Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

[anguyen92]

I'm sure a lot of fans will love it, but this sound just doesn't appeal to me in AB songs - I'd bucket this one along with stuff like Bleed It Dry or The Other Side (though I do like that one a little more). For a band with such talented guitarists and a catalog of memorable riffs, this is just too basic chug-a-chug, overblown "modern" radio metal for me - A7X, Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch, etc. I expect more from Alter Bridge

Wow. If only FFDP can write such a song as deep as even This is War. If A7X and Disturbed wrote a song like this (and Disturbed wrote a song with a similar lyrical message in the form of Are You Ready, which I like), I would enjoy it (just as much as I enjoy a good portion of their catalog, which can be solid at times).

[Buffon]

I do like A7X in bits and pieces, mind you - they're a fun band, and they also have a couple of very talented musicians and writers- probably unfair of me to bucket them with FFDP! But like I said, I have higher expectations from Alter Bridge than all these mainstream American bands they always get grouped together with - and part of my problem with the post-ABIII albums is the shift in sound (from the guitar tones to all the vocal overdubs and general wall-of-noise crap) towards sounding more like those bands.

On the subject of bands I enjoy Alter Bridge sounding similar to:

-Alice In Chains is probably my favorite band of all time, and Sin After Sin wouldn't be out of place in a DuVall-era album, which probably explains why that one clicked immediately with me
-Fable is definitely inspired by Iron Maiden, which I am also all for. It wouldn't look out of place on any of their records from Brave New World onwards

[Addicted To Pain]

Song rankings:
1. Fable of the Silent Son
2. Pawns & Kings
3. This is War
4. Last Man Standing
5. Stay
6. Dead Among the Living
7. Season of Promise
8. Sin After Sin
9. Silver Tongue
10. Season of Promise

You have Season Of Promise here twice. Did you mean Holiday in 10th?

[AB4Lyfe]

Song rankings:
1. Fable of the Silent Son
2. Pawns & Kings
3. This is War
4. Last Man Standing
5. Stay
6. Dead Among the Living
7. Season of Promise
8. Sin After Sin
9. Silver Tongue
10. Season of Promise

You have Season Of Promise here twice. Did you mean Holiday in 10th?

Yes I fixed it, thanks for the heads up.

[Addicted To Pain]

Upon multiple listens, I think Last Man Standing is one of the strongest songs on Pawns & Kings.

[Schulzy]

Upon multiple listens, I think Last Man Standing is one of the strongest songs on Pawns & Kings.

The top song on the album for me. I keep hearing different things every time I listen to it. I played it last night on my computer speakers and the bass rumble was so intense! I hope they play it live but imagine it will be Fable of The Silent Son - coming in second on my list followed by This is War, Season Of Promise, and Silver Tongue/Dead Among The Living.

[CrowsOnAWire]

Several listens in, here is my (current) song ranking:

Last Man Standing
Fable of the Silent Son
This is War
Pawns & Kings
Dead Among The Living
Silver Tongue
Sin After Sin
Stay
Season of Promise
Holiday

[Addicted To Pain]

Just thinking...one melody in the bridge of Season Of Promise sounds like the pre-chorus of Wonderwall by Oasis.

[slasherbridge]

I’m not quite ready to do a full-fledged review for this yet. My initial gut reaction upon first listen was that this is the best-sounding AB album in terms of production and mixing. In terms of the song and album quality, it was initially ranked in 5th behind Blackbird, Fortress, AB3 and Walk the Sky (no particular order) However, it’s rising in my opinion over a few listens.

I am ready to speak of some “highlight” moments on the album.

1. Guitar solo in This Is War…probably the best one on the album.

2. The outro bit in Dead Among the Living. I thought that was a unique way to end the song.

3. Myles’ vocals in the bridge of Silver Tongue are sooooo strong.

4. That main riff in Sin After Sin is such a doomy sounding riff. Reminds me of Alice In Chains, and I love AiC, so that’s a good thing.

5. Tremonti’s vocals in Stay. Dudes voice has only improved with each successive album. Love it.

6. The lyrical content in Fable of the Silent Son. I’m a little biased because the subject content really hits home with me at the moment, but Myles wrote some damn good lyrics here. Specially the verse that starts with “I used to lie awake and sing this song”. Just chills once I grasped what he was singing. Also love the subtle organ part that is in the left headphone once the drums come in. Nice touch.

7. The bridge in Last Man Standing, I would argue, is the best bridge on the album. Really like the vocal melody and how it interplays with the chords. Myles lower register in the first verse is always a welcome thing as well.

8. Pawns and Kings. So many highlights. I think the part I enjoy the most is how he changes the lyrics in the last chorus to “Our victory will justify that we are right where we belong”. Great touch and love how it works with the transition to the end of the song.

I’ll have to give it a few more listens to give a proper review.

[Red_D]

Ok so after listening to the album alot over the last week I like most of the songs but the one that has really grown on me is Sin After Sin, it didn’t really click for me at first but now I really like it!

