The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. PAWNS & KINGS

[Samsara]

  I want to hear layers of acoustic guitar.  I want layers of clean guitar.  Build the guitar orchestra up organically.    AB is the band of lost opportunity for me.   I think they have the talent and the gumption to be a modern day Zeppelin, but they're not there.   

I agree with what you are wanting to hear. That's what I'm talking about. Hear the layers, hear things cleanly. I know wanting the sound of Empire (warmth, all the layers, the power) is a big ask, as that record was used by many studio professionals as the epitome of great sound in the early 90s. But something at least where the band's complexity and warmth is prominent is something I feel is sorely needed by Alter Bridge.

@Samsara

What are your top 5 AB tracks?

GG,

Never really ranked them. Here's the first seven I thought of off the top of my head (not in order):

The End is Here
Blackbird
Slip to the Void
Words Darker Than Their Wings
Fortress
Cradle to the Grave
Fable of the Silent Son

>>>All moody and epic-sounding. There are some more rockers that would likely fill out a top-15.

For the hell of it, my album ranking:

1. Blackbird
2. Pawns & Kings
3. AB III
4. Fortress
5. The Last Hero
6. Walk the Sky
7. One Day Remains

[Anguyen92]

As of right now for me, always ever changing based on mood or circumstances, here's my list. 

Songs:
1. Fortress
2. Blackbird
3. Last Man Standing
4. Fallout
5. Open Your Eyes
Honorable Mentions: Walking on the Sky

Albums:
1. Fortress
2. Blackbird
3. Pawns & Kings
4. ABIII
5. Walk the Sky
6. One Day Remains
7. The Last Hero

[Samsara]

As of right now for me, always ever changing based on mood or circumstances, here's my list. 

Songs:

3. Last Man Standing

I love this tune, and it has continued to grow on me as the months have gone by. Really a great song. Wish they would have played it at the shows I went to instead of Holiday.

[ReaperKK]

I'm kind of surprised to see One Day Remains ranked so low, it's my favorite AB by a wide, wide margin.

Genuinely curious what brings the album down to the bottom for you guys?

[lordxizor]

I'm kind of surprised to see One Day Remains ranked so low, it's my favorite AB by a wide, wide margin.

Genuinely curious what brings the album down to the bottom for you guys?

It's up near the top as well. It's probably my most listened to AB album.

[Stadler]

I'm not the guy to ask, I'm a casual AB fan, but it always seemed to me that it got short shrift for being the record written "before Myles", meaning, it was instrumentally developed when the three guys were still, technically, in Creed, so you don't have that instrumental interaction with Myles as there's none of his guitar playing on the album.   It's also the only one not produced by "Elvis", too, right?  My guesses only.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I'm not the guy to ask, I'm a casual AB fan, but it always seemed to me that it got short shrift for being the record written "before Myles", meaning, it was instrumentally developed when the three guys were still, technically, in Creed, so you don't have that instrumental interaction with Myles as there's none of his guitar playing on the album.   It's also the only one not produced by "Elvis", too, right?  My guesses only.

This is pretty much my view on it. It has that ‘Creed hangover’ vibe to it for me. They really found their identity when Myles started writing with them. It’s still a solid album though.

[Samsara]

I'm kind of surprised to see One Day Remains ranked so low, it's my favorite AB by a wide, wide margin.

Genuinely curious what brings the album down to the bottom for you guys?

"Bottom" is relative. It's my least favorite, but I still love it. In fact, I'd say that the mix and production on that album is my favorite in the AB catalog. But it is my least favorite because the band had not yet realized Myles Kennedy was an incredible guitarist. It was written musically by Tremonti, with some tracks earmarked for the next Creed album. And as such, it's a record written to be played by one guitarist. It wasn't until Blackbird where the band musically made its blueprint, with Myles being an active guitar player, not just live, but his playing on the record. If you watch them live, Myles typically doesn't play guitar on stuff from the record, unless it is a slower number like Burn it Down or In Loving Memory. All the heavy or epic tracks, he's just singing. Still cool, but not what AB ultimately became once Mark and the band realized what a phenomenal player Myles was, and incorporated his playing style to make AB what it is from Blackbird through today.

re: The future

The posts from yesterday, my wife and I talked about AB a bunch last night, and she just steadfastly said "they need to get away from Elvis." She said, and I agree, that she clearly feels like there is a masterpiece from AB that is yet to come out, and we discussed at length the fact that AB play it safe and check boxes when making a record. Mrs. Samsara suggested David Bottrill, due to all the great records he's done, specifically a favorite of ours, Mastodon's Hushed and Grim.

