for "real" leaders instead of populistic ones like Trump that never say what they mean. Trump acts like a leader, but irl he does the complete opposite.

[BSC]

Sam1oq I agree with pretty much everything you've said in your review (although I'd be a bit more critical of Twilight). The Last Hero is a difficult album for me to like, as an album I don't think it works. There's too much average material on the album, it doesn't sound particularly inspired and I do get a slight 'rehash' vibe to it. I've already moaned about the production, so I won't say anymore about it. Saying said that, The Last Hero also contains some of AB's best work such as Island of Fools and The Last Hero.

[AB23]

Agreed, good review. Though I wonder if you could shed some light on the way you opened your write-up on 'Show Me a Leader'? When you say you think the song is dedicated to Donald Trump, could you clarify what you mean by that exactly?

He's an asshole.

[sam1oq]

Agreed, good review. Though I wonder if you could shed some light on the way you opened your write-up on 'Show Me a Leader'? When you say you think the song is dedicated to Donald Trump, could you clarify what you mean by that exactly?

He's an asshole.

I love you too, honey .

[AB23]

Think you misunderstood who I was referring to

[One Drew Remains]

Not to get politics mixed into my rock, but I have heard an interview or two where Myles leans somewhat the other direction.

I know in one he said he was excited about Obama when he first got elected. And I remember reading something saying he didn't trust Trump. It was a recent one. So although they try and stay neutral (Im a conservative myself, but I love AB, so screw it) I think Myles leans more liberal.

[Mr. Slash]

I think Myles leans more liberal.

I think he just leans more "anti (near) racism"

[Ubik]

I reckon Myles feels the Bern.