[Addicted To Pain]

.

[nagpo]

I think some of the riffs and some music is good. But I don't really like the record that much. It's a step back from the last one where they had a new melodic sound that was experimental.

This one is decent but a more straightforward metal record. i really think myles' vocal melodies aren't very good on a lot of songs. And the lyrics aren't great either. AB went from a band where I acould listen to every record 1-4 over and over without getting tired of it. Those are all great records. then I think they hit their first wall in TLH. the nevxt record was good, but pawns was kind of forgettable. Maybe they should take a break. I don't really yearn for new AB music anymore tbh.

[Mr.Vlado]

I think some of the riffs and some music is good. But I don't really like the record that much. It's a step back from the last one where they had a new melodic sound that was experimental.

This one is decent but a more straightforward metal record. i really think myles' vocal melodies aren't very good on a lot of songs. And the lyrics aren't great either. AB went from a band where I acould listen to every record 1-4 over and over without getting tired of it. Those are all great records. then I think they hit their first wall in TLH. the nevxt record was good, but pawns was kind of forgettable. Maybe they should take a break. I don't really yearn for new AB music anymore tbh.

And that shows perfectly how much of a matter of taste it all really is. I love Pawns & Kings much more than AB III and Walk the Sky. And I think all of their music is - no matter the taste - still musically way better than most other bands out there.

You think they should take a break because you just seem to like the older records more? I don't really see how one could come to that conclusion tbh.

[Schulzy]

I was reading through the P&K - Alter Bridge VII thread from the beginning. I'm only on page 20 of over 100. Questions I have now that it's roughly three months since the album release.

1. Are you happy with the total number of songs? Originally there were 14, then 12. We ended up with 10.

2. At what point will there be additional songs released?

3. Have any songs grown on you or fallen in esteem?

4. Do you still agree with the songs poll I created that Holiday is the weakest/least favorite song on the album?

5. Would you describe the album as dark or angry?

6. What song/songs from P&K would you like to see them add to the live setlist or replace?

7. Overall did it meet, exceed, or fail to live up to your expectations?

8. Did they ever release song lyrics in any of the vinyl packages?

[Schulzy]

Removed by request.

[Mr. Slash]

I was reading through the P&K - Alter Bridge VII thread from the beginning. I'm only on page 20 of over 100. Questions I have now that it's roughly three months since the album release.

1. Are you happy with the total number of songs? Originally there were 14, then 12. We ended up with 10.

2. At what point will there be additional songs released?

3. Have any songs grown on you or fallen in esteem?

4. Do you still agree with the songs poll I created that Holiday is the weakest/least favorite song on the album?

5. Would you describe the album as dark or angry?

6. What song/songs from P&K would you like to see them add to the live setlist or replace?

7. Overall did it meet, exceed, or fail to live up to your expectations?

8. Did they ever release song lyrics in any of the vinyl packages?

1. Yeah, it's alright. 12 songs would have been cool, though.
2. no idea
3. They all have grown on me, more or less. Gotta I say, I didn't expect that I still would enjoy this album that much
4. Holiday is one of my favorites.
5. As a whole? No. There are some dark or angry songs but overall, P&K is far away from being a dark/angry album.
6. Sin After Sin with Mark singing his party would be cool.
7. Exceed. I was kinda tired of the musical path they chose on TLH and WTS.
8. no idea

[Addicted To Pain]

I was reading through the P&K - Alter Bridge VII thread from the beginning. I'm only on page 20 of over 100. Questions I have now that it's roughly three months since the album release.

1. Are you happy with the total number of songs? Originally there were 14, then 12. We ended up with 10.

2. At what point will there be additional songs released?

3. Have any songs grown on you or fallen in esteem?

4. Do you still agree with the songs poll I created that Holiday is the weakest/least favorite song on the album?

5. Would you describe the album as dark or angry?

6. What song/songs from P&K would you like to see them add to the live setlist or replace?

7. Overall did it meet, exceed, or fail to live up to your expectations?

8. Did they ever release song lyrics in any of the vinyl packages?

1. Maybe. I'd like to see more, but I fear that they may be worse than the songs on the main album, as bonus tracks typically are (Zero, Home, and Last Of Our Kind being notable exceptions).
2. No idea.
3. I think I have the same or similar opinion on the songs as I did back then. Well, maybe my opinion is different on Last Man Standing. I like it, but it's not my favorite. When I first heard the song, I barely remembered any of it afterwards. The second-to-last song is a bad place to be on an album because it seems like every time I listen to a new album for the first time, I can't remember anything about the second-to-last song.
4. It's weak, but not my least favorite.
5. Maybe.
6. I hope Sin After Sin gets dropped. It doesn't work as a live song. I also hope they add in Dead Among The Living and Stay. Not too excited about them supposedly adding Holiday in as I'm afraid that might replace This Is War, which I like having in the setlist. Same goes for Fable Of The Silent Son as a potential candidate to replace Pawns & Kings. Not a fan.
7. It didn't live up to my expectations after hearing Pawns & Kings, Silver Tongue, and This Is War. However, I'm glad they gave us some songs to remember (those three, Dead Among The Living, and Stay).
8. No idea.

