The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. PAWNS & KINGS

[hefdaddy42]

I won't be able to wait in line for hours.  I doubt I can get there more than an hour or so before the show.

We'll see what happens.

[sylvan]

I wish I had the time to drive down to Orlando tonight for Mark's meet and greet at the music store. Still, very much looking forward to seeing them again at the end of October. When I heard the Wouldn't You Rather, it sounded s lot like The Last Hero album, and I was afraid that it would be a continuation of that. The next three songs released eliminated that feeling entirely. In The Deep is going to be a fucking POWERHOUSE live!

[mikeyd23]

In the Deep was a solid track, I really like that one. Nice to hear a little breathing room in the verses.

[Logain Ablar]

In the Deep was a solid track, I really like that one. Nice to hear a little breathing room in the verses.

Agreed. I think it's my favourite of the ones released so far.

[Anguyen92]

So my life has been made and it is downhill from here.  By a stroke of luck,  I somehow ended up on the same plane as Myles getting to Orlando to Raleigh.  Spoke to him after the ride.  Told him ty for everything him, Mark , Flip and , Brian has done for AB.  Told him ty for the solo shows .  He signed my Royal Albert Hall Earbook and I got a picture of me and him.  He was the ever classy professional gentlemen while I was somewhat an incoherent mess, but he was the best letting me get my thoughts together.

Also I had a fantastic time at the listening party and set.  I like the Walk The Sky album when they played it on the house speakers.  This will take more listens of course, but I digged Native Son, Forever Falling, Clear Horizon, and Walking on the Sky.  Now to get ready for the first big headlining show tomorrow.

[hefdaddy42]

So my life has been made and it is downhill from here.  By a stroke of luck,  I somehow ended up on the same plane as Myles getting to Orlando to Raleigh.  Spoke to him after the ride.  Told him ty for everything him, Mark , Flip and , Brian has done for AB.  Told him ty for the solo shows .  He signed my Royal Albert Hall Earbook and I got a picture of me and him.  He was the ever classy professional gentlemen while I was somewhat an incoherent mess, but he was the best letting me get my thoughts together.

That's incredible!

Unfortunately, I've had something come up and I won't be able to make it to the show tonight.  Let us know how it went!

[mikeyd23]

So my life has been made and it is downhill from here.  By a stroke of luck,  I somehow ended up on the same plane as Myles getting to Orlando to Raleigh.  Spoke to him after the ride.  Told him ty for everything him, Mark , Flip and , Brian has done for AB.  Told him ty for the solo shows .  He signed my Royal Albert Hall Earbook and I got a picture of me and him.  He was the ever classy professional gentlemen while I was somewhat an incoherent mess, but he was the best letting me get my thoughts together.

Also I had a fantastic time at the listening party and set.  I like the Walk The Sky album when they played it on the house speakers.  This will take more listens of course, but I digged Native Son, Forever Falling, Clear Horizon, and Walking on the Sky.  Now to get ready for the first big headlining show tomorrow.

That's awesome man, great story!

I think I'll be hitting up the AB show in Columbus on Friday this week 

[Anguyen92]

So my life has been made and it is downhill from here.  By a stroke of luck,  I somehow ended up on the same plane as Myles getting to Orlando to Raleigh.  Spoke to him after the ride.  Told him ty for everything him, Mark , Flip and , Brian has done for AB.  Told him ty for the solo shows .  He signed my Royal Albert Hall Earbook and I got a picture of me and him.  He was the ever classy professional gentlemen while I was somewhat an incoherent mess, but he was the best letting me get my thoughts together.

Also I had a fantastic time at the listening party and set.  I like the Walk The Sky album when they played it on the house speakers.  This will take more listens of course, but I digged Native Son, Forever Falling, Clear Horizon, and Walking on the Sky.  Now to get ready for the first big headlining show tomorrow.

That's awesome man, great story!

I think I'll be hitting up the AB show in Columbus on Friday this week 

Ty.  So did you end up being at the show in Columbus?  That must have been quite a show there.  Myles was pretty sick and they did something I don't think any of us would ever expect.  Mark sang Burn it Down and Broken Wings and Myles ended up on the guitar and added a little bit to the songs there and I think the results are quite pleasing.  Here are some videos below.

Burn It Down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfNQQunff9U

Broken Wings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwLfrQbm_uk

[mikeyd23]

So my life has been made and it is downhill from here.  By a stroke of luck,  I somehow ended up on the same plane as Myles getting to Orlando to Raleigh.  Spoke to him after the ride.  Told him ty for everything him, Mark , Flip and , Brian has done for AB.  Told him ty for the solo shows .  He signed my Royal Albert Hall Earbook and I got a picture of me and him.  He was the ever classy professional gentlemen while I was somewhat an incoherent mess, but he was the best letting me get my thoughts together.

Also I had a fantastic time at the listening party and set.  I like the Walk The Sky album when they played it on the house speakers.  This will take more listens of course, but I digged Native Son, Forever Falling, Clear Horizon, and Walking on the Sky.  Now to get ready for the first big headlining show tomorrow.

That's awesome man, great story!