Here's the thing - Walk the Sky is one of my least favorite AB records, but it is also one of the ones I respect the most, because the band didn't play it safe - they experimented. Pawns & Kings, while my second favorite AB record (despite having two of my least favorite AB songs in Season of Promise and Holiday), is very much a "play it safe" album. In some ways, Walk the Sky was too...making sure boxes were checked with "Wouldn't You Rather" and "Dying Light" (which I love, but they specifically went back to write those feeling they needed those "type of" songs to finish the album.

AB needs to stop being this afterthought by Myles and Mark. Both of them love their solo bands. They devote a lot of time and energy to them. They also like playing for bigger crowds (Slash for Myles, Creed for Mark). And that's fine. But they are spread so thin, AB has gone from Mark and Myles each coming up with lots of different parts to songs, and then sitting together and creating songs, to each of them writing songs in a vacuum by themselves, and then coming together and picking which ones they all like for an AB record. It's not organic. It's not challenging. It has gotten very stale.

I think AB would be very well served by Myles and Mark setting aside a couple months for songwriting and preproduction next time out. Just get in a room and write together and take chances. Then get a new production team. Do something DIFFERENT. Because while I love AB, and I love their songs, Mrs. Samsara is right - I always hear that masterpiece that they've yet to do. You hear brilliance in many of their epics. And in some of the more intense, straight forward metal/hard rock cuts (Isolation, Show Me a Leader, Ties That Bind, etc.). But there is always SOMETHING that interrupts an idea.

For example, doing Pawns and Kings, Myles has said things in the press how after the first five tracks, with the songs very intense, and sorta deep emotionally, they wanted "Holiday" to break it up, not be so serious. Well, WHY THE HELL do you feel the need to do that? There's no need. AB is really good at the intense, serious vibe. Embrace it. Don't feel a need to put some sort of poppy chorus middle of the album cut in there. Embrace what you're good at.

They did the same thing after "Fable." Season of Promise. Poppy chorus, not so intense. And then after that, they get dark and proggy with Last Man Standing and the title track. All of that is because the band felt the need to "check the boxes" at two specific points on the record. That's stupid, honestly. Regardless of whether a fan likes those two songs or not (I know I am in the minority in that I don't like them), the STYLE of the songs was not needed. Not with the type of material that was throughout Pawns and Kings. EMBRACE the direction. Don't feel a need (which I am sure was in part pushed by Elvis Baskette) to check boxes because of expectation.

I want Alter Bridge to focus on Alter Bridge. Get in a room, take chances, write together like you did from Blackbird through The Last Hero. And once you have the songs and a clear vision, then get a production team that will challenge you, not that you are comfortable with. That's my desire and hope for AB moving forward.

For me, one of the greatest bands over the last 20 years, that for whatever reason, tends to sometimes get in its own way. Here's hoping next time out is their "Mindcrime." 

[ReaperKK]

I'm not the guy to ask, I'm a casual AB fan, but it always seemed to me that it got short shrift for being the record written "before Myles", meaning, it was instrumentally developed when the three guys were still, technically, in Creed, so you don't have that instrumental interaction with Myles as there's none of his guitar playing on the album.   It's also the only one not produced by "Elvis", too, right?  My guesses only.

This is pretty much my view on it. It has that ‘Creed hangover’ vibe to it for me. They really found their identity when Myles started writing with them. It’s still a solid album though.

Funny you say Creed hangover album, I definitely hear that in the first release and I think that's partially why I like it so much. I think it took the Creed formula and just pushed it a little bit further.

Samara I think you are completely right about taking risks. I was all in on AB until Blackbird and then sort of fell off as my music interests veered off in different directions. When I came back to AB and caught up on their catalog it sort of started to all bleed together. I feel like the last few releases have been "safe". I'd rather have them do something different and I hate it then just pump out an AB album that sounds by the numbers.

[Stadler]

Samsara, I didn't quote you out of space considerations, but I love your post.  And tell Mrs. Samsara, I'm with her on that! (Elvis)!

