Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
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psycosquirrel789
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
I was listening to Silver Tongue this morning and it just hit me that this is AB 7th record. No lineup changes, no paid writers and an album every 3 years. Super impressive. They are still cranking out powerful and melodic music like nothing. Looking forward to Friday.
Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
Anyone get any shipment info on preorders? I haven’t. I know there’s a lot that goes into it and out of the control of the band, but it’s a bummer my vinyl won’t be here by release day. Looks like streaming it is.
Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
Nothing yet for me either
Rock Never Dies
Thanks for the sig Don Harry!
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thatfunkodad
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
I did get the shipping confirmation. But I’ll still listen to the digital stream since my vinyl player definitely isn’t up to par quality wise haha.
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anguyen92
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
I got the shipping confirmation from Napalm Records today.
My Trip to Orlando and Raleigh to see AB Posts
Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
Nothing yet from the AB store on my P&K vinyl and t-shirt preorder. I'm not sure if I will get a digital download of the album included with my pre-order. If I remember correctly my Walk The Sky yearbook and t-shirt arrived after release day from Napalm.
_^:Tangled in your trance and I'm certain:^_
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CrowsOnAWire
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
https://www.moshville.co.uk/reviews/alb ... and-kings/
Album Review: Alter Bridge – Pawns and Kings
What’s left to say about Alter Bridge that hasn’t been said? As a band closing in on finishing their second decade and no signs of slowing momentum, the modern rock titans have re-emerged once more with another album, once again three years on from the last offering. Having spent the second decade cementing the ascendancy of the first, they’re in an enviable position. Never quite making the same album twice yet still delivering albums which can only be Alter Bridge albums, they’ve yet to make a blunder.
Pawns and Kings comes at the point of their career where they’ve long passed the point of having to prove themselves, they’ve had the experimental period of the last album and now it’s time for the natural successor – create an album which cherry picks all the best parts of past works and condense it into one record. Album seven doesn’t feel like out-takes from the past but it is chock-full of songs which make you say “Oh, this song would be at home on AB III” or “This song sounds like it’s from The Last Hero”. It’s a format which can fall flat on its face but given their pedigree, it’s Alter Bridge taking a well-earned victory lap.
Exploding into life rather than a slow, brooding intro like the last few albums, “This is War” spits with fury as they’ve always been a band who have been at their best when ladling on the aggression without being ham-fisted about it. As frenetic drumming from Scott Philips marches the song to its end point, this is the band planting flag to announce their return in snappy fashion. Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy’s guitars snarl, casually keeping pace with the drums as Kennedy pulls well-worn but just as welcome lyrics from the Alter Bridge playbook – don’t give in. As they’ve always been a band that has flirted with the metal end of the spectrum, “Silver Tongue” pushes the envelope as far as they ever have as razor-sharp riffs cut through with the fierceness of a buzzsaw before the air-punching drums take over for the chorus.
Elsewhere, “Holiday” quickly becomes a firm favourite of the album, its chugging riff born to allow the track to be placed anywhere in a live set – an opener, a new track early in the set with its arena-friendly chorus, towards the tail end after a sombre moment or even closing the main set or kicking off the encore. Essentially, this is one of those evergreen songs the band have built their name on, the signature twin guitars of Tremonti and Kennedy crunching and chugging in equal measure as lead and rhythm work in perfect time for that signature Alter Bridge sound.
“Stay” is this album’s opportunity for Mark Tremonti to take the reins on vocals whilst Kennedy fills in on the backing vocals. It doesn’t feel like a leftover Tremonti song like a couple of previous ones have and instead this feels right at home in the album, the melody built around Tremonti’s deeper rasp. Brighter tones than he’s used to working with on his leading moments (and certainly his self-titled band), it makes a refreshing change for him and shows how well his voice can sit on them, if given the chance. It comes at the perfect moment in the album, the slightly slower pace allowing for a breather before the aforementioned “Holiday”. But it’s throughout this album that Tremonti shows he still has plenty of guitar tricks up his sleeve, bringing some of his best riffs to date with a fresh technicality and precision to them without preciousness that allows them to have soul and their characteristic passion behind them.
