Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by Merinda »

gbruin wrote: Sun May 01, 2022 4:43 am Yay!! A post from Min!! My highly popular opinion is that we need her back on the boards full time.
Hello there my favourite Myles doppelganger! :hug I'm working on reoccurring visits hehe.
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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by cheesedip1 »

Blackbird album ranking
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Great:
Blackbird
Ties
Come to Life
Watch over you


Middle of the road:
before tomorrow comes (pretty good lyrically)
rise today (not bad by any means but just kind of middle of the road)
brand new start (pretty decent song but chorus isnt the greatest)


middle tier:
buried alive (still not the greatest chorus but pretty good bridge)


eh but weak chorus:
Wayward one
white knuckles
break me down
one by one (cool intro)


not very good:
coming home

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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by AB4Lyfe »

UNPOPULAR OPINION:

I understand that Myles and Mark write separately when they're on tour and then come together with the best of their ideas, and bring them to Flip and Brian to add their own wrinkles and then work them out in pre-production. But, and this is the unpopular opinion, I think they need to take more time to write the records as a group, which could result in less touring time.

Again, just my opinion, but Walk the Sky wasn't the best record. Better than 99% of other radio rock band records? Absolutely. But I don't think it quite lived up to where it could have been.

I think the world of Alter Bridge, have gotten the chance to see them in concert multiple times and have met the band (sans Myles). In my eyes, they have limitless potential.

What I'm looking for in this record is the answer to one simple question: "did the band get better on this record?" From Blackbird, to AB3, to Fortress, I think the answer was yes. But it hasn't been easy to make that conclusion over the last few records.

I'll use a band like Periphery as an example. From P1, to P2, to P3, to P4, it is very easy to tell that the songwriting from record to record noticeably got better. That they elevated their game. THAT'S what I'm looking for here.


TLDR: If the songwriting on this record doesn't stand out as being objectively better than Walk the Sky, then I think AB needs to change their formula for writing records - take more time to do so, and do it as a group, so they can really hone in on the next evolution of Alter Bridge.
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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by AB4Lyfe »

I'll also provide another unpopular opinion, but a bit of a more positive one:

Clear Horizon is a fucking banger. Recognizing I just shit on WTS in my previous post a little bit (whoops), there are still some good tracks on the record.

And Clear Horizon is the most underrated tune on the record. They tried something different with the intro, the energy in the verses and chorus is fantastic, and Myles guitar licks over the main riff really add a lot.

Clear Horizon = Banger, and Top 3 track on Walk the Sky
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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by Dolo »

AB4Lyfe wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 12:36 pm UNPOPULAR OPINION:
But, and this is the unpopular opinion, I think they need to take more time to write the records as a group, which could result in less touring time.

Again, just my opinion, but Walk the Sky wasn't the best record.
Those are pretty 'popular'.
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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by AB4Lyfe »

Dolo wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 2:03 pm
AB4Lyfe wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 12:36 pm UNPOPULAR OPINION:
But, and this is the unpopular opinion, I think they need to take more time to write the records as a group, which could result in less touring time.

Again, just my opinion, but Walk the Sky wasn't the best record.
Those are pretty 'popular'.
I'll concede that the idea of taking more time to write records is probably a popular one, but not at the expense of touring time.
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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by Dan Dando »

AB4Lyfe wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 12:36 pm What I'm looking for in this record is the answer to one simple question: "did the band get better on this record?" From Blackbird, to AB3, to Fortress, I think the answer was yes. But it hasn't been easy to make that conclusion over the last few records.

I'll use a band like Periphery as an example. From P1, to P2, to P3, to P4, it is very easy to tell that the songwriting from record to record noticeably got better. That they elevated their game. THAT'S what I'm looking for here.
I think this is a tricky thing to ask of any band/artist. Getting "better" record by record, that's probably quite a rarity.

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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by AB4Lyfe »

Dan Dando wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 9:32 pm
AB4Lyfe wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 12:36 pm What I'm looking for in this record is the answer to one simple question: "did the band get better on this record?" From Blackbird, to AB3, to Fortress, I think the answer was yes. But it hasn't been easy to make that conclusion over the last few records.