But here's a question: is that an Alter Bridge problem or a symptom of the industry now? I've LONG said that as much as I love Mike - and as much as it hasn't really affected my joy at listening to him drum - I really have problems with the "this is my PROG project, this is my METAL project, this is my POP project..." mentality.  Wasn't the beauty of those 70's bands we love so much that they didn't have genres?  That John Paul Jones was playing jazz, Robert was singing the blues, Jimmy was playing rockabilly, and John Bonham was drumming metal?   FOR ME, the best parts of Dream Theater was the amalgamation of disparate influences like Rush, Maiden, Journey, etc.   Now that they've sort of found their "formula" it's stale for me. 

All the best bands, well, the prog bands anyway, were intersections of genres, not pure representations of any one genre.  ELP was prog with classical intersection. Crimson was prog, with a jazzy intersection.  Genesis was prog with a pop/Beatles intersection.  Yes was prog with a 60's rock intersection.

it's not that I wish Myles and Mark would forsake their solo stuff, or stop working with Slash/Creed, but I'm with you: when they go in to a session, NO RULES.  Don't throw it out because "this would be better in Creed" or "this would be better for my solo album".  Famously, Phil Collins would bring ALL his stuff to Genesis and let THEM decide. We could very well have had "In The Air Tonight" on Duke!!! 

[Samsara]

Reaper,

Honestly, I'm split on this. I don't necessarily think the catalog "bleeds together" as you put it. AB isn't say, AC/DC or a band that does the same record each time out. The AB songs all show growth. The SOUND of the records, however, to my ears, bleeds together. Add to that always making sure a few songs "check the boxes" (single, epic, ballad, prog), makes things sterile and formulaic. But the songs...even when they check those boxes, they do incorporate new elements within those tunes. THAT is why the frustration is there. The songs show growth, but the sound and repetition in album style (with Walk the Sky being a PARTIAL outlier) really don't.

I love AB. Love the songs. But, like I said above, I really think they need to do something out-of-the-box with a different production team.

Samsara, I didn't quote you out of space considerations, but I love your post.  And tell Mrs. Samsara, I'm with her on that! (Elvis)!

 

But here's a question: is that an Alter Bridge problem or a symptom of the industry now? I've LONG said that as much as I love Mike - and as much as it hasn't really affected my joy at listening to him drum - I really have problems with the "this is my PROG project, this is my METAL project, this is my POP project..." mentality.  Wasn't the beauty of those 70's bands we love so much that they didn't have genres?  That John Paul Jones was playing jazz, Robert was singing the blues, Jimmy was playing rockabilly, and John Bonham was drumming metal?   FOR ME, the best parts of Dream Theater was the amalgamation of disparate influences like Rush, Maiden, Journey, etc.   Now that they've sort of found their "formula" it's stale for me. 

All the best bands, well, the prog bands anyway, were intersections of genres, not pure representations of any one genre.  ELP was prog with classical intersection. Crimson was prog, with a jazzy intersection.  Genesis was prog with a pop/Beatles intersection.  Yes was prog with a 60's rock intersection.

it's not that I wish Myles and Mark would forsake their solo stuff, or stop working with Slash/Creed, but I'm with you: when they go in to a session, NO RULES.  Don't throw it out because "this would be better in Creed" or "this would be better for my solo album".  Famously, Phil Collins would bring ALL his stuff to Genesis and let THEM decide. We could very well have had "In The Air Tonight" on Duke!!! 

I DO think it is a problem with the way the industry is now, yeah. I suggested above to have Mark and Myles take two months for writing and prepro...I don't think bands really do that any more. They are all playing live and taking advantage of the revenue streams that back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, weren't there. Just as a fan, and an old school metal/rock fan from our eras -- it is really frustrating that a band like AB isn't...at least in my opinion...realizing their full potential because the industry is so hyper focused on touring to make money.

That said, that still DOES NOT MEAN AB can't get a new production team. Of COURSE they can. And that falls squarely on them. I mean, I know they like them. But for the spirit of change and pushing yourself, shouldn't they want to try new ears? They are songwriters. You would think they would...

[Anguyen92]

Well, when you listen back to Pawns & Kings, you can hear certain songs that could tie back to their other bands.  Holiday could have been something from a Slash album.  The intro to Last Man Standing could have been on something from Creed.  I think these guys, given how much they and the fanbase cherish Blackbird (the song), would think if they are going to make a song like Fable of the Silent Son and have a song length slightly longer than Blackbird, they got to put full effort into making this song.