Meanwhile, “Dead Among the Living” takes the darker tones of The Last Hero with the more open melodic moments in AB III to create a radio-friendly album cut. Hell, the song’s bridge could have easily been lifted from an AB III session as it could be right at home on that twelve year old album. Then, “Fable of the Silent Sun” steals “Blackbird”’s throne as the longest Alter Bridge song. Just as complex as that album’s title track, the wall of sound that the band produces as the song kicks into life is like a jet engine firing into life. And “Last Man Standing” channels hints of Fortress’ title track as the band slowly build their way to one of the most sonically grandiose numbers on the album.
Indeed, this is an album which could be classed as business as usual for the band but it’s very much an album about giving the people what they want. The lyrics take the standard “Don’t give in” messages they made their name for whilst simultaneously looking at the bigger picture which Kennedy started focusing more on with The Last Hero and brought into his solo work, Slash and subsequent AB albums. Much like this year’s 4, Kennedy doesn’t quite do the vocal somersaults he’s known for, finding a comfortable range and sticking within it. He never pushes too hard, even though he’s still capable of creating an even higher watermark than his vast body of work already has. But none of the songs call for it and if there’s one thing this album does better than any other Alter Bridge album, it’s putting the song first.
Whilst there’s a couple of slower numbers, there isn’t a “big ballad” moment to be found this time around but when you have two absolute gems in “Watch Over You” and “Wonderful Life”, you really don’t need to add any more to the arsenal. Instead, those tamer moments trade aggression for more complex and mature melodies, stretching them out to allow them to breathe and work their way to mighty crescendos to serve the song. It’s perfectly shown in the title track as it brings the album to a close, Kennedy’s vocals carry the weight of the world as he muses on humanity’s current status. It blends everything from the past nine songs into one last fluid flourish to create a definitive full-stop at the end of the sentence.
Pawns and Kings won’t change any nay-sayer’s mind about Alter Bridge. This is very much a greatest hits album without lazily compiling their past efforts and offering it up with some bonus content. It takes a few listens to fully warm up but when it does, it comes damn close to match that flawless run of Blackbird, AB III and their career-high of Fortress.
Album Review: Alter Bridge – Pawns and Kings
What’s left to say about Alter Bridge that hasn’t been said? As a band closing in on finishing their second decade and no signs of slowing momentum, the modern rock titans have re-emerged once more with another album, once again three years on from the last offering. Having spent the second decade cementing the ascendancy of the first, they’re in an enviable position. Never quite making the same album twice yet still delivering albums which can only be Alter Bridge albums, they’ve yet to make a blunder.
Pawns and Kings comes at the point of their career where they’ve long passed the point of having to prove themselves, they’ve had the experimental period of the last album and now it’s time for the natural successor – create an album which cherry picks all the best parts of past works and condense it into one record. Album seven doesn’t feel like out-takes from the past but it is chock-full of songs which make you say “Oh, this song would be at home on AB III” or “This song sounds like it’s from The Last Hero”. It’s a format which can fall flat on its face but given their pedigree, it’s Alter Bridge taking a well-earned victory lap.
Exploding into life rather than a slow, brooding intro like the last few albums, “This is War” spits with fury as they’ve always been a band who have been at their best when ladling on the aggression without being ham-fisted about it. As frenetic drumming from Scott Philips marches the song to its end point, this is the band planting flag to announce their return in snappy fashion. Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy’s guitars snarl, casually keeping pace with the drums as Kennedy pulls well-worn but just as welcome lyrics from the Alter Bridge playbook – don’t give in. As they’ve always been a band that has flirted with the metal end of the spectrum, “Silver Tongue” pushes the envelope as far as they ever have as razor-sharp riffs cut through with the fierceness of a buzzsaw before the air-punching drums take over for the chorus.
Elsewhere, “Holiday” quickly becomes a firm favourite of the album, its chugging riff born to allow the track to be placed anywhere in a live set – an opener, a new track early in the set with its arena-friendly chorus, towards the tail end after a sombre moment or even closing the main set or kicking off the encore. Essentially, this is one of those evergreen songs the band have built their name on, the signature twin guitars of Tremonti and Kennedy crunching and chugging in equal measure as lead and rhythm work in perfect time for that signature Alter Bridge sound.