[nagpo]

I think some of the riffs and some music is good. But I don't really like the record that much. It's a step back from the last one where they had a new melodic sound that was experimental.

This one is decent but a more straightforward metal record. i really think myles' vocal melodies aren't very good on a lot of songs. And the lyrics aren't great either. AB went from a band where I acould listen to every record 1-4 over and over without getting tired of it. Those are all great records. then I think they hit their first wall in TLH. the nevxt record was good, but pawns was kind of forgettable. Maybe they should take a break. I don't really yearn for new AB music anymore tbh.

And that shows perfectly how much of a matter of taste it all really is. I love Pawns & Kings much more than AB III and Walk the Sky. And I think all of their music is - no matter the taste - still musically way better than most other bands out there.

You think they should take a break because you just seem to like the older records more? I don't really see how one could come to that conclusion tbh.

I don't think they have as much creativity as their old albums. This album has no ear worm. The type of sound doesn't stick with me. same with TLH. WTS was experiment and melodic. Moody. I don't know why they didn't go further down that path. I just think maybe a hiatus or reevaluation could refill some creative juices. But what doesn't help either is having several other bands at the same time. Maybe have a focus on the one band for all your creativity.

[anguyen92]

I think some of the riffs and some music is good. But I don't really like the record that much. It's a step back from the last one where they had a new melodic sound that was experimental.

This one is decent but a more straightforward metal record. i really think myles' vocal melodies aren't very good on a lot of songs. And the lyrics aren't great either. AB went from a band where I acould listen to every record 1-4 over and over without getting tired of it. Those are all great records. then I think they hit their first wall in TLH. the nevxt record was good, but pawns was kind of forgettable. Maybe they should take a break. I don't really yearn for new AB music anymore tbh.

And that shows perfectly how much of a matter of taste it all really is. I love Pawns & Kings much more than AB III and Walk the Sky. And I think all of their music is - no matter the taste - still musically way better than most other bands out there.

You think they should take a break because you just seem to like the older records more? I don't really see how one could come to that conclusion tbh.

I don't think they have as much creativity as their old albums. This album has no ear worm. The type of sound doesn't stick with me. same with TLH. WTS was experiment and melodic. Moody. I don't know why they didn't go further down that path. I just think maybe a hiatus or reevaluation could refill some creative juices. But what doesn't help either is having several other bands at the same time. Maybe have a focus on the one band for all your creativity.

Like what does that all mean? I would like to think they felt creatively rewarded writing this album and that they should feel accomplished in writing the big main songs (Fable of the Silent Son, Season of Promise, Last Man Standing, and Pawns & Kings). It just happens that you didn't enjoy it, but that's ok. People can not like stuff.

I just don't like the idea of people suggesting a band should take a break because they didn't enjoy an album and have to use phrases like "lack of creativity" to justify not liking an album.

[AHart96]

I was reading through the P&K - Alter Bridge VII thread from the beginning. I'm only on page 20 of over 100. Questions I have now that it's roughly three months since the album release.

1. Are you happy with the total number of songs? Originally there were 14, then 12. We ended up with 10.

2. At what point will there be additional songs released?

3. Have any songs grown on you or fallen in esteem?

4. Do you still agree with the songs poll I created that Holiday is the weakest/least favorite song on the album?

5. Would you describe the album as dark or angry?

6. What song/songs from P&K would you like to see them add to the live setlist or replace?

7. Overall did it meet, exceed, or fail to live up to your expectations?

8. Did they ever release song lyrics in any of the vinyl packages?

1. I’d like to see 1-2 more songs come from this album cycle, however the fact that they cut them from the album leads me to believe it was done for a reason. Then again, some of the bonus songs are better than some of the tracks that made the cut (The Damage Done, all the AB III bonus tracks)

2. If I had to guess, before the final tour of the album cycle to promote an extended edition of P&K. Whether that’s fall or winter of 2023

3. Most of my initial thoughts remain the same, although my least favorite song (Season of Promise) has aged better than I thought and would rank it higher than my least favorite in the whole catalogue (Twilight, Tear Us Apart, etc)

4. Holiday is in the bottom half/third of the album, but definitely not last in my rankings

5. Not necessarily. The only two songs IMO that have that edge are Silver Tongue and Sin After Sin. Most of the other songs have an uplifting, triumphant, resilient feeling to them.

6. Dead Among the Living is #1 on this list. Would’ve preferred this to Holiday as the single, and I think this should be a live staple. Would love to see Fable/Stay added to replace songs that fill a similar role in the set

7. Exceeded my expectations. But to be fair, they were definitely lower going into this album cycle
after the last two albums and not initially being a big fan of MIT.

8. Not sure, I haven’t taken mine out of the plastic