That being said, when you hear the Myles' solo project, there are few songs that he had created where I would wish it was on an AB album (The Great Beyond is a good example of that).  Meanwhile, there are plenty of songs that Mark has in his Tremonti solo band that I wish he brought in AB.

As for Elvis Baskette, this might be me not really paying that much attention to detail when it comes to production, but I, for some reason, don't see the issues people have with the guy.  The only time I really noted these issues was in The Last Hero album (which is why I rate the album so low, although the top end songs are still very good).  The way that album was produced made it a chore to listen to front to back.  I think this is why, to me, Pawns & Kings was a big improvement over the previous two albums.  It's not a chore to listen to (especially with a 50 min. album length) and the songs have sections that feel much more deeper, instrumentally, than Walk the Sky.  On top of that, other bands that AB knows very well works with the guy.  They are on tour with those bands now (Sevendust and Mammoth WVH).  Those bands' perception of the guy is way off from certain fans' views of the producer.

[Samsara]

That being said, when you hear the Myles' solo project, there are few songs that he had created where I would wish it was on an AB album (The Great Beyond is a good example of that).  Meanwhile, there are plenty of songs that Mark has in his Tremonti solo band that I wish he brought in AB.

YES. That's dead-on. I just think they are all spread too thin, and AB ends up being somewhat of a lower priority. They write for a formula for AB. When they write, they hear a certain thing and go "oh, that's for AB" and put it aside. I think that's detrimental to AB. It works sometimes, but to keep it fresh, they just need to sit and write together and just go ahead and experiment. Try things.

I love the band regardless. These are all nitpicks. But after seven records, a different production team and perhaps a different writing approach would be really beneficial.

[Anguyen92]

^^ On the other hand, I can't imagine the country/Americana vibes of Myles' songs like Sifting Through the Fire or Devil on the Wall or even something laid back like Worried Mind would ever work as AB songs and Myles feels like he needs a platform for that kind of side to him, musically, since he can go a lot of directions and do it well.

[Samsara]

^^ On the other hand, I can't imagine the country/Americana vibes of Myles' songs like Sifting Through the Fire or Devil on the Wall or even something laid back like Worried Mind would ever work as AB songs and Myles feels like he needs a platform for that kind of side to him, musically, since he can go a lot of directions and do it well.

Well, yeah, some things obviously aren't the right "fit," per se. But AB needs to roll the dice. What I suggested last night in talking to my wife...a new producer should turn to Myles and say: "Myles, don't overthink this -- what is the first think that comes to your mind and hands when you think you want to write something heavy but thrashy?" Or turning to Mark, and saying, "You've been doing Sinatra and big band...embrace that side for Alter Bridge an electric guitar." Just overall, experiment, and see what feels right.

Or, if one of them is inspired by a concept...sit together and see it through. So, so many options. But I feel like they just run it back all the time with Elvis. Just sterile. Good songs, as always, but just the same washed up front in your face wall of sound, and checking boxes. The hell with that.


p.s. I edited to add that another aspect that I respect about Mark and Myles is their love and recognition for the album format. I forget which of the two said it (maybe it was both), but one of them made a point to say how they agonize over a tracklisting, to make sure the complete body of work flows the way they intend. As a full-album listener, I really appreciate that. Which is why, it is also baffling they do some other things that I complain about. 

But bottom line is - these guys are too damn talented to restrict themselves to AB by the numbers.

[hefdaddy42]

I know it isn't technically the right place for this, but did anyone else hear Scott Stapp's new single, Higher Power? Opinions will obviously vary on how good it is, but that song is a lot heavier than I would have expected.

[Samsara]

I know it isn't technically the right place for this, but did anyone else hear Scott Stapp's new single, Higher Power? Opinions will obviously vary on how good it is, but that song is a lot heavier than I would have expected.

Probably better in the Creed thread, but yeah, I heard it. It's a bit modern-heavy, yeah. I didn't think it was anything heavier than the last Creed record though.

[gzarruk]

I know it isn't technically the right place for this, but did anyone else hear Scott Stapp's new single, Higher Power? Opinions will obviously vary on how good it is, but that song is a lot heavier than I would have expected.

