Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)

[Crumbso]

This is probably my favorite song of the three released, but I find it to be an incredibly odd choice for a single. I feel like this is one of those songs that would work better in the context of the whole album. Still enjoy it!!

I think they're trying to demonstrate the breadth of different styles they've got on the album. So we have epic (P&K), radio heavy (Silver Tongue), brooding rocker (Sin After Sin, radio not-heavy (I forget the name of the likely next one).

[Blackbird]

I'm so fucking disappointed right now.

The atmosphere is great, the main riff is interesting, I like the verse and the bridge. Slightly put off that there's no solo, but that's fine.

But damn, that chorus. Great potential, BUT IT'S SO INCREDIBLY DULL AND BORING! There's absolutely no fucking variation throughout all the three times they're playing it. SIXTEEN bars filled with the same root note. SIXTEEN! It's so incredibly uninspired that it completely kills the song for me.

Still not saying it's a bad song, it really isn't. But I can't enjoy it because the chorus is so fucking dull.

This is basically The Other Side (very similar atmosphere), but worse in every regard except the main riff.

Expected more from them, especially for a song that's nearly 7 minutes long.

EDIT: To make it clear, I'm not disappointed by the song per se. I'm disappointed that a song with so much potential is killed by such a pitifully one-dimensional chorus.

[riemslag1]

Song is OK for me.
Nothing special.
Probably an album-filler, I hope so.
Certainly no material for the top-half of their catalogue.

[Dolo]

But damn, that chorus. Great potential, BUT IT'S SO INCREDIBLY DULL AND BORING! There's absolutely no fucking variation throughout all the three times they're playing it. SIXTEEN bars filled with the same root note. SIXTEEN! It's so incredibly uninspired that it completely kills the song for me.

Does AB have a chorus that isn't just exactly repeated 2-3 times? The final choruses are sometimes somewhat different but those are in minority.

[UninvitedZero]

I'll have this on repeat for most of the day!
It's giving off big Indoctrination/The Uninvited vibes with the massive chugs in the riffage.
It flows very well for being a 6+ minute jam.
I love the almost tribal sounding drums in the intro. Holy shit, you can actually hear Mark singing!

The anticipation for this album just keeps building!

[Blackbird]

Does AB have a chorus that isn't just exactly repeated 2-3 times? The final choruses are sometimes somewhat different but those are in minority.

They've got some variations on many of them, yeah. But that's not my big gripe with this one, it's that it's sixteen bars of the same root note, and they're not changing that up at any point during the song. It just bores the hell out of me. Same reason why I don't listen to many of the popular harder rock bands like Disturbed - they've got a lot of these choruses. They just do nothing for me. It's inharmonic, it's bland, and it's dull. I'd rather listen to a pop song with nice harmonies in the chorus than to Down With the Sickness, to give you an example.

AB had sixteen bars to add some melodic variation to the chorus, and they failed at doing so. Likely on purpose, but I don't get the reason. It would've made it so, so much better.

[Schulzy]

First listen to Sin After Sin and when done my reaction was, "what is this?". I think AB23 said it well, this is not the AB I know and love. Others have commented about how it's a mix of The Uninvited and Indoctrination. Both of those songs are significantly better in my opinion with memorable riffs and choruses. I agree with those who say Sin After Sin is too long and I'd even go so far as to call it plodding. The only compliment I can give it is Mark's background vocals sound nice and that is a key element of my favorite AB songs. Sadly, it is instantly forgettable for me. So far I have only enjoyed Silver Tongue out of the three.

[Crumbso]

Unexpected that there's lots of negativity on this one. I find it fairly innoffensive. I also quite like that they're not just using the "four-chord chorus followed immediately followed by the main riff" structure. It's quite nice to get the main riff as the actual main chorus. I do agree that there could be a bit more variation on the other repeats though.

[Whitebird]

Unexpected that there's lots of negativity on this one. I find it fairly innoffensive. I also quite like that they're not just using the "four-chord chorus followed immediately followed by the main riff" structure. It's quite nice to get the main riff as the actual main chorus. I do agree that there could be a bit more variation on the other repeats though.

I was on that side of 'negativity', but it's definitely a grower so I think it may grow on other people as well.

Now I love it actually lol, never happened to me before to go from dislike to love.

[jcrowe]

Was excited to check out the reaction to this one. Bit surprised by what I've read so far, but to each their own! I always enjoy when AB explores a different sound, but I understand the "this isn't the AB I fell in love with" crowd. That said this was one of my favorite first listens. (And second, third, fourth, fiftieth etc.) So often I have to get a handful of listens under the belt before it fully clicks for me. Looking forward to the Album and hoping it has a little something for everyone!

[maximzub]

I'm glad that other people agree about the chorus and how, overall, the song just plods along. If I don't like the chorus of a song, it's gonna take a lot from the rest of it to save the song as a whole. Again, sorry Bleed It Dry.