“Stay” is this album’s opportunity for Mark Tremonti to take the reins on vocals whilst Kennedy fills in on the backing vocals. It doesn’t feel like a leftover Tremonti song like a couple of previous ones have and instead this feels right at home in the album, the melody built around Tremonti’s deeper rasp. Brighter tones than he’s used to working with on his leading moments (and certainly his self-titled band), it makes a refreshing change for him and shows how well his voice can sit on them, if given the chance. It comes at the perfect moment in the album, the slightly slower pace allowing for a breather before the aforementioned “Holiday”. But it’s throughout this album that Tremonti shows he still has plenty of guitar tricks up his sleeve, bringing some of his best riffs to date with a fresh technicality and precision to them without preciousness that allows them to have soul and their characteristic passion behind them.
Meanwhile, “Dead Among the Living” takes the darker tones of The Last Hero with the more open melodic moments in AB III to create a radio-friendly album cut. Hell, the song’s bridge could have easily been lifted from an AB III session as it could be right at home on that twelve year old album. Then, “Fable of the Silent Sun” steals “Blackbird”’s throne as the longest Alter Bridge song. Just as complex as that album’s title track, the wall of sound that the band produces as the song kicks into life is like a jet engine firing into life. And “Last Man Standing” channels hints of Fortress’ title track as the band slowly build their way to one of the most sonically grandiose numbers on the album.
Indeed, this is an album which could be classed as business as usual for the band but it’s very much an album about giving the people what they want. The lyrics take the standard “Don’t give in” messages they made their name for whilst simultaneously looking at the bigger picture which Kennedy started focusing more on with The Last Hero and brought into his solo work, Slash and subsequent AB albums. Much like this year’s 4, Kennedy doesn’t quite do the vocal somersaults he’s known for, finding a comfortable range and sticking within it. He never pushes too hard, even though he’s still capable of creating an even higher watermark than his vast body of work already has. But none of the songs call for it and if there’s one thing this album does better than any other Alter Bridge album, it’s putting the song first.
Whilst there’s a couple of slower numbers, there isn’t a “big ballad” moment to be found this time around but when you have two absolute gems in “Watch Over You” and “Wonderful Life”, you really don’t need to add any more to the arsenal. Instead, those tamer moments trade aggression for more complex and mature melodies, stretching them out to allow them to breathe and work their way to mighty crescendos to serve the song. It’s perfectly shown in the title track as it brings the album to a close, Kennedy’s vocals carry the weight of the world as he muses on humanity’s current status. It blends everything from the past nine songs into one last fluid flourish to create a definitive full-stop at the end of the sentence.
Pawns and Kings won’t change any nay-sayer’s mind about Alter Bridge. This is very much a greatest hits album without lazily compiling their past efforts and offering it up with some bonus content. It takes a few listens to fully warm up but when it does, it comes damn close to match that flawless run of Blackbird, AB III and their career-high of Fortress.
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CrowsOnAWire
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
https://boolintunes.com/2022/10/11/albu ... wns-kings/
ALBUM REVIEW: Alter Bridge – Pawns & Kings
October 11, 2022Maximo David
“A raging fire from the depths of hell, a wicked foe.”
While I’m not totally convinced by the concept, I think if I had to define what my biggest guilty pleasure is, it would be what is most affectionately known as butt rock. Growing up with a litany of post-grunge and radio-focussed alt-metal bands in my library, it’s no surprise that a lot of it stuck with me, but one such band I was always fascinated with was Creed. There was something about their melodramatic take on post-grunge that worked for me, but admittedly what fascinated me more is what happened following their demise in the early 2000s, rather than anything they ever did during their tenure.
See, what rose from those Nickelback-flavoured ashes was Alter Bridge: a riffy, proggy alt-metal group. Consisting of all-bar-one member of the former group, most known in their early days for “Metallingus”, which served as WWE superstar Edge’s entrance theme. Through this, they propelled almost near-instant stardom, and have remained a fairly consistent name within the metal world since all the way back then in 2005. Of course, as is typical for almost any band with such an extended life, their discography has its ups and downs, but I believe they never hit a peak higher than 2013’s Fortress.
Fortress was a progressive metal goliath of a record – and one that truly sparked an adoration in me for the band. Through this, though, I feel they set the bar a tad too high, as while their subsequent releases weren’t bad as such, they certainly didn’t scratch quite the same itch. After some time, however, I became at peace with that. Fortress still stood as one of my favourite metal-adjacent records of the 2010s, and while I accepted they may never achieve those heights again, I took solace in that I could always venture back and listen to that record.
