AB VI Studio/Recording Thread

[Arctic]

My one complaint with the song is it’s too short. You can feel that it could very easily be a couple of minutes longer.

Other than that I love it. Some nice solo work, Myles sounds incredible, and I like the atmosphere of the song. Good stuff.

[Jesterhead92]

Just listened. Didn't really blow me away or nothing, but I enjoyed it. Not sold on the chorus yet, but Mark's solo was amazing. I'll have to listen a few more times, but I do have to echo the complaints about it feeling rushed.

[nildiven]

I was beginning to lose hope for this album, but Dying light is the first of the new singles to give me that AB vibe I've been waiting for. As a couple people mentioned, the main down side is knowing how epic this song could have been with just a bit more added to it. But still a strong effort and the only song so far I haven't had to let grow on me.

[Arctic]

I think that’s going to be the main complaint with this album. They barely had time to be in the studio, had to write separately, Myles had to rush out to work with Slash right at the end. I don’t begrudge them doing what’s best for their careers, but Alter Bridge does suffer some because of their crammed schedules.

I just hope that for AB7, assuming it happens, they really take their time in the studio and don’t have so much going on at the same time. I think when they focus fully on Alter Bridge they can come out with another true masterpiece like Blackbird or Fortress.

[fix]

Like the song, unlike some I really like the chorus. Some parts are pretty familiar for AB. The bridge is pretty cool, and yes the song could be a bit longer maybe. Wouldn’t mind the bridge to be a bit longer I suppose. But solid song, surprised it’s released because it feels like an ‘album song’ if you guys know what I mean.

[GazEd]

Does not sound like any of the classic epics by a thousand miles.

Not even close.

[anguyen92]

Well, if it did sound like a classic epic then it would be just a copycat now would it and it wouldn't be "creative" for the band to create a carbon copy now would it?

[nildiven]

Lyrically/thematically kind of reminds me of WDTTW. Could have been a follow up in a way, especially as it closes the album. Would have been cool if Myles and Mark similarly switched off vocals between verses and harmonized choruses.

[GazEd]

Well, if it did sound like a classic epic then it would be just a copycat now would it and it wouldn't be "creative" for the band to create a carbon copy now would it?

To me BB or WDTTW are classic epics.


This one does NOT go in one line with them.

[Arctic]

Nah, it’s not an epic. It’s just a really good, solid song. I wouldn’t put it in the Blackbird or Fortress category though.

[Crumbso]

IMHO, it's shaping up to be a better album than TLH, I can at least say that. Looking forward to hearing it. I just hope they release the stems or something because I'd love to mix and master it to my taste!

Wouldn't You Rather - 4/5 - Definitely a grower and actually quite a bangin' tune. The main riff and verse riff are awesome and quite intricate but hidden by the production

Pay No Mind - 3.5/5 - A cool tune and mining some atmospheric synth stuff. I like it a lot but don't absolutely love it. Reminds me of a darker Calm the Fire, which I also like but don't love.

Take the Crown - 3/5 - Again a cool tune but doesn't really do anything for me emotionally or techincally. I like, don't love.

In the Deep - 4/5 - A really cool departure for AB. It's kind of a ballady song but still heavy and there's some interesting chord choices going on. I really like this one

Dying Light - 4/5 - Some really fantastic stuff happening here and it does have moments of that spine-chilling hopeful emotion of old. It's just a shame it feels crowded by both a rushed structure and sub-standard production.

[abw1987]

Ditto some of the things different people have said throughout various posts in the preceding pages of this thread!

[CrowsOnAWire]

Dying Light is a very good song, gets better with repeated lessons. No it’s not on par with some of their epics such as Blackbird or Fortress, however I don’t think it’s trying to be.

It’s quite clear from the running times of each song and from interviews that they wanted this album to be more concise.

Fortress for me is still AB’s standout album due to their musical growth and the intricacy/complexity of the songs. This album is not going to be another Fortress but so far will tick another box and probably do it very well (judging by the songs released so far).

I agree with others though that on their next album I hope they’ll dedicate more time to AB in the studio rather than demoing their songs independently.

[nagpo]

Are their any version of the CD for retail that have extra b-sides on them?

[Dolo]

Are their any version of the CD for retail that have extra b-sides on them?

We've said like thousand times that there are no b-sides this time.

[Timotheus]

It's an okay song. The ending (bridge to outro) are fantastic, so it will end the album nicely. I think the bendy part in the bridge, before Myles's solo, is brilliant, and I really like Mark's solo.

The verses though, sound really uninspired, which make the first part of the song a bit less exciting for me.

I agree they could've done more with the song, but I don't think they should've made it longer.

[Dolo]

I'm about 20 times in and it's a really cool song although the bridge at 2:55 seems really uninspired, as if they had no clue what to do there. "Okay, let's stay on that chord for 2 bars and then I'am gonna chug on this note with a little bit of phaser". Thankfully, what they are doing with the solo is pretty nice.

[chtimixeur]

This song gives me the same kind of vibe as Words Darker Than Their Wings (especially the very last part).
The opening guitars sounds really weird and unique, and I really like the eastern sounding solo.
But despite all this, it feels like I've already heard this song, and I don't like Myles' voice when he he says Dyyyyyyyying in the chorus. I don't know if it's a nasal voice or a twang, but I wish didn't pronounce words that way in Alter Bridge.

And what can't I say about the mixing that hasn't already been said a thousand times since ABIII? It's absolutely terrible, the cymbals sound like a mess, the guitars are buried in the mix, and those new songs prove once again that Elvis is a liability. How can Mark say that he makes their songs sound immense, when it's the exact opposite? Alter Bridge sounds tiny with that dude behind the console. It's really time to get rid of him and work with someone who'll make their songs shine.

I was recently listening to an interview with Nick Raskulinecz, and I love his working method. He'll have on and off writing sessions for months, until the band has a great batch of songs with no filler. He considers himself a fan of the bands he works with, and he's not afraid to tell them when they don't deliver the goods. He pushes them to stay true to their sound, but he also insists that they take some risks and don't play it safe. The recent Deftones/KoRn/Alice in Chains may be loud, but at least, the bands sound huge with that guy. I'm convinced that Alter Bridge's music would really go to the next level with him.

[One Drew Remains]

My favorite so far. The first chorus I was all "I'm not sure about that." But by the time it comes around again, you're singing along. Great solos. And I love that bridge riff at 2:55. You have this wall of music that drops out, and then it's just one guitar holding on (kind of like a dying light). Great build.

[Erik Must Go On]

Really enjoying Dying Light. I liked it on the first listen and it's getting better with each one. I find myself hitting the replay button over and over. My initial reaction to hearing it, was as if This Side of Fate meets something off of Myles Kennedy solo album. Certainly familiar sounds in there. At the same time I feel you could put this song on Fortress and it would fit. I actually like the guitar solos, especially, Mark's (I'm assuming) at the end. I wish they were longer. I agree this could have been a 7-8 minute song if they wanted to go there but it sounds like they made a point of keeping everything structured on this album from what I've heard. Even still, this gives the same feelings of some of my favorite Alter Bridge classics and I love that feeling!