I liked it

[ReaperKK]

I know it isn't technically the right place for this, but did anyone else hear Scott Stapp's new single, Higher Power? Opinions will obviously vary on how good it is, but that song is a lot heavier than I would have expected.

Just gave it a spin, it's pretty good and yea a lot heavier than I would've guessed going into it.

[Samsara]

I spent some time thinking about my favorite AB songs from each record. I did a top-5 for each:

One Day Remains

1. The End is Here
2. Shed My Skin
3. Down to My Last
4. One Day Remains
5. In Loving Memory

Blackbird

1. Blackbird
2. Wayward One
3. Ties That Bind
4. Before Tomorrow Comes
5. Watch Over You

AB III

1. Words Darker Than Their Wings
2. Slip to the Void
3. Show Me a Sign
4. Isolation
5. Still Remains

Fortress
 
1. Fortress
2. Cry of Achilles
3. Calm the Fire
4. Lover
5. Addicted to Pain

The Last Hero

1. Cradle to the Grave
2. Show Me a Leader
3. My Champion
4. The Last Hero
5. couldn't pick one

Walk the Sky

1. Dying Light
2. Native Son
3. Walking on the Sky
4. Wouldn't You Rather
5. Forever Falling

Pawns & Kings

1. Fable of the Silent Son
2. Pawns & Kings
3. This is War
4. Sin After Sin
5. Last Man Standing


>>>>>That was a fun exercise. I still need to think of a fifth track from The Last Hero. Those four stood out immediately. But the rest, it a bit of a blend together. But hell, this is a great career retrospective 3 CD set to me! 

[Anguyen92]

Well, then for me.

One Day Remains

1. Open Your Eyes
2. Down To My Last
3. Find The Real
4. One Day Remains
5. In Loving Memory

Blackbird

1. Blackbird
2. Brand New Start
3. Wayward One
4. Watch Over You
5. One By One
Honorable Mentions goes to New Way to Live which didn't make the official album cut and was a bonus track.  That and The Damage Done.

AB III

1. Slip to the Void
2. Show Me A Sign
3. Fallout
4. Life Must Go On
5. Coeur D'Alene

Fortress

1. Fortress
2. Waters Rising
3. Bleed it Dry
4. Cry of Achilles
5. Calm the Fire

The Last Hero

1. Cradle to the Grave
2. Twilight
3. The Last Hero
4. This Side of Fate
5. Island of Fools

Walk the Sky

1. Walking on the Sky
2. Clear Horizon
3. Forever Falling
4. Native Son
5. Take The Crown

Pawns & Kings

1. Last Man Standing
2. Season of Promise
3. Pawns & Kings
4. Fable of the Silent Son
5. This Is War

[Samsara]

Honorable Mentions goes to New Way to Live which didn't make the official album cut and was a bonus track.  That and The Damage Done.

I love both those songs. Particularly "New Way to Live." Powerful that Myles wrote it about AB bassist Brian Marshall. So glad B-Marsh made the change to get healthy.

[LudwigVan]

Not gonna try to over-analyze this, but of late I find myself pulling out the old Creed albums over the newer AB stuff.

[ProgMasterMind92]

couple years ago i was on a plane, flying home after ending an six-year journey with my ex-wife. "blackbird" by alter bridge came on my phone, and i couldn't hold back the tears. that song hit home, you know? this teenager called me a goofy ass for it, but honestly, i couldn't care less. music's a healer. just had to let it out.

[Samsara]

couple years ago i was on a plane, flying home after ending an six-year journey with my ex-wife. "blackbird" by alter bridge came on my phone, and i couldn't hold back the tears. that song hit home, you know? this teenager called me a goofy ass for it, but honestly, i couldn't care less. music's a healer. just had to let it out.

I totally get that. My mom died of cancer 13 years ago. While I can listen to "Blackbird" just fine, I cry like a baby every time I hear "In Loving Memory." Mark Tremonti wrote the lyrics to that for his mom, who passed of cancer. Some songs just hit home, and Alter Bridge has a number of them like that. Which to me, is the mark of a soulful, impactful band.

[Awaken]

couple years ago i was on a plane, flying home after ending an six-year journey with my ex-wife. "blackbird" by alter bridge came on my phone, and i couldn't hold back the tears. that song hit home, you know? this teenager called me a goofy ass for it, but honestly, i couldn't care less. music's a healer. just had to let it out.