Until Pawns & Kings.
Simply put, Pawns & Kings is a blast. Now seven albums deep into their career, it’s a strange thought to assume they may just be hitting a newfound apex so far into their tenure. However, I truly believe that Pawns & Kings stands tall alongside Fortress as one of the band’s most accomplished records to date.
The record begins its almost hour-long foray by setting a tone on “This Is War”: Alter Bridge mean business. They’re back in full force, and heavier than ever. There’s no joke in that too – Pawns & Kings is without a doubt the quartet’s heftiest outing to date on an instrumental level, even leaning pretty heavily into some dirty, glorious chugging at frequent points. Following track “Dead Among The Living” only bolsters this notion, with ferocious and angular riffing amongst the band’s penchant for larger-than-life choruses.
Toward the middle of the record, Alter Bridge pull back the bombastic energy a tad with “Stay”, the album’s token Mark Tremonti-led track. Taking a slightly more reserved approach to Alter Bridge’s sound, “Stay” at times leans into some pop-esque melodic structures, which provides an unexpected but well-executed juxtaposition to the album’s largely heavy, progressive sound.
Further, closer, title track and lead single “Pawns & Kings” is one of Alter Bridge’s most sprawling and planet-sized tracks to date. Most easily associated in nature with Fortress’ similarly eponymous closer, “Pawns & Kings” guides the listener through a six-minute epic in style and grace. Containing one of the band’s most infectious choruses to date, and impressing with its pacey, almost breakdown-esque bridge around the three-minute mark, “Pawns & Kings” was instrumental in bringing me back into the Alter Bridge camp, and still stands as one of the album’s, and the band’s best.
All in all, Pawns & Kings is one of the most accomplished comebacks I’ve heard in some time. While this band never strayed too far off the beaten path, I never quite expected the Floridian quartet to hit back as hard as they did here. Heavier, proggier and more grandiose than ever before, Alter Bridge have at last written a record to rival their own greats.
9/10
ALBUM REVIEW: Alter Bridge – Pawns & Kings
October 11, 2022Maximo David
“A raging fire from the depths of hell, a wicked foe.”
While I’m not totally convinced by the concept, I think if I had to define what my biggest guilty pleasure is, it would be what is most affectionately known as butt rock. Growing up with a litany of post-grunge and radio-focussed alt-metal bands in my library, it’s no surprise that a lot of it stuck with me, but one such band I was always fascinated with was Creed. There was something about their melodramatic take on post-grunge that worked for me, but admittedly what fascinated me more is what happened following their demise in the early 2000s, rather than anything they ever did during their tenure.
See, what rose from those Nickelback-flavoured ashes was Alter Bridge: a riffy, proggy alt-metal group. Consisting of all-bar-one member of the former group, most known in their early days for “Metallingus”, which served as WWE superstar Edge’s entrance theme. Through this, they propelled almost near-instant stardom, and have remained a fairly consistent name within the metal world since all the way back then in 2005. Of course, as is typical for almost any band with such an extended life, their discography has its ups and downs, but I believe they never hit a peak higher than 2013’s Fortress.
Fortress was a progressive metal goliath of a record – and one that truly sparked an adoration in me for the band. Through this, though, I feel they set the bar a tad too high, as while their subsequent releases weren’t bad as such, they certainly didn’t scratch quite the same itch. After some time, however, I became at peace with that. Fortress still stood as one of my favourite metal-adjacent records of the 2010s, and while I accepted they may never achieve those heights again, I took solace in that I could always venture back and listen to that record.
Until Pawns & Kings.
Simply put, Pawns & Kings is a blast. Now seven albums deep into their career, it’s a strange thought to assume they may just be hitting a newfound apex so far into their tenure. However, I truly believe that Pawns & Kings stands tall alongside Fortress as one of the band’s most accomplished records to date.
The record begins its almost hour-long foray by setting a tone on “This Is War”: Alter Bridge mean business. They’re back in full force, and heavier than ever. There’s no joke in that too – Pawns & Kings is without a doubt the quartet’s heftiest outing to date on an instrumental level, even leaning pretty heavily into some dirty, glorious chugging at frequent points. Following track “Dead Among The Living” only bolsters this notion, with ferocious and angular riffing amongst the band’s penchant for larger-than-life choruses.
