The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

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The Plotblocker
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by The Plotblocker »

AB23 wrote:Nah haha. His voice is pretty noticeably different than the way it sounded with ODR and Mayfield Four.
........... If you say so. :facepalm
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Raven
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Raven »

Jim wrote:
Raven wrote: I skip 5 songs on Blackbird and honestly if it wasn't for the title song and Brand New Start it would easily be my least fav AB album
Interesting!!

I love how wide spread everyone's opinions are here! It's healthy to have differing views on music, if we all liked the same things it would be boring

Exactly :D

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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Raven »

AB23 wrote:you are really adamant about stating your dislike for Blackbird for some reason.
I like album but man do i think its overrated

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Arctic
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Arctic »

Yup I know how you feel. Blackbird will always have a special place in my heart for that reason.

On TLH though, a surprising song to me was Poison. It's like Come To Life, a really solid rocker that I was surprised to like.
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antiwal
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by antiwal »

A few observations by my ear here. I actually think this could be a concept album around Make It Right haha! :lol

See here;

Cradle To The Grave – Intro is like the love-child of Tremonti’s Fall Again and Make It Right
This Side Of Fate – Definitely has a WDTTW vibe to it.
Twilight – again more Make It Right vibes here, especially in the verses.
Symphony of Agony (Last Of Our Kind) – breakdown reminds me of Still Remains

I definitely hear parts of all their albums amalgamated into one on TLH.

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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Raven »

fix wrote:
Arctic wrote:This Side of Fate, The Last Hero, Island of Fools, and Cradle to the Grave are all as good as anything they've ever done, imo.
Add The Other Side to that list and we are in agreement. Those are the top songs for me on first few listens. It's almost a shame I listened to TOS when it came out last week (or actually, because of the mistake release, two weeks ago). It would have had a nice impact on first listen.

The Fab 5 and yes there all bloody amazing songs

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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Raven »

The Plotblocker wrote:
AB23 wrote:Nah haha. His voice is pretty noticeably different than the way it sounded with ODR and Mayfield Four.
........... If you say so. :facepalm
I also don't hear a huge difference if anything he sings in more registers than before, Cry of Achillies is a perfect example,id love to see some1 cover that well

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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Lotha »

OPENING THOUGHTS
To start of, a disclaimer, something that not all of you might know. My other favorite bands are wayyyy different from AB - metal, symphonic, larger than life, often progressive kinda stuff. It seems weird for a rock band to be in that company, but if you know I appreciate the lyrics, melodies and freshness in songs and albums - not so much then.


SONG BY SONG
Show Me A Leader - What I liked about this song was the intro, mostly, and the breaks in the chorus. Solo parts were nice as well. All other complaints that I had when I heard it for the first time stuck, though: it's all loud, the lyrics are meh, melodies alright but nothing special. I'd probably rate this one 6/10.

The Writing On The Wall - Heard it twice and before the third time could barely remember how it went. Loud af again. I'm not a fan of Myles' delivery in the verse - it's like he levitates somewhere between rock and metal. A lot of going on in the bridge, followed by a nice solo. I like the melody of the chorus but by the end it becomes too repetitive and kinda defeats the purpose. 6.5/10

The Other Side - This one is a bit more up my alley. Appreciate the mean sound of the song opening and Myles' vocals. However the first few listens, after the verse it kinda dissolved into a "regular" AB song, everything by the book. The chorus was a bit disappointing too, repeated a lot, and I didn't care much for the bridge. Still, better than the first two: 7/10

My Champion - uh-oh, skip track. I really, REALLY have an aversion towards radio-friendly songs, in any genre. I know it's a single and a pretty good song for what it is. However, it's bordering cheesy which is not a good sound for me, but due to Myles' nice vocal melodies and their musicianship, I give it 5/10.

Poison In Your Veins - Another pre-released song that I didn't care much about, though I've given it a fair chance. EVERYTHING in it, every melody, every individual part, sounds like something I've heard before, but I just can't pinpoint it. And there's something about that chorus that's really bugging me. 5/10 as well.

At this point I was starting to despair on my first listen-through: 5th song, and still nothing I really liked, nothing that would make me say yeah my AB boys are back? Cradle rectified that a bit, though. And by this time you get used to the overall loudness and lack of dynamics and you get quite tired, at least in my case. First time I almost wanted to stop there and rest my brain for a bit.

