Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)

[Mr.Vlado]

After having listened to TIW like 15-20 times even though I only wanted to listen about 2 or 3 times until the album drops, I have to say this one could be in my favorite AB songs of all time. It has almost everything I love about AB. Such a banger and still so melodic, fantastic solo, catchy but not cheap chorus, great verses with extraordinary vocals... I just love it. This album will be so awesome.

[pokefan_4]

This may be Brian Marshall's best work to-date. The Bass is amazing on all of these songs

[scarecrow]

Well, nothing has changed, why would we stop?

patently false

elvis has upped his game since 'the last hero' (which i think many fans agree is the weakest ab record and the hardest on the ears)

now, mark's vocals being buried on 'forever falling?' not great, but 'marching in time' was a significant improvement on almost all sonic fronts

[maximzub]

[AB23]

I'm alright with this song. Nothing that memorable, but I actually strongly dislike Sin after Sin. That left a bad taste in my mouth. This was better.

This is probably tied with P&K as my favorite of the 4 singles. Relative to most music, I think they're alright. Relative to Alter Bridge's catalogue, I definitely put all 4 in the bottom half of my list.

That's just an Alter Bridge single though. I don't think I've liked one since My Champion. If you look at every single they've released since then, it's not really a secret why I wouldn't like those songs lol.

Again though, I sound like a broken record, but they're heading in a really discernible chug chug chugging direction of music, of which they call "progressive," that I cannot stand. It's obviously the type of music they want to make. They're not going back in the direction of Blackbird or ODR, they're heading the other way. Every single interview in the history of Alter Bridge that they've ever done promoting a new album, they describe the new songs as "a lot heavier/progressive/metal than we've ever one before!!!" Judging off of the reviews we've gotten so far, there are only 2-3 songs on this album that have that softer style that I think they (specifically, Myles) excels at. But they don't enjoy creating that music. That's just the way it is.

Idk what it is, but sometimes a lot of their heavier stuff sounds a lot more like a cacophony of sound than a memorable melody to me. Something that's so loud that you have no idea what's going on, you just feel your skull rattling. There was about a 30 second portion of this song that I immediately thought "what the fuck is going on here?" It's more about me disliking that style of music than it is an actual criticism of the mixing or the music itself though, tbh.

[Stuzz]

Sorry AB23, but was the post really necessary? Along with so many others I've seen.

I feel sorry for you that you can't enjoy them anymore and yes, you do sound like a broken record like so many others with useless criticism. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but sheesh calm down, what happened to the positive Alter Bridge Nation I joined.

If any of the AB team read some of these posts, like Tim had mentioned, I feel sorry for them. They put heart and soul into their music, just to be shat over by some of their 'biggest fans' being pissed they don't accommodate their every need lol...

These 4 songs are all awesome and quintessential AB! However if you don't like them, that's cool. But stop with the depressing critical posts, jeez.

[Whitebird]

Let people say whatever they want unless it's something directly negative in terms of doing damage on purpose.

[Dolo]

Sorry AB23, but was the post really necessary? Along with so many others I've seen.

I feel sorry for you that you can't enjoy them anymore and yes, you do sound like a broken record like so many others with useless criticism. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but sheesh calm down, what happened to the positive Alter Bridge Nation I joined.

If any of the AB team read some of these posts, like Tim had mentioned, I feel sorry for them. They put heart and soul into their music, just to be shat over by some of their 'biggest fans' being pissed they don't accommodate their every need lol...

These 4 songs are all awesome and quintessential AB! However if you don't like them, that's cool. But stop with the depressing critical posts, jeez.

Sorry Stuzz, but was the post really necessary? Along with so many others I've seen.

This is a freaking AB discussion board where we're all allowed to have a discussion. AB23's post is really constructive, substantial and brings up a lot of interesting points (totally agree with them going with the boring 'chugga chugga' stuff) and then you have people like you who think that unless you pat those guys on the back and say 'yeeeah, great job, you've poured your hearts and souls into this' you can get the hell out of here. Is this how the discourse looks like in 2022? Is this why YouTube got rid of the dislike button on their videos? So that nobody gets hurt when confronted with the slightest bit of criticism?