I'll use a band like Periphery as an example. From P1, to P2, to P3, to P4, it is very easy to tell that the songwriting from record to record noticeably got better. That they elevated their game. THAT'S what I'm looking for here.
I think this is a tricky thing to ask of any band/artist. Getting "better" record by record, that's probably quite a rarity.
Won't dispute that - definitely tricky. But, it's something that when you hear it, it's easily apparent. Like "damn, these guys stepped their game up."

Take Trivium for example - listen to Silence In the Snow, then The Sin and the Sentence, then What the Dead Men Say. Best example I can think of.
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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by cheesedip1 »

Clear Horizon doesnt really sound like AB, and its kind of a meh song for me as well

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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by BSC »

I had been meaning to revisit this board after seeing Tremonti live last night and coincidentally, whilst watching Tremonti, I had formulated an opinion that may be considered unpopular.

When watching Tremonti, I realised that Alter Bridge are a rather average live band. For context, I have seen Alter Bridge six times now and the last time I saw them was on the Walk the Sky tour in an arena of around 6000 people. Alter Bridge came onto Wouldn't you Rather and there was barely any reaction from the crowd. The second song was Isolation which got a bit of a reaction, but I also realised that the video screens were simply showing the ABIII artwork (which appeared to pulsate), this struck me as slightly lazy given that bands of a similar level (Megadeth, Gojira, etc) will have videos playing behind them. The lack of energy from the crowd continued throughout most of the gig. Prior to playing Pay no Mind, Myles confirmed that the crowd member who appeared the most excited would be given a free guitar from Mark. This was genuinely one of the most cringe worthy things I have seen at a gig as Alter Bridge essentially bought a reaction from the crowd (it was even more cringeworthy than a Steel Panther gig or watching Nickelback throw beer at people or shoot t-shirts at people using cannons). I think Alter Bridge only played 3 songs from Walk from Sky with very little deep cuts and in general the gig was just a bit bland. I also don't think its controversial to say that neither Brian or Flip command much of a stage presence.

I saw Tremonti for the first time last night at a club of around 1600 people. From the very instant, there was a reaction from the crowd and the crowd remained energetic and reactive throughout the entire gig. As we all know, there are now 5 Tremonti albums and he did a good job of covering all albums whilst still playing 6 songs from his most recent album. The crowd even reacted and sang along to songs that I would maybe considered deeper cuts (i.e. The First the Last). There was an exceptional level of energy amongst the band and all band members engaged with the crowd. All the band genuinely seemed to have fun and you could tell that there was on-stage banter at the time, for example, at the end of the gig Mark folded a setlist into a paper airplane to throw at someone at the back and the bassist congratulated Mark on his good aim. My experience of watching Tremonti last night and substantially different to my last experience of watching Alter Bridge. When watching Tremonti, I felt like I was watching a group of friends doing what they do best, whereas the last time I watched Alter Bridge, it just didn't feel like that, it felt bland. It is strange to think that the Mark I saw last night is the same Mark that I saw with Alter Bridge last time.

I guess there are a couple of reasons as to why my experience with both bands could be so different. Mark was playing a club whereas Alter Bridge now play arenas, it is probably easier to engage with the crowd in a club and, with a smaller crowd, you are probably more likely to get a greater concentration of 'die hards', whilst the crowd at a much larger venue will likely have a greater number of casual fans. The smaller stage at a club assist in there being a vibe between band members, as opposed to large arena stage. In any event, I know there are discussions about which bands will be the next festival headliners and, I genuinely can't see Alter Bridge headlining, for example Download, just because they lack stage presence in my view. Whereas, I can certainly see Tremonti headlining Download if there were to become big enough. I think that Tremonti's live show is a very good example of modern day radio metal, whilst the set certainly became monotonous at times, it was good to see such an energetic reaction from the crowd.

How else would people rate Alter Bridge as a live band?

On a side note - Blackbird, as a album, is truly overrated amongst the fan base. Whilst it is an album with a number of peaks (the title track, Ties that Bind, Watch Over You) and it had defined the band's modern sound, it is also a bloated album that is bogged down by many lacklustre songs (Coming Home, Before Tomorrow Comes, Rise Today, One By One, Break Me Down and all the B-sides are naff).