There's something I wanted to say in my last post, but I was hesitant to include it. In this community, I'm already notorious for my hatred of This Side Of Fate and the fact that I ranked some bonus tracks higher than Blackbird. So what I'm about to say just might get me banned (it might even break the internet) but I think I'm justified in saying it.

In all honesty, I liked the new Nickelback song better than the new Alter Bridge song. I'd been hyping up Sin After Sin ever since I found out it was coming out this week, and I listened to Alter Bridge interviews nonstop last night to get me in the mood, only to be disappointed in the end. Whereas, I only know a few Nickelback songs, and I had no idea that they had a new song out yesterday, but I still enjoyed San Quentin more than Sin After Sin in the end.

Bracing myself now to be banned from this board and to be escorted out by security if I ever try to go to an Alter Bridge concert.

[Whitebird]

I'm glad that other people agree about the chorus and how, overall, the song just plods along. If I don't like the chorus of a song, it's gonna take a lot from the rest of it to save the song as a whole. Again, sorry Bleed It Dry.

There's something I wanted to say in my last post, but I was hesitant to include it. In this community, I'm already notorious for my hatred of This Side Of Fate and the fact that I ranked some bonus tracks higher than Blackbird. So what I'm about to say just might get me banned (it might even break the internet) but I think I'm justified in saying it.

In all honesty, I liked the new Nickelback song better than the new Alter Bridge song. I'd been hyping up Sin After Sin ever since I found out it was coming out this week, and I listened to Alter Bridge interviews nonstop last night to get me in the mood, only to be disappointed in the end. Whereas, I only know a few Nickelback songs, and I had no idea that they had a new song out yesterday, but I still enjoyed San Quentin more than Sin After Sin in the end.

Bracing myself now to be banned from this board and to be escorted out by security if I ever try to go to an Alter Bridge concert.

Aren't you exaggerating? I personally have no problem with what you said, and let's face it please, the thing of saying that nickleback sucks it's a just a meme the masses adopted.

[CrowsOnAWire]

I like the song but annoyed there’s no solo. A song that’s nearly 7mins long should have one.

One of my gripes with Walk The Sky was too many songs without a solo.

Edit; there is a semi solo, but I’d have expected a lot more.

I do like the brooding, dark atmosphere though.

[Dan Dando]

(For way too long)
(It's not our fault)

Such a missed opportunity not having Mark come in and sing these parts.

Eh? Am I missing something or is that not Mark?

First time I listened I thought it was Myles with an effect on his voice. Now I’m not sure

[Schulzy]

(For way too long)
(It's not our fault)

Such a missed opportunity not having Mark come in and sing these parts.

Eh? Am I missing something or is that not Mark?

First time I listened I thought it was Myles with an effect on his voice. Now I’m not sure

Through headphones I'm 99.9% sure it's Mark.

[AHart96]

(For way too long)
(It's not our fault)

Such a missed opportunity not having Mark come in and sing these parts.

Eh? Am I missing something or is that not Mark?

First time I listened I thought it was Myles with an effect on his voice. Now I’m not sure

Through headphones I'm 99.9% sure it's Mark.

I’d bet $100 that’s Mark

[thatfunkodad]

(For way too long)
(It's not our fault)

Such a missed opportunity not having Mark come in and sing these parts.

Eh? Am I missing something or is that not Mark?

First time I listened I thought it was Myles with an effect on his voice. Now I’m not sure

It's 100% Mark.

I really wish they would have Mark do more backing vocals. Myles sounds great harmonizing with himself, but there is a sound that they can only achieve when it's Myles and Mark together, and that's definitely happening here. I've really enjoyed the last few albums, but if I had to nitpick, it would be that I'd like to hear more Myles/Mark harmonies than Myles/Myles harmonies. Especially when they play live, it makes a huge difference having those backing vocals.

[pokefan_4]

I will go ahead and say this.. This album is going to be a MUST LISTEN WITH HEADPHONES album. Because the way it sounds through headphones vs. my car is night and day different. The mix of this song is really great. The song really breathes.

Mark sings the (For way too long) and (It's not our fault) lines. That's very clear with headphones.

And to those that say "this isn't my AB"... Thanks for letting us have this AB. Because this is a damn good song. It just needs that ripping solo at about the 4:55 mark... then the heavy riff in to the chorus. But that's just me nit picking.

This is a great song.

[Whitebird]

And to those that say "this isn't my AB"... Thanks for letting us have this AB.

Then thank Myles and Mark, what does anybody but them to do with that?

[maximzub]

I gave Sin After Sin another listen when the video came out this morning. It still isn't living up to the other two songs we've heard from the album. Now it's starting to remind me of The Other Side, another plodding song that's too long.

Curious observation: If you play Sin After Sin at 130% speed (which can be achieved using an app like UpTempo), it sounds much better. More like The End Is Here, Cradle To The Grave, and Pawns & Kings. I encourage you to try it sometime and see what you think.