[Timotheus]

That was probably one of the most profound and "positive" negative opinions I've ever read on here, lol.

[AB4Lyfe]

Lol, Monty got bodied? Seriously what's going on here?

But actually... Chris I can see why you haven't liked any of the singles since My Champion. Feel songs like that, and more of the band's catalogue from ODR and Blackbird is more up your alley. On that same note I'm surprised you weren't more into Walk The Sky.

I would tend to agree that AB has lost some of that "magic" that captivated a lot of us in the early years. However, for me it isn't so much from a musical perspective, it's from a lyrical one. Understanding Myles is in a much different place than the early AB years, both mentally and obviously with getting older, I'm not as lyrically connected to their new music as I am songs from Blackbird and AB3. Lyrics from songs like Show Me a Sign, Slip to the Void, All Hope is Gone, and Blackbird itself were the songs that initially got me hooked because not only was the music pure flames to me, but lyrically they were heartfelt, relatable, and not so much with an "open for interpretation" meaning but the feeling of the band reaching out to the individual listener.

I can see why some don't quite agree, or don't care for, the musical direction. But honestly, my taste in music over the years has pretty closely aligned with what the band has been releasing. In the early years I was listening to bands like Three Days Grace, Evanescence, Red, etc. and while I still listen to those bands, I find myself listening more and more to bands like Periphery, Trivium, Unleash the Archers, and Gojira now. Heavier, more "prog" metal. AB's one of those bands that's hard to pin point because they're in the middle of so many different genres, and influenced by even more. They usually have a little something for everyone on their records which I can appreciate, but to extent, I'm guessing there are fans out there that wish they would "pick a lane" per se and perhaps either go full prog metal, or maybe back to a more post-grunge, hard rock kind of vibe.

[GassMoney92]

I totally understand why other people don’t like their new direction, although I strongly disagree. And that’s okay. I couldn’t be happier that they have gotten heavier and more progressive instead of become the youth group pop rock that Shinedown has become.

[DarkKnight12]

I totally understand why other people don’t like their new direction, although I strongly disagree. And that’s okay. I couldn’t be happier that they have gotten heavier and more progressive instead of become the youth group pop rock that Shinedown has become.

I disagree. Attention Attention is one of the best rock record I've heard in the last years

[Crumbso]

This is War is very good indeed but there's something that is holding me back from loving it entirely. Can't quite put my finger on it. Great opening statement for the record though, will be great to hear it in context.

[Kreuger]

Tje only thing progressive about AB these days is song length.

[DarkKnight12]

So cool. I love A7X. Very nice to see Myles involved with the band in some capacity

[Schulzy]

I'm alright with this song. Nothing that memorable, but I actually strongly dislike Sin after Sin. That left a bad taste in my mouth. This was better.

This is probably tied with P&K as my favorite of the 4 singles. Relative to most music, I think they're alright. Relative to Alter Bridge's catalogue, I definitely put all 4 in the bottom half of my list.

That's just an Alter Bridge single though. I don't think I've liked one since My Champion. If you look at every single they've released since then, it's not really a secret why I wouldn't like those songs lol.

Again though, I sound like a broken record, but they're heading in a really discernible chug chug chugging direction of music, of which they call "progressive," that I cannot stand. It's obviously the type of music they want to make. They're not going back in the direction of Blackbird or ODR, they're heading the other way. Every single interview in the history of Alter Bridge that they've ever done promoting a new album, they describe the new songs as "a lot heavier/progressive/metal than we've ever one before!!!" Judging off of the reviews we've gotten so far, there are only 2-3 songs on this album that have that softer style that I think they (specifically, Myles) excels at. But they don't enjoy creating that music. That's just the way it is.

Idk what it is, but sometimes a lot of their heavier stuff sounds a lot more like a cacophony of sound than a memorable melody to me. Something that's so loud that you have no idea what's going on, you just feel your skull rattling. There was about a 30 second portion of this song that I immediately thought "what the fuck is going on here?" It's more about me disliking that style of music than it is an actual criticism of the mixing or the music itself though, tbh.

Well said on all counts. I find myself liking This Is War more with each listen but I was very critical of Sin After Sin and remain firmly in the strong dislike camp.