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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by maximzub »

BSC wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 6:37 pm I had been meaning to revisit this board after seeing Tremonti live last night and coincidentally, whilst watching Tremonti, I had formulated an opinion that may be considered unpopular.
I fully agree with your opinions. I've never seen Alter Bridge, and I only saw Tremonti at a festival, so I haven't really had the experiences you've had. But just by listening to live recordings of Alter Bridge, I can tell that there really isn't much live energy from them. They're more concerned with trying to play the songs right (and still failing to do so) than making it more of an energetic experience.

And yes, Blackbird is overrated. My favorites are Watch Over You, Come To Life, Ties That Bind, and White Knuckles. I think Break Me Down also doesn't deserve the negative reviews it gets (see my first post in this thread). While Blackbird the song isn't one of my favorites, it's also undeniably amazing. But the rest sounds a lot like filler.
Last edited by maximzub on Wed Jun 29, 2022 4:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by DCooper727 »

AB4Lyfe wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 12:44 pm I'll also provide another unpopular opinion, but a bit of a more positive one:

Clear Horizon is a fucking banger. Recognizing I just shit on WTS in my previous post a little bit (whoops), there are still some good tracks on the record.

And Clear Horizon is the most underrated tune on the record. They tried something different with the intro, the energy in the verses and chorus is fantastic, and Myles guitar licks over the main riff really add a lot.

Clear Horizon = Banger, and Top 3 track on Walk the Sky
Finally, an opinion I agree with. Don't like that album very much, but that song is killer.

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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by Dan Dando »

DCooper727 wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 4:13 am
AB4Lyfe wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 12:44 pm I'll also provide another unpopular opinion, but a bit of a more positive one:

Clear Horizon is a fucking banger. Recognizing I just shit on WTS in my previous post a little bit (whoops), there are still some good tracks on the record.

And Clear Horizon is the most underrated tune on the record. They tried something different with the intro, the energy in the verses and chorus is fantastic, and Myles guitar licks over the main riff really add a lot.

Clear Horizon = Banger, and Top 3 track on Walk the Sky
Finally, an opinion I agree with. Don't like that album very much, but that song is killer.
It's a weird one for me. I don't like the chorus at all, but I do like the bridge. This part specifically...

Lay me down in the field, I'm letting go
There is beauty to behold.
A pure escape

Would probably listen to the song more... if the bridge was the chorus :lol

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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by Timotheus »

How else would people rate Alter Bridge as a live band?
I think I agree mostly with your points. I haven't seen Tremonti live yet, so I can't really compare, but I think for Alter Bridge it really depends on the crowd. If you compare videos from Rome or Brussels, taken on the same tour cycle, it's day and night. Italians tend to be a louder, more passionate crowd, and you can tell the band feeds on that.

In bigger venues, you lose that crowd connection even more, so especially in the UK, I think the shows are getting "blander" for that reason. Some bands transcend this phenomon, Alter Bridge doesn't.

I'm hoping some of the songs on the new album will be received better by the general crowd. Songs like Cry of Achilles, Addicted To Pain and Waters Rising were received really well from the start. When I saw them live those songs got some of the best crowd reactions, especially COA. But I don't feel any of the live songs from the latest two albums got close.

I personally thought the live versions of Pay No Mind and Godspeed were pretty cool though... I liked the addition of the keyboard on the new songs live. So I hope they will give those two songs in particular another chance on the new tours. I feel like they didn't get a fair chance to grow live, as the WTS tours were cut shorts because of covid. I'd prefer those infinitely over Wouldn't You Rather, Take The Crown and native Son.
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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by Dolo »

maximzub wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 1:23 am
BSC wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 6:37 pm I had been meaning to revisit this board after seeing Tremonti live last night and coincidentally, whilst watching Tremonti, I had formulated an opinion that may be considered unpopular.
I fully agree with your opinions. I've never seen Alter Bridge, and I only saw Tremonti at a festival, so I haven't really had the experiences you've had. But just by listening to live recordings of Alter Bridge, I can tell that there really isn't much live energy from them. They're more concerned with trying to play the songs right (and still failing to do so) than making it more of an energetic experience.