Toward the middle of the record, Alter Bridge pull back the bombastic energy a tad with “Stay”, the album’s token Mark Tremonti-led track. Taking a slightly more reserved approach to Alter Bridge’s sound, “Stay” at times leans into some pop-esque melodic structures, which provides an unexpected but well-executed juxtaposition to the album’s largely heavy, progressive sound.
Further, closer, title track and lead single “Pawns & Kings” is one of Alter Bridge’s most sprawling and planet-sized tracks to date. Most easily associated in nature with Fortress’ similarly eponymous closer, “Pawns & Kings” guides the listener through a six-minute epic in style and grace. Containing one of the band’s most infectious choruses to date, and impressing with its pacey, almost breakdown-esque bridge around the three-minute mark, “Pawns & Kings” was instrumental in bringing me back into the Alter Bridge camp, and still stands as one of the album’s, and the band’s best.
All in all, Pawns & Kings is one of the most accomplished comebacks I’ve heard in some time. While this band never strayed too far off the beaten path, I never quite expected the Floridian quartet to hit back as hard as they did here. Heavier, proggier and more grandiose than ever before, Alter Bridge have at last written a record to rival their own greats.
9/10
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UninvitedZero
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
So many glowing reviews. My brains simply can't handle this kind of anticipation! 
I see some people on Facebook are receiving their pre-orders today!
I'll always buy a physical copy as close to release day as I can but just for the sake of having the tunes on my phone asap, it's time to do some dirty work and start diggin' around for a little leaky... I know, I'm ashamed of me too.
I see some people on Facebook are receiving their pre-orders today!
I'll always buy a physical copy as close to release day as I can but just for the sake of having the tunes on my phone asap, it's time to do some dirty work and start diggin' around for a little leaky... I know, I'm ashamed of me too.
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SHEAKENBAKEN
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
One more sleep until Pawns & Kings! 
I have a feeling today and most of tomorrow is gonna drag tho 
I have a feeling today and most of tomorrow is gonna drag tho -
joshuabeau
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
Yeah, I can’t contain my excitement. Bummed that my pre order isn’t gonna be here til Saturday though. One more sleep though! Haven’t been this hyped since Fortress. 
Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
New single artwork for "Dead Among The Living" and "Holiday" here:
https://v16-webapp.tiktok.com/2a47a9cfe ... btag=80000
The single artworks look better than the actual album artwork in my opinion
https://v16-webapp.tiktok.com/2a47a9cfe ... btag=80000
The single artworks look better than the actual album artwork in my opinion
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joshuabeau
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CrowsOnAWire
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
https://rocknloadmag.com/news/alter-bri ... um-review/
ALTER BRIDGE // PAWNS & KINGS // ALBUM REVIEW
10/10
For nearly twenty years Alter Bridge has been one of the most consistent bands around, delivering brilliant albums one after the other and this latest offering is no different, and in my humble opinion, it tops anything they have done previously.
This is typical AB but with the intensity dialled up quite a bit, opener “This Is War” is a banger with massive chugging riffs and thumping drums, the heaviness as always is tempered by Kennedy’s amazing voice, pitch-perfect and really melodic against the madness that is going on around him namely in the shape of Marshall’s deep bass and Tremonti’s savage guitar play. “Dead Amongst The Living” has a heavy bouncing drum and bass opener paired with a down-tuned riff that runs throughout, you can see crowds going mental when this is played live as it defies you to stay still, reminiscent of some of their earlier work but a lot heavier with Kennedy once again on top form.
And the hits keep on coming with the likes of “Silver tongue”, built off a blistering drum beat and some groovy riffs with a chorus that is so catchy it’ll be stuck in your head, and “Sin on Sin” a slower, heavy number with a crushing drum beat and grinding riff, the vocals match the intensity of the track giving you an amazing track. Possibly the best track on the album comes in the shape of the Tremonti lead “Stay”; pulling double duty on this rousing anthem, soaring riffs and killer melodic chorus’ are the order of the day, having the backup of a master vocalist like Kennedy doesn’t hurt either, but there is just something so infectious about this track that from first listen you know it is something special. There is an edgy feel to “Holiday” with a heavy bass and gritty riffs that are offset perfectly by Kennedy’s near-bluesy crooning, an odd mix that works to great effect. The epic “Fable Of The Silent Son” is a combination of the band’s renowned melodic side, a bass-heavy midsection blended with a proggy kick, as is the running theme on the album the guitar interplay between Tremonti and Kennedy is sensational and is brought to the fore here with some amazing fretwork, a serious contender for track of the album.