I totally get that. My mom died of cancer 13 years ago. While I can listen to "Blackbird" just fine, I cry like a baby every time I hear "In Loving Memory." Mark Tremonti wrote the lyrics to that for his mom, who passed of cancer. Some songs just hit home, and Alter Bridge has a number of them like that. Which to me, is the mark of a soulful, impactful band.

My Aunt, who was essentially mom #2 to me for almost 50 years, passed away the day I saw them in CT.  Maybe 6 hours before the show.  It was a terribly long week w her in the hospital and I needed everything that show gave to me.  I absolutely had the same response when they played 'In Loving Memory'.  I didn't notice anyone else in the theater other than my fiance, who said aunt introduced me to.  That show was special in a few ways for us. 

[LudwigVan]

couple years ago i was on a plane, flying home after ending an six-year journey with my ex-wife. "blackbird" by alter bridge came on my phone, and i couldn't hold back the tears. that song hit home, you know? this teenager called me a goofy ass for it, but honestly, i couldn't care less. music's a healer. just had to let it out.

My father died in 2015 after years of struggling with a brain tumor. It wasn't planned but a couple of days after his death I happened to play the album, and when Blackbird came on, it triggered emotions that overwhelmed me. I find it hard to describe.

[Anguyen92]

Well, I'm back from my trip from Grand Rapids and Chicago.  The show in Grand Rapids.  It was a great show.  It's that show or the show in Toronto back in February as my favorite concert of all time.  That MJT opening band was a weird bunch in their sound, but the fact that it didn't sound like a stock generic band from Octane that AB would normally have as their 1st opening band is a plus.  The best way to describe this band is that Myles definitely pushed for this band to be the opener, and they made the right call.  Plus they did a cover of Helter Skelter.  Bonus points for that.

Sevendust was awesome as one would expect.  I saw them twice prior to this and, me being on the rail and center for this show, this was the closest I have ever watched them from.  They wanted energy from the crowd, they got energy.  I saw a pit forming like two rows behind me, but everyone was being taken care of, Lajon would make sure of it (since he was the one that wanted movement and to ensure people are looking out for each other's safety).  Another funny thing, I was mulling before I got on the rail at the merch booth on which shirt to get, and I got this shirt with the AB logo on front that's shaped in crow wings (that you would normally see crow/bird-like images on their merch at times) and it just so happens that Lajon was wearing the same shirt during the set.  I think when the lead singer of Sevendust is wearing the same shirt design I just bought, I'm pretty confident I made the right choice.  Plus, he throw a water bottle at random near where I was at and I caught it, which was very timely, since I was extremely dehydrated at that point.

AB was tremendous.  I know people are a bit bummed that they are only playing 14-15 songs with only 2-3 songs from Pawns & Kings, but dang, I don't know how in the world 15 songs translated into 95 minutes of playing time for them with very little wasted time if any.  Then again, with Burn it Down, Sin After Sin, Cry of Achilles, Blackbird, and Fable of the Silent Son makes up 36 minutes of their set, you can see how much that time eats up the show.  Also, for those suggestion that they should not always play Open your Eyes or Metalingus, I disagree.  There are people that goes to many of these shows a tour and even they are still thrilled about when those songs gets played.  Those are the songs where everyone in the crowd have the best reactions of the show, and with fair reasoning.

In the end, I have seen this band, 12 times, four times this tour, and I'm really pleased how it all turned out.  They played Fable of the Silent Son, which sounded great.  I get to hang around with the fans that bought the VIP pass and chatted with them about whatever before the doors opened and other fans and this fanbase is always a great bunch to be around come show day.  I would not trade this feeling for anything else and would not want to be anywhere else than at an AB show.  Also, during the pick tossing at the end of the set, I was able to get a pick from Myles, which is a great feeling, since I was 0 for 3 in catching anything at the end of their shows.

As for the band Q&A that they do where they got the VIP people to fill out a card of questions (the person organizing this stated that if you want to address anything about Creed, it's not going to get answered here) and it gets screened and answered after they do soundcheck.  They were able to answer my question on what plans do they have after this August tour for the rest of the year, and they stated that they got one more tour that is left to be announced and today, they dropped this teaser and it looks like their final tour will be in South America in front of probably the most rabid rock fans ever due to how little they get shows.

https://twitter.com/alterbridge/status/1696290300866490858

I wished they also answered my question on if there will be a AB-themed hockey jersey in the future, but alas, not meant to be address on that day.