Cradle To The Grave - Looked forward to this one. Like the intro, though it still reminded me of something. Loved Myles' voice in this one, and the melodies are nice. Finally a chorus I liked. Very interesting bridge, though a bit all over the place like all the previous ones, and great solo. "Nothing lasts forever" part surprised me, a welcome change to break up the regular AB song structure I'm used to, though just for a bit. And lyrics were the best on the album so far. Rated it 8.5/10

Losing Patience - Cradle got my hopes up, this one let 'em down. Not a fan of the effects on Myles' voice, or the lyrics (as generic rhymes as they can get). Melodies are fine but there's just SO MUCH going on due to this mix that the brain fatigue is coming back. Liked the chorus somewhat, but overall, the song was predictable and bored me quickly. 6/10

This Side of Fate - I find it funny that people have been telling me to sit tight for a Muse-influenced song, since I DESPISE Muse, but I thought, maybe they've done it their own way. The opening sounded like AB enough and reminded me of Fortress (before the noise kicked in). Still, I appreciated the proggy-ness of the melody and composition, quite refreshing.

That is, until the Muse part kicked in. You guys call it influence? It was Muse with Myles' vocals. Got pretty mad the first time tbh - they have enough creativity not to imitate other (worse) bands. It ruined it for me. Sorry AB. 5/10 for the musicianship in the rest of the song, the solo and that sweet Myles' note.

You Will Be Remembered - This one probably took the worst part of my anger after TSOF, but I still can't warm up to it. Cheesy, bland, uninteresting and really of 0 importance to me as a non-American (and someone who doesn't glorify soldiers or war for that matter). 4/10

Crows On A Wire - Another song I looked forward to. It gave me a nice riff, gave me some unexpected vocal melodies. Good tempo, found the chorus a bit weird, but I appreciated it being a bit unconventional tbh after all those songs I could feel where they were going. Also there's not that much noise on this one. Some of the notes of the solo feel a bit buried in the mix though. Finally an interesting, good bridge! He changed up the lyrics in the chorus :O It's sad that I started getting thrilled about these things. Still, good song: 8/10.

Twilight - wasn't sure whether I liked or hated the beginning of this one. I think it suffered mostly from overproduction - if it were a bit toned down like Crows, I would have liked it more. Solid song overall, nice melodies, but nothing that vowed me, apart from the solo. Still, after getting frustrated with some of the songs, I settled with that. 7/10

Island of Fools - The one I looked forward to the most. Sick, mean riff. Good verse, awesome chorus. IT'S THE TWELFTH SONG OF THE ALBUM THAT'S THE FIRST I LIKED MORE THAN THE SINGLE OFF FORTRESS. Sorry, I had to caps that. You all know how much we end up "loving" the singles. Still, great song. If it were on Fortress I'd probably give it 8.5/10, but on TLH it stands out so much it's easily 9.5/10.

The Last Hero - Despite it being the "epic", after having heard it twice and now coming back to it, I couldn't remember what it sounded like. It might be the fatigue, but it does absolutely nothing for me. The melody in the chorus is nice, I guess. Really not a fan of the guitars in the transitions here (dunno the correct term). Solo is the highlight, as is most of the guitar work. I don't know how to rate this one - it reminds me of CoA in the sense that it did very little for me, though CoA is a much better song. 7/10? I guess that's the fairest I can be.

Last of Our Kind - Oh yeah (I needed a memory refreshment on this one too). So many familiar parts. Chorus is probably the only part I liked. Not much else for me to say here. 5/10

CLOSING THOUGHTS

The third time I've listened through it in one sitting, and the third time it's given me a headache. I almost couldn't wait for it to be over - not in the sense that it's bad, it's just that there are so few opportunities for your ears and brain to rest. Perhaps if I listened to the songs individually, more things would stand out.

There were so many "no compromises" and "sacrifices" and whatnot in the lyrics that it all lumped together. I feared this ever since the topic of the album was unveiled. It just doesn't cut it for me.

I don't think I'll ever muster the strength to listen to TLH in its entirety again. Cradle and Island are the only two songs that are as good as the rest of the AB catalogue, perhaps with the addition of Crows and The Other Side, and likely the only four songs I'll want to hear again. The rest of it, just... no. And I'm really sorry about it. I WANTED to like this.

To clarify - it's not the change of direction that's put me off (so a different case than you, Monty). I LIKE change of direction, I'm used to it. To me this is nothing new, an attempt of a beefed-up Fortress, but they tried to beef it up in all the wrong ways. I'm done with this overproduced sound, though. Really, it hurts my head.

Gah. It still ended up harsh.

TL;DR: Didn't like TLH at all.
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Ryan
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Ryan »

Yeesh, well, after that all I can say is...Hey Mike (Jaded Rescue)! Where you at my man?
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Lotha »

I know, I know. :S
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Arctic
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Arctic »

Surprised at Fates review, though I've never listened to Muse. It sounded like Alter Bridge to me though, didn't seem that far off from their style.
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Lotha »

I have an extremely low tolerance to Muse sound. :shrug
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by chtimixeur »

It took me more than a year to enjoy Fortress. The Last Hero is a decent follow-up, but overall, it's not great, and just like ABIII, I doubt I'll listen to it on a regular basis after the first couple of months. There are too many songs (none of which suck), and the production is obviously a problem.
Just ditch Elvis, already.
There are too many layers, and this guy brings nothing new to the table. He's clearly become a liability, and the band is starting to really run in circles with him at the helm.