“Seasons Of Promise” is a melodic hard rocker that is packed full of uplifting riffs, more phenomenal drumming and bass work from Phillips and Marshall respectively and of course Kennedy’s soaring vocals making this a well rounded track. “Last Man Standing” is a juggernaut that hits you right between the eyes, with Marshall putting on a clinic in the fine art of bass playing as Phillips’ not so subtle drumming comes crashing in over the top, Tremonti and Kennedy again trade off on the guitar with some groovy riffs before Tremonti shows why he is one of the best guitarists around with a couple of tasty solos, Kennedy’s immense vocals give the song that extra bit of class. The album closes with the title track, “Pawns And Kings”, an all out rocker; colossal riffs to a backdrop of a thumping drum and bass line as Kennedy lets rip with all his vocal might with Tremonti slaying in a way only he can, this track has the feel about it that the band put every last ounce of energy into creating this masterpiece and leaving you wanting more.
ALTER BRIDGE // PAWNS & KINGS // ALBUM REVIEW
10/10
For nearly twenty years Alter Bridge has been one of the most consistent bands around, delivering brilliant albums one after the other and this latest offering is no different, and in my humble opinion, it tops anything they have done previously.
This is typical AB but with the intensity dialled up quite a bit, opener “This Is War” is a banger with massive chugging riffs and thumping drums, the heaviness as always is tempered by Kennedy’s amazing voice, pitch-perfect and really melodic against the madness that is going on around him namely in the shape of Marshall’s deep bass and Tremonti’s savage guitar play. “Dead Amongst The Living” has a heavy bouncing drum and bass opener paired with a down-tuned riff that runs throughout, you can see crowds going mental when this is played live as it defies you to stay still, reminiscent of some of their earlier work but a lot heavier with Kennedy once again on top form.
And the hits keep on coming with the likes of “Silver tongue”, built off a blistering drum beat and some groovy riffs with a chorus that is so catchy it’ll be stuck in your head, and “Sin on Sin” a slower, heavy number with a crushing drum beat and grinding riff, the vocals match the intensity of the track giving you an amazing track. Possibly the best track on the album comes in the shape of the Tremonti lead “Stay”; pulling double duty on this rousing anthem, soaring riffs and killer melodic chorus’ are the order of the day, having the backup of a master vocalist like Kennedy doesn’t hurt either, but there is just something so infectious about this track that from first listen you know it is something special. There is an edgy feel to “Holiday” with a heavy bass and gritty riffs that are offset perfectly by Kennedy’s near-bluesy crooning, an odd mix that works to great effect. The epic “Fable Of The Silent Son” is a combination of the band’s renowned melodic side, a bass-heavy midsection blended with a proggy kick, as is the running theme on the album the guitar interplay between Tremonti and Kennedy is sensational and is brought to the fore here with some amazing fretwork, a serious contender for track of the album.
“Seasons Of Promise” is a melodic hard rocker that is packed full of uplifting riffs, more phenomenal drumming and bass work from Phillips and Marshall respectively and of course Kennedy’s soaring vocals making this a well rounded track. “Last Man Standing” is a juggernaut that hits you right between the eyes, with Marshall putting on a clinic in the fine art of bass playing as Phillips’ not so subtle drumming comes crashing in over the top, Tremonti and Kennedy again trade off on the guitar with some groovy riffs before Tremonti shows why he is one of the best guitarists around with a couple of tasty solos, Kennedy’s immense vocals give the song that extra bit of class. The album closes with the title track, “Pawns And Kings”, an all out rocker; colossal riffs to a backdrop of a thumping drum and bass line as Kennedy lets rip with all his vocal might with Tremonti slaying in a way only he can, this track has the feel about it that the band put every last ounce of energy into creating this masterpiece and leaving you wanting more.
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maximzub
- On The Rail
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
Piece of advice to this reviewer: Get the song titles right before you write a review.
