Pawns & Kings (Alter Bridge - VII)

[AHart96]

A big factor for me is the difference in vocal melodies and their memorability. There are so many from the ODR-Fortress era that you can’t help but sing along to and that get stuck in your head, whereas those are fewer in number over the last couple of albums. At least in my opinion

[Schulzy]

Good point AHart96. I listened to an acoustic recording of Brand New Start from early 2007 that I had stored on my old laptop and it brought me to tears. The melody of that song has lasted through the years and is a favorite that I come back to time and time again.

[riemslag1]

A big factor for me is the difference in vocal melodies and their memorability. There are so many from the ODR-Fortress era that you can’t help but sing along to and that get stuck in your head, whereas those are fewer in number over the last couple of albums. At least in my opinion

So true ! Could not say it better !

[AB4Lyfe]

A big factor for me is the difference in vocal melodies and their memorability. There are so many from the ODR-Fortress era that you can’t help but sing along to and that get stuck in your head, whereas those are fewer in number over the last couple of albums. At least in my opinion

The ironic thing about this is that the best example I can think of of a memorable AB chorus over the past two albums, is Stay. And people hate Stay.

[UninvitedZero]

The ironic thing about this is that the best example I can think of of a memorable AB chorus over the past two albums, is Stay. And people hate Stay.

It took a few listens before Stay hooked itself into my brain, but when it did, it hit hard!

I for one am not people! Stay is so sweet and cheerful, I can't help but love it.

[VigilantSteve]

The ironic thing about this is that the best example I can think of of a memorable AB chorus over the past two albums, is Stay. And people hate Stay.

It took a few listens before Stay hooked itself into my brain, but when it did, it hit hard!

I for one am not people! Stay is so sweet and cheerful, I can't help but love it.

Yeah, Stay is a great song. Whatever it is that people aren't liking about it, certainly isn't translated to my tastes.

Good point AHart96. I listened to an acoustic recording of Brand New Start from early 2007 that I had stored on my old laptop and it brought me to tears. The melody of that song has lasted through the years and is a favorite that I come back to time and time again.

I find this so interesting, because to me Brand New Start has one of the dullest melodies on the Blackbird album.

[Schulzy]

The ironic thing about this is that the best example I can think of of a memorable AB chorus over the past two albums, is Stay. And people hate Stay.

It took a few listens before Stay hooked itself into my brain, but when it did, it hit hard!

I for one am not people! Stay is so sweet and cheerful, I can't help but love it.

Yeah, Stay is a great song. Whatever it is that people aren't liking about it, certainly isn't translated to my tastes.

Good point AHart96. I listened to an acoustic recording of Brand New Start from early 2007 that I had stored on my old laptop and it brought me to tears. The melody of that song has lasted through the years and is a favorite that I come back to time and time again.

I find this so interesting, because to me Brand New Start has one of the dullest melodies on the Blackbird album.

That's what I love about AB. Different songs impact people in different ways.

[VigilantSteve]

That's what I love about AB. Different songs impact people in different ways.

Absolutely. Part of what makes them so great.

[AB4Lyfe]

I think Stay doesn't hit for some because of the lyrical content - at least the way the song opens. You know the song is going to be cheesy as fuck. "Hold your hands up high and throw 'em in the air" for example. A lyric like that to *open* a song from a more hard rock & metal band is usually a bit cheesy & cringe.

However, the song begins to soar once you get past that and get toward the hook. But for some, the bad taste of that opening lyric makes the hook less impactful when it rolls around because they're already slightly disengaged.

Speaking very generally here - this is just what I've noticed watching different reactions.

[Timotheus]

My issue with the Stay chorus is quite the opposite. I don't think it's memorable at all. The hook is basically one long note with a harmony over it, which is their go-to formula for many new songs.

It doesn't sound bad, and it's great that you guys like that sound (truly is, that's no sarcasm), but in a song I already find pretty cheesy, it doesn't excite me that much.

[Addicted To Pain]

Does anybody remember that Alter Bridge was doing a prize giveaway (15 golden chess piece pendants) to their top 15 fan art/fan covers with the hashtag #pawnsandkings?

Well, I just won one.

[Schulzy]

Does anybody remember that Alter Bridge was doing a prize giveaway (15 golden chess piece pendants) to their top 15 fan art/fan covers with the hashtag #pawnsandkings?

Well, I just won one.

Congrats!

[Whitebird]

Does anybody remember that Alter Bridge was doing a prize giveaway (15 golden chess piece pendants) to their top 15 fan art/fan covers with the hashtag #pawnsandkings?

Well, I just won one.

Oh you have to show it to us!

[Addicted To Pain]

Does anybody remember that Alter Bridge was doing a prize giveaway (15 golden chess piece pendants) to their top 15 fan art/fan covers with the hashtag #pawnsandkings?

Well, I just won one.

Oh you have to show it to us!

They haven't mailed it to me yet, but I got a text from a manager at Napalm Records this morning.



This is what I entered into the contest.

[zazthespaz]

Nice! Congrats Max - post a picture when you et it!

Anyone else enter that contest?

Edit: *not a typo - I got 500 errors until I removed the "g" from "get". I still cannot add the g back in even after these edits.

[Dan Dando]

Nice! Congrats Max - post a picture when you et it!

Anyone else enter that contest?

Edit: *not a typo - I got 500 errors until I removed the "g" from "get". I still cannot add the g back in even after these edits.

Ghats geally geird

[zazthespaz]

Nice! Congrats Max - post a picture when you et it!

Anyone else enter that contest?

Edit: *not a typo - I got 500 errors until I removed the "g" from "get". I still cannot add the g back in even after these edits.

Ghats geally geird

Show off

[Whitebird]

It would be so nice if AB releases the making of their albums, like a 1 hour 'documentary' of the process of every song and all of that, like the Blackbird one but longer, I love those footages

[anguyen92]

Well, there was a 45 min. documentary when they discussed the creation process of the Fortress album in the album's Sound & and the Story to accompany the guitar lessons of the songs.

That's something I feel like they could have done on the regular.

[Whitebird]

Well, there was a 45 min. documentary when they discussed the creation process of the Fortress album in the album's Sound & and the Story to accompany the guitar lessons of the songs.

That's something I feel like they could have done on the regular.

Oh you're riiiight, I forgot about that one