But, there are 4 tunes that really kick major ass, and thats makes this album worth buying
1. This Side of Fate : the intro reminds me of WDTTW, and the middle section may be the best thing they've ever done. It sounds like Muse on steroids. I just have an issue with the chorus coming back out of nowhere at 5:15.
2. The Writing on the Wall : great solo
3. Island of Fools : Ties That Bind 2.0
4. The Last Hero : great Myles solo

5. Cradle to the Grave : not digging the first 3 minutes, but that lead guitar lick at 3:13 is one of the highlights of the album for me
6. Symphony of Agony : the lyrics are really original for once. Just like New Way to live, this should never have been a B-Side.
7. Poison in your Veins : it's OK, but overproduced. Just listen to that weird sound at 1:05
8. Crows on a Wire : how do you rate this a 10/10 ? It's an OK song.
9. The Other Side : their creepiest and gloomiest song so far. Not digging the slo verses, but it's growing on me overall, and I love the dissonant lick at 3:35
10. My Champion : decent and catchy single, but it doesn't fit with the rest of the album. You can tell it was written for the radio
11. Losing Patience : faily average song that is saved by its bridge
12. Twilight : fairly generic song that is saved by its uplifting chorus
13. Show Me a Leader : aside from the intro, it's just average. I can't stand the No's
14. You Will Be Remembered : I'm sick and tired of hearing songs about loss and grief. I can't believe they're still writing those.

Overall rating : 7/10

Ranking of the albums :
1. One Day Remains : 9/10
2. Blackbird : 8.5/10
3. Fortress : 8/10
4. The Last Hero : 7/10
5. ABIII : 6/10

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Arctic
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Arctic »

Scratch that, I'll never be able to rank these albums lol.
Last edited by Arctic on Fri Oct 07, 2016 8:10 am, edited 2 times in total.
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leadguitar_85
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by leadguitar_85 »

AB23 wrote:No AB album, including Fortress which is one I rather liked, will ever come close to the meaning those have for me. Burn it Down has been one of the most helpful songs I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. I love it in every way, and i thank god that it exists.
Yes!!!

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Mr.Vlado
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Mr.Vlado »

Arctic wrote:If I were forced to rank them, it'd have to be -

1. Blackbird
2. Fortress
3. The Last Hero
4. AB III
5. One Day Remains

Though honestly 3-5 could all flip flop depending on the day. Ugh this is why I can't rank them for shit. Too hard.
For me it wouldnt be possible to rank TLH, even though I absolutely love the album so far. It is a grower, every time it gets better imo - for some people maybe worse, who knows.
What I am trying to say is, that these rankings will eventually change after 1 or 2 months.


ps: I just want to link one of the first reviews here, because I think it is so funny. The reviewer ranked all songs, and the best 3 songs are Losing Patience, Twilight and Poison in your Veins. :shifty The list is almost as my rated songlist would look like - but just the other way around. Tastes can be so different, it's awesome. :lol

http://whatculture.com/music/alter-brid ... wed-ranked

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Ubik
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Ubik »

Random comment but I'm enjoying the slight matte quality of the liner notes. Smooth!
For all of the hope that it brings...

austin.
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by austin. »

Any idea how I get my copy via my ticket purchase?

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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by DonHarry »

To each their own. I cba reading those mega lengthy reviews. I think once again having no musical chops has allowed me to properly fanboy this album. Had it a while, listened to it a lot and I love it. I don't get drawn into song structure, formula or other musical elements I don't have a strong understanding of. I take each song as it comes, some I like, some I like less. I thought Fortress was great, some exceptional songs like COA and Fortress but there were other songs I found myself skipping. There are less skippers for me on TLH. In fact I haven't skipped any, I just sometimes find myself looking forward to the next song a bit much while that one playing.

Highlights for me:

Cradle To The Grave
This Side Of Fate - Bridge and solo's
Island Of Fools - Catchy as f*ck. Always in my head.
The Last Hero - Another mega catchy song.

Lowlight:

My Champion.

Just found it lyrically unimaginative. Love the music though.

Hope there are people who enjoyed this album as much as I do!
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Ubik
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Re: The Last Hero - AB Nation Discussion

Post by Ubik »

Island of Fools may be the perfect (shortish) Alter Bridge song.
For all of the hope that it brings...

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