I think I'll be hitting up the AB show in Columbus on Friday this week 

Ty.  So did you end up being at the show in Columbus?  That must have been quite a show there.  Myles was pretty sick and they did something I don't think any of us would ever expect.  Mark sang Burn it Down and Broken Wings and Myles ended up on the guitar and added a little bit to the songs there and I think the results are quite pleasing.  Here are some videos below.

Burn It Down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfNQQunff9U

Broken Wings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwLfrQbm_uk

Dude! I was there, amazing, once in a life-time show. I saw on the AB forums that Myles was sick the show before this one (in Philly) I think, so I was curious when the show started whether he was feeling better or not. You could tell right away he was still sick. Some phrases he would sing perfectly, but stuff in his upper register he would either drop down a whole octave, or alter the melody line to be lower.

After a couple songs, he greeted the crowd and confirmed that he was indeed sick and was struggling with his voice. Then he announced they were basically going to change the set up and that Mark volunteered to help him out to save his voice. Mark sang Burn It Down and Broken Wings along with Waters Rising. He did great. It was just really cool to hear Mark sing those songs live in front of people, something super rare.

The guys still put on a great show, no complaints from me at all. Myles saved his voice for certain moments, altered some stuff, let the crowd sing some stuff, and let Mark sing. Really unique concert experience.

[Stadler]

While I feel bad for Myles, I personally dig that kind of stuff.  It's once-in-a-lifetime and though I wasn't at any of these shows, to me it's really indicative of how good these guys are (and therefore not just playing a programed 90 minutes or whatever).   

[mikeyd23]

While I feel bad for Myles, I personally dig that kind of stuff.  It's once-in-a-lifetime and though I wasn't at any of these shows, to me it's really indicative of how good these guys are (and therefore not just playing a programed 90 minutes or whatever).

100%. Especially when the co-headliner on the bill (Skillet) is the exact opposite. Everything is pre-planned and pre-programmed and kinda gimmicky.

[Max Kuehnau]

Walk The Sky was released yesterday and it's great IMHO, as ever.

[lordxizor]

Walk the Sky is so far a middle of the road album for them. Better than some, but not among the best. We'll see if that changes after multiple listens.

[Logain Ablar]

Walk the Sky is so far a middle of the road album for them. Better than some, but not among the best. We'll see if that changes after multiple listens.

I’m pretty much of the same opinion after a couple of listens. Godspeed is a rocking tune, but most of the other new ones haven’t really connected with me yet.

In fairness, I have only been listening to it in bits and pieces. I need to get some time to give it a few front to back listens.

[Max Kuehnau]

I generally only do complete run-throughs of albums and when I did with this album it worked out for me personally right away. (although I do understand people needing a bit more time) When the singles were released, I was a bit apprehensive to be honest.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I've spun it a few times and I agree it's middle of the road AB. There are fewer solos on this one; its seems they decided to focus on composition this time. We'll see how it changes with more spins....standouts for me so far are Godspeed, Indoctrination, and Forever Falling.

[mikeyd23]

I've spun it a few times and I agree it's middle of the road AB. There are fewer solos on this one; its seems they decided to focus on composition this time. We'll see how it changes with more spins....standouts for me so far are Godspeed, Indoctrination, and Forever Falling.

This is pretty much where I'm at. It's definitely not their best (hard bar to reach) but not their worst. Some songs are sticking out more now after a couple listens. Definitely shorter tunes with less solos and more straightforward arrangements at times. The mix is not great, but at this point unless they change producers, I kinda expected that to a degree. I'm still actively listening and absorbing, overall enjoying it.

[Samsara]

I'm on my third spin through the record. Alter Bridge is my favorite active band, and has been for about a decade now, and I'm not sure how to judge this one.

I've found songs growing on me more and more with each listen. The title track, Clear Horizon, Wouldn't You Rather, Dying Light, and In the Deep resonate so far as the highlights, although there are a couple of others that have the potential to join them.

But as a total album...I just don't know yet. I consider Blackbird to be their high point, both as a song, and as a record. AB III is probably my next favorite based on the fact my favorite songs from that record are just so killer to me, that it kind of masks the fact there is some filler to me on that record. But Walk the Sky is, at least to my ears, very different than the rest of the AB catalog. Some of the synth gives them a Muse-like vibe at time. And while I like Muse, I don't LOVE Muse. So, I'm just not sure where Walk the Sky ranks as a record. It's early.

But the overwhelming feeling on this one is that I need to give it time and dig into it lyrically. I do like the fact the songs seem to breathe a bit more. They really focused on atmosphere to me, which I like. That has been missing to my ears on the last couple records, with a couple of songs being exceptions.

I'm not going to get deep into the mixing/production stuff. I've said repeatedly that I really think they need to break away from Elvis and try something new, and was hoping this would be the album they did it. No dice. But overall, I think Walk the Sky is a good record, with the potential to be very good. I don't think it'll near the top of my rankings, but already sits ahead of The Last Hero (I really only listen to Show Me a Leader, My Champion, and Cradle from the Grave from that album), which unfortunately suffered by all the songs being so in your face loud, it just washed the dynamics out. At least Walk the Sky seems to have addressed that a little.

Anyway, time will tell what repeated listens will unveil with Walk the Sky. I dig it, but it's different for sure, which if I recall is one of the