Alter Bridge has shifted in tone over the last few albums and while I highly enjoy their more crunchy side I long for a song like Broken Wings, Brand New Start, or Ghost of Days Gone By. I'd even go for another Watch Over You.

There are still many things I love about the band - especially the guys themselves - but musically I've been simply underwhelmed and even exhausted by The Last Hero and some portions of Walk The Sky. I will praise the music when it appeals to me and make it known when I simply don't like it.

I appreciate your post and this forum where I don't see the "OMG this album is a masterpiece" and "AB never writes a bad song" posts like on YouTube. Continue expressing your opinion!

[tremontibr]

I'm alright with this song. Nothing that memorable, but I actually strongly dislike Sin after Sin. That left a bad taste in my mouth. This was better.

This is probably tied with P&K as my favorite of the 4 singles. Relative to most music, I think they're alright. Relative to Alter Bridge's catalogue, I definitely put all 4 in the bottom half of my list.

That's just an Alter Bridge single though. I don't think I've liked one since My Champion. If you look at every single they've released since then, it's not really a secret why I wouldn't like those songs lol.

Again though, I sound like a broken record, but they're heading in a really discernible chug chug chugging direction of music, of which they call "progressive," that I cannot stand. It's obviously the type of music they want to make. They're not going back in the direction of Blackbird or ODR, they're heading the other way. Every single interview in the history of Alter Bridge that they've ever done promoting a new album, they describe the new songs as "a lot heavier/progressive/metal than we've ever one before!!!" Judging off of the reviews we've gotten so far, there are only 2-3 songs on this album that have that softer style that I think they (specifically, Myles) excels at. But they don't enjoy creating that music. That's just the way it is.

Idk what it is, but sometimes a lot of their heavier stuff sounds a lot more like a cacophony of sound than a memorable melody to me. Something that's so loud that you have no idea what's going on, you just feel your skull rattling. There was about a 30 second portion of this song that I immediately thought "what the fuck is going on here?" It's more about me disliking that style of music than it is an actual criticism of the mixing or the music itself though, tbh.

I get your point. But, if you go back to some of Mark's interviews, he always said that he was improving more and more his skills, as well as playing Creed songs were so simple, "we were kids", and so on and so forth... What I want to say here, as a musician ( I also play the guitar), I believe that, every album you will see a different Alter Bridge and they are really going to a heavier/progressive sound. I think this is their intention, they are doing what they like... I am not saying they do not care about us or our opinions, but this is the reality.
I also understand that they may lose some of the oldest fans due to what you mentioned, but I don't see them recording something similar to ODR/Blackbird anymore. Even on Blackbird songs like Coming Home were already showing this direction.

[maximzub]

Since everybody is having something long to say about Alter Bridge's new direction, I suppose I'll chime in. Hopefully I don't get 500'd again....

I don't think that them going heavier is necessarily a bad thing. Fortress is my favorite album from them precisely because of this reason. Songs like Cry Of Achilles, Addicted To Pain, The Uninvited, Peace Is Broken, Calm The Fire, and Cry A River all get me moving and grooving along because they just hit that heavy spot that I look for in a modern hard rock song. Of course, they've had those kind of songs all throughout their career, and I don't think the quality of them has been getting any worse. Pawns & Kings was an absolute punch in the face (in a good way) and has quickly made its way into my top 20 songs of all time. This Is War wasn't quite as powerful, but it still can hold up to the standard set by other heavy Alter Bridge songs. Silver Tongue as well, although I like This Is War better. Sin After Sin is different because it just d r a a a g s along with nothing memorable. The guitar solos are among their worst, and another turn-off is that there's no big chorus like we're used to hearing from them. (Notice that in my Fortress praising section, I left out Bleed It Dry. It shares that major turn-off with Sin After Sin. I just can't stand when the chorus is over the main riff instead of being over some chords with maybe a lead guitar melody as well.)