[gzarruk]

The band are teasing dates in South America! I don't expect them to actually come to my country, but I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little excited about it. They most likely won't show up here, though.

[Samsara]

Anguyen,

Glad you had a blast. I've seen both AB and 7D 11x each, and they never disappoint. It's very hard to follow Sevendust, and it sounds like Alter Bridge was up for the challenge. Regarding the set AB is playing, respectfully, I think a lot of fans younger than me (I am in my late-40s) have been groomed to accept 75-95-minute headline shows as the norm. It's not. It's very short. I just saw Extreme and Living Colour 2x (back-to-back nights) this past weekend. LC got the standard 45-minute opening slot, and Extreme played more than two hours each night. And as you know, I call AB my favorite band right now and they are, but frankly, Extreme's members are 10-12 years older than AB, with many of Extreme's songs being significantly more complicated on guitar and drums, and the band members are just delivering. A true, full, headline set.

AB COULD CHOOSE to do the same. But they aren't. I think most of that rests on Myles' shoulders. He knows his voice, and he doesn't want to sing for more than 90 minutes or so. And if that's the case, that's absolutely fine, but then, IMO, they need to do MORE. Change up half the setlist on a nightly basis. Put an emphasis on your new material, then change up the old standards for other songs, etc. There is a lot that I believe AB could do to really satisfy the more demanding fans, such as myself. But it's a choice not to. And it's a bummer, honestly. We saw them four times on this tour, and they rotated new songs once, and added one old song ("Coeur d'Alene") to one of the gigs. That's not much variety. And now on this last tour, they finally put in the song that everyone has wanted to see from the new record...that should have been there from the start, to be honest.

Look, all of these are nitpicks. I LOVE Alter Bridge, and find their music hits that sweet spot for everything I love. I doubt that will ever change. Who they are hits my listening wants perfectly. I just think they need to take a step back and consider a new production team, and take a good hard look at how stale and repetitive their live show (in terms of song selection) is becoming. I really felt this tour almost became a nostalgia trip because of that repetitiveness. And while I know it is a balance, I think to remain relevant and interesting, they need to focus on their newest material and show the crowd how much they love it, and stop relying on the cuts from One Day Remains and Blackbird. Just my .02.

Regardless of the nitpicks, I will always be one of the first to buy all their new music, shirts, and concert tickets. But my family, after this past experience, won't really be traveling (at least out-of-state) for this band again. They just don't give enough value and variety for it to make sense for us (three people, and the costs of all that).

I am so excited for South America to finally (from what it looks like) get some Alter Bridge. Since you all haven't seen AB much, you'll be in heaven. Performance-wise, this past tour cycle for P&K has been the tightest I've seen them. It'll be an amazing time. I hope that they choose to record the shows. The crowds in South America are always incredible, and a 4k Blu-ray concert seems like an obvious thing to do.

[Anguyen92]

Well, they only got three shows in South America.  Maybe, they got some more shows elsewhere to really wrap things up for the year?  Who knows.  The first time they were in South America back around 2017, they did two shows in Argentina, one show in Brazil co-headlining with The Cult, and then the Rock in Rio festival.  This time around, they are doing three shows in what looks to be very sizable building, about on par with that they would do in their mainland Europe shows.  One of them is Luna Park.....

[gzarruk]

Well, they only got three shows in South America.  Maybe, they got some more shows elsewhere to really wrap things up for the year?  Who knows.  The first time they were in South America back around 2017, they did two shows in Argentina, one show in Brazil co-headlining with The Cult, and then the Rock in Rio festival.  This time around, they are doing three shows in what looks to be very sizable building, about on par with that they would do in their mainland Europe shows.  One of them is Luna Park.....

As always, Brazil, Chile and Argentina get all the fun... :'(

[Samsara]

That poster is beautiful!

[Anguyen92]

That's the design that I bought a shirt of, but instead of Black and Red, it was in Black and White.  Still looked awesome though.

[Samsara]

That's the design that I bought a shirt of, but instead of Black and Red, it was in Black and White.  Still looked awesome though.

They didn't have those the last leg. Bummer.