I'm in love with somebody...
Found someone who completes me...
I'm in love with somebody...
Oh yeah...
And it's Lzzy Hale!
My Long Alter Bridge Facts Post
Order Of Me Hearing Alter Bridge Songs
Order Of Me Hearing Tremonti Songs
Found someone who completes me...
I'm in love with somebody...
Oh yeah...
And it's Lzzy Hale!
Check out my coolest TABN posts!MaraCarr wrote: It is not like a crush or a lust thing.
My Long Alter Bridge Facts Post
Order Of Me Hearing Alter Bridge Songs
Order Of Me Hearing Tremonti Songs
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thatfunkodad
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
I'm I the only one who feels like calling AB "butt rock" is a huge insult? When I think butt rock, my mind goes to bands like Twisted Sister and Poison, not Alter Bridge.CrowsOnAWire wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:28 am https://boolintunes.com/2022/10/11/albu ... wns-kings/
ALBUM REVIEW: Alter Bridge – Pawns & Kings
October 11, 2022Maximo David
“A raging fire from the depths of hell, a wicked foe.”
While I’m not totally convinced by the concept, I think if I had to define what my biggest guilty pleasure is, it would be what is most affectionately known as butt rock.
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CrowsOnAWire
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
I'm not going to copy/paste the entire interview, but some interesting sections. Click through into the link if you want to read it all.
https://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/237251/9
'The New Move Was Less Is More': Myles Kennedy On Alter Bridge's 'Pawns & Kings'
‘The Last Hero’ was quite a rushed recording process and, following that, you and Mark had to write separately for ‘Walk The Sky’ before hitting the studio because you only had a short window to get that record done. Did you allow yourselves more breathing room this time out?
I don’t know how Mark felt with the batch of tunes he brought in but, for me, given the state of the world and how things had slowed down, I was able to wake up pretty much every day, go into my studio and demo ideas, work on and refine things. I was touring with Slash and the Conspirators earlier this year, so some stuff was being finished in hotel rooms along the way, but the bulk of the ideas I brought in had the luxury of me staying at it every day. And that’s really important for me, staying focused. I feel like we’ve found a good working dynamic and hopefully, moving forward, will continue to do it more.
You always try to broaden your horizons on each record to keep progressing as artists. So what new moves were employed on this album?
I feel like, with this record, the new move was less is more. It was the idea of stripping things down and having it be about the riff, about the skeleton of the song, standing on its own without adding all this extra stuff, all the fairy dust, on top of it. Part of that is why people are like, ‘This is more aggressive, it’s a heavier record.’ I think that’s because we were focussed on making sure all the riffs were really compelling on their own without needing any fancy studio trickery.
Which numbers best embody that stripped down approach?
A song like the opening track, even though it starts out with the choir vocals in the background, kind of very early Ozzy, when it kicks in it’s very much about that rhythmic phrase without a bunch of stuff going over the top of it. Silver Tongue, same sort of thing, where it’s about making sure that riff has room to breathe without adding a bunch of fancy mumbo jumbo over the top of it. There really is something to be said about making sure you get a good stereo field, make sure it’s executed a certain way and the tones are strong on their own. I feel like that will trump the wall of sound.
Some of the heaviest riffs on the record apparently came from you. So for fans who love to know these things, which did you bring to the table and which were Mark’s?
Riff wise, This Is War, Silver Tongue, Fable Of The Silent Son, a lot of the bulk of that, and Pawns & Kings were mine. But one of my favourites is Sin After Sin and that’s Mark. I love that riff. It’s killer. Just awesome. Steeped in awesomeness. It’s almost got an Alice In Chains and Mastodon thing here and there, who are one of my all time favourite bands. It’s a cool track and when he presented the demo for it I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s got to go on the record.’
Fable Of The Silent Son becomes your longest song, eclipsing Blackbird, and am I right in thinking there’s a nice guitar face off between you and Mark during the solo on that one?
Yes, there is. Switching back and forth. And another we did that on was Last Man Standing. We’re bouncing back and forth and that was a lot of fun. I love those guitar, I don’t want to say duels, but you’re trading parts. I would like to tell you we’re in the studio, staring at each other, sweat is beating on our brows, but we do [record those parts] separately.
https://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/237251/9
'The New Move Was Less Is More': Myles Kennedy On Alter Bridge's 'Pawns & Kings'
‘The Last Hero’ was quite a rushed recording process and, following that, you and Mark had to write separately for ‘Walk The Sky’ before hitting the studio because you only had a short window to get that record done. Did you allow yourselves more breathing room this time out?