As for the "going progressive" thing, I don't think the guys in Alter Bridge know exactly what they're talking about. Real progressive music means that the songs have a lot of different structures that deviate from verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-solo-chorus. It does NOT necessarily mean longer songs. Also vice versa - a longer song is NOT necessarily progressive - for example Sin After Sin is long just because it's slow and it takes 2:20 for the intro, first verse, and first chorus to finish. In my opinion, the closest they got to really being progressive were the title tracks of Blackbird, Fortress, and The Last Hero, and also Cry Of Achilles. This Side Of Fate was a good attempt, but in the end it just sounded like a lot of stuff thrown together (example: the sharp transition from the second chorus to the first bridge is still very jarring). Also, songs like Cradle To The Grave, Island Of Fools, and Pawns & Kings seemed to be going in that direction, but they didn't quite hit that mark either. And that's okay, because they're all great songs anyway. We'll see how Fable Of The Silent Son is. Is it really hitting the mark like Blackbird, Cry Of Achilles, Fortress, and The Last Hero? Is it not quite there like Cradle To The Grave, Island Of Fools, and Pawns & Kings? Or is it long just because it's s l o w like Sin After Sin?

In talking about how close they got to making progressive songs, I seem to have skipped over any songs on Walk The Sky. Why? BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T TRY TO BE PROGRESSIVE ON THAT ALBUM. Which disproves the statement that "every single interview has them saying that the new album is more progressive than the last".

As for them not enjoying writing lighter music, hang on just a second. Doesn't Myles have two entire solo albums of much lighter music? And Tremonti also has their recent lighter songs (The First The Last and Not Afraid To Lose being the best examples). I don't think that they wouldn't enjoy writing lighter songs if it meant keeping old fans. Even Myles says that Season Of Promise is the one song from Pawns & Kings that is most like One Day Remains, which gets my hopes up because One Day Remains is such a relaxing album.

Somebody mentions that the recent music doesn't connect lyrically to them like the older songs did. Sure. That doesn't mean it's bad music. As a songwriter myself, it's extremely difficult to write a song that any fan can relate to every time. And it might be just a personal thing, but I tend to gravitate more towards good music than good lyrics. Rarely does any song connect to me lyrically (The First The Last being an example of one that does that I've just heard recently), and I can still like them a lot.

With Alter Bridge albums, I tend to like 7-10 of the songs. I like 3 of the 4 singles so far, so I'm confident that with this album, my liking of the songs will stay in that range. We'll see what I think next week.

[zazthespaz]

Sorry AB23, but was the post really necessary? Along with so many others I've seen.

I feel sorry for you that you can't enjoy them anymore and yes, you do sound like a broken record like so many others with useless criticism. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but sheesh calm down, what happened to the positive Alter Bridge Nation I joined.

If any of the AB team read some of these posts, like Tim had mentioned, I feel sorry for them. They put heart and soul into their music, just to be shat over by some of their 'biggest fans' being pissed they don't accommodate their every need lol...

These 4 songs are all awesome and quintessential AB! However if you don't like them, that's cool. But stop with the depressing critical posts, jeez.

Sorry Stuzz, but was the post really necessary? Along with so many others I've seen.

This is a freaking AB discussion board where we're all allowed to have a discussion. AB23's post is really constructive, substantial and brings up a lot of interesting points (totally agree with them going with the boring 'chugga chugga' stuff) and then you have people like you who think that unless you pat those guys on the back and say 'yeeeah, great job, you've poured your hearts and souls into this' you can get the hell out of here. Is this how the discourse looks like in 2022? Is this why YouTube got rid of the dislike button on their videos? So that nobody gets hurt when confronted with the slightest bit of criticism?

I'm taking Stuzz's side on this one - yes it's a discussion board and yes everyone is allowed to post their opinions, but if you're coming on here after every song gets released to say "I still don't like it for the same reasons I mentioned in my last review," how is that benefitting/moving/progressing the conversation in any direction? You don't need to come on here and worship the band, you're free to come on here and criticize them (although, to what end aside from stress relief?), but to come on and complain because you expected something different from the first 3 songs and last 2 albums doesn't really do anything for the boards.

Just my 2 cents, and I'm saying that as a member, not a mod. I'm not going to start banning people for posting fluff & filler.

Also, Dolo - chill out. There's no need to tell someone to "get the hell out of here," just because you disagree with them. After all:

This is a freaking AB discussion board where we're all allowed to have a discussion.

[SHEAKENBAKEN]

7 DAYS UNTIL PAWNS & KINGS IS OUT