And yes, Blackbird is overrated. My favorites are Watch Over You, Come To Life, Ties That Bind, and White Knuckles. I think Break Me Down also doesn't deserve the negative reviews it gets (see my first post in this thread). While Blackbird the song isn't one of my favorites, it's also undeniably amazing. But the rest sounds a lot like filler.
Which one is their best then?
I think that the majority finds Blackbird to be the essential AB album, the one that shaped their sound, the one that set them apart from Creed, the one that gave Mark and Myles creative freedom. You wouldn't have had ABIII and Fortress without Blackbird coming before them.
I actually think that Break Me Down is a total filler but this record has hidden gems like Wayward One or Coming Home. I still don't get why New Way to Live wasn't included in the regular edition though. Which songs sound like fillers?
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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by maximzub »

Dolo wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 3:57 pm
maximzub wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 1:23 am
BSC wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 6:37 pm I had been meaning to revisit this board after seeing Tremonti live last night and coincidentally, whilst watching Tremonti, I had formulated an opinion that may be considered unpopular.
I fully agree with your opinions. I've never seen Alter Bridge, and I only saw Tremonti at a festival, so I haven't really had the experiences you've had. But just by listening to live recordings of Alter Bridge, I can tell that there really isn't much live energy from them. They're more concerned with trying to play the songs right (and still failing to do so) than making it more of an energetic experience.

And yes, Blackbird is overrated. My favorites are Watch Over You, Come To Life, Ties That Bind, and White Knuckles. I think Break Me Down also doesn't deserve the negative reviews it gets (see my first post in this thread). While Blackbird the song isn't one of my favorites, it's also undeniably amazing. But the rest sounds a lot like filler.
Which one is their best then?
I think that the majority finds Blackbird to be the essential AB album, the one that shaped their sound, the one that set them apart from Creed, the one that gave Mark and Myles creative freedom. You wouldn't have had ABIII and Fortress without Blackbird coming before them.
I actually think that Break Me Down is a total filler but this record has hidden gems like Wayward One or Coming Home. I still don't get why New Way to Live wasn't included in the regular edition though. Which songs sound like fillers?
Of course it's the album that really defined them as different from Creed, but the most musically inspired was definitely Fortress. Even Myles would agree.

Like I said, most of Blackbird sounds like filler, but especially Buried Alive, Coming Home, Rise Today, and One By One. Wayward One also doesn't end the album really well; it definitely doesn't live up to their other album closers such as Words Darker Than Their Wings, Fortress, or The Last Hero.
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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by Devil Inside You »

Break Me Down is an amazing song off Blackbird and is overly hated by the fanbase as a meme

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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by Dan Dando »

BSC wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 6:37 pmHow else would people rate Alter Bridge as a live band?
I feel like AB have kind of lost the art of creating tunes that folks can sing along to. I know the guys have made better records than ODR, but I don't think they've made a better collection of songs you can really sing along to. The record has so many emotional/cathartic choruses that still get people going.

"I wanna love, I wanna feel"
"For the rest of my life, I will find the answers..."
"On broken wings I'm falling"
"Will they open their eyes..."
"On this day, I see clearly"
"Cause I see in youuuu..."
"And I know, you're a part of me"
"But I'm down to my last"

Compare those with some of the choruses on Walk The Sky...

"When I fall in the deep, with you I see..."
"Now I'm a native son in a foreign land, ohh"
"Let's state the obvious right now, we'll be victorious..."
"Relapse, regression, return, remission..."
"Awake, now I see the clear horizon"
"The bitter end will come in time"

To be fair, those choruses aren't necessarily bad but they're mostly flat as a pancake compared to some of the earlier stuff I mentioned. You just can't imagine Myles turning the mic over to the crowd for them.

Heck, folks still sing along to a lot of the verses on ODR too. Find The Real comes to mind immediately...

"Back to the cradle" - "Always remembered" - "The face of an angel" - "Cause I'm selfish"

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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by Timotheus »

The different between fillers on Blackbird and fillers on later albums is the attention to detail. Better lyrics, better sounding voice, better performance by the band, more cohesive, etc...

I only consider Break My Down and One By One to be fillers on Blackbird, and I'd still rank those towards the top half of their last two albums.
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Re: Unpopular Opinions - Alter Bridge Edition

Post by TenaciousBe »

BSC wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 6:37 pm On a side note - Blackbird, as a album, is truly overrated amongst the fan base. Whilst it is an album with a number of peaks (the title track, Ties that Bind, Watch Over You) and it had defined the band's modern sound, it is also a bloated album that is bogged down by many lacklustre songs (Coming Home, Before Tomorrow Comes, Rise Today, One By One, Break Me Down and all the B-sides are naff).
...some of my favorite AB songs of all time right there. lol.
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