I don’t know how Mark felt with the batch of tunes he brought in but, for me, given the state of the world and how things had slowed down, I was able to wake up pretty much every day, go into my studio and demo ideas, work on and refine things. I was touring with Slash and the Conspirators earlier this year, so some stuff was being finished in hotel rooms along the way, but the bulk of the ideas I brought in had the luxury of me staying at it every day. And that’s really important for me, staying focused. I feel like we’ve found a good working dynamic and hopefully, moving forward, will continue to do it more.
You always try to broaden your horizons on each record to keep progressing as artists. So what new moves were employed on this album?
I feel like, with this record, the new move was less is more. It was the idea of stripping things down and having it be about the riff, about the skeleton of the song, standing on its own without adding all this extra stuff, all the fairy dust, on top of it. Part of that is why people are like, ‘This is more aggressive, it’s a heavier record.’ I think that’s because we were focussed on making sure all the riffs were really compelling on their own without needing any fancy studio trickery.
Which numbers best embody that stripped down approach?
A song like the opening track, even though it starts out with the choir vocals in the background, kind of very early Ozzy, when it kicks in it’s very much about that rhythmic phrase without a bunch of stuff going over the top of it. Silver Tongue, same sort of thing, where it’s about making sure that riff has room to breathe without adding a bunch of fancy mumbo jumbo over the top of it. There really is something to be said about making sure you get a good stereo field, make sure it’s executed a certain way and the tones are strong on their own. I feel like that will trump the wall of sound.
Some of the heaviest riffs on the record apparently came from you. So for fans who love to know these things, which did you bring to the table and which were Mark’s?
Riff wise, This Is War, Silver Tongue, Fable Of The Silent Son, a lot of the bulk of that, and Pawns & Kings were mine. But one of my favourites is Sin After Sin and that’s Mark. I love that riff. It’s killer. Just awesome. Steeped in awesomeness. It’s almost got an Alice In Chains and Mastodon thing here and there, who are one of my all time favourite bands. It’s a cool track and when he presented the demo for it I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s got to go on the record.’
Fable Of The Silent Son becomes your longest song, eclipsing Blackbird, and am I right in thinking there’s a nice guitar face off between you and Mark during the solo on that one?
Yes, there is. Switching back and forth. And another we did that on was Last Man Standing. We’re bouncing back and forth and that was a lot of fun. I love those guitar, I don’t want to say duels, but you’re trading parts. I would like to tell you we’re in the studio, staring at each other, sweat is beating on our brows, but we do [record those parts] separately.
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maximzub
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
I would love to see this happen if they play those two songs live.CrowsOnAWire wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 10:21 am Yes, there is. Switching back and forth. And another we did that on was Last Man Standing. We’re bouncing back and forth and that was a lot of fun. I love those guitar, I don’t want to say duels, but you’re trading parts. I would like to tell you we’re in the studio, staring at each other, sweat is beating on our brows, but we do [record those parts] separately.
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Found someone who completes me...
I'm in love with somebody...
Oh yeah...
And it's Lzzy Hale!
Check out my coolest TABN posts!MaraCarr wrote: It is not like a crush or a lust thing.
My Long Alter Bridge Facts Post
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Re: Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)
Butt rock is bands like Skillet, Five Finger Death Punch, Nickelback or Three Days Grace in my book. But to be honest, there are tracks on The Last Hero that sound dangerously close to this.thatfunkodad wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 10:11 amI'm I the only one who feels like calling AB "butt rock" is a huge insult? When I think butt rock, my mind goes to bands like Twisted Sister and Poison, not Alter Bridge.CrowsOnAWire wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:28 am https://boolintunes.com/2022/10/11/albu ... wns-kings/
ALBUM REVIEW: Alter Bridge – Pawns & Kings
October 11, 2022Maximo David
“A raging fire from the depths of hell, a wicked foe.”
While I’m not totally convinced by the concept, I think if I had to define what my biggest guilty pleasure is, it would be what is most affectionately known as butt rock.