Love Creed or hate them, there’s no denying
that they did something wonderful for a crappy music
scene. They made people interested in guitar rock
again. Following the fallout, the band quickly revamped
with new singer Myles Kennedy under the moniker Alter
Bridge. After a financially successful debut (although
critically panned for sounding too much like Creed
with a subpar vocalist) the band fell out with their
label over their sound and all was semi-silent. Until
now.
“Blackbird” marks the return of the band
and is the first album for their new label home Universal/Republic.
In many ways this largely a debut as the band is free
from the people that wanted them to continue to be
Creed. Vocalist Myles Kennedy and co. really find
their place on “Blackbird,” and it’s
nothing short of shocking and amazing. The new album
is the heaviest thing any of the members have ever
done and the new sound makes them stand head and shoulders
above most of today’s stale rock acts. Oh, and
it’s at least a hundred times better than Creed.
“Ties that Bind” opens the show in an
epic metal way. Blurring the lines between hard rock
and classic metal, Kennedy and guitarist Mark Tremonti
prove that they are their own beast as the song soars
far beyond any expectations listeners may have had.
“Buried Alive” burns just as bright while
showcasing a slightly more friendly sound in Tremonti’s
anthemic fashion. The tile track is a grandiose song
for a commercial rock band on a major label, hearkening
back to the long winded rock bands of the seventies
in spirit while sounding more relevant than most of
today’s rock scene.
I want to be careful to make it clear here that the
band has not completely severed the ties and started
over. Their history is more than represented here
by songs like” Brand New Start,” “Watch
Over You,” “Wayward One,” and “Rise
Today.” As disappointing as that may be to those
who aren’t that interested in the band’s
debut album or their former band, it’s really
not that bad when balanced out by heavier tracks.
In fact, it’s more than a little enjoyable.
For me the key here is the unleashing of singer Myles
Kennedy. He is a much better vocalist than I previously
gave him credit for as is evidenced by the explosion
he creates on this album. This is easily one of this
year’s best hard music releases, much to my
surprise. You owe it to yourself to pick this album
up and give the boys another chance. You won’t
regret it.
Key Tracks: “Ties That Bind,” “Blackbird,”
“Wayward One”
Reviewed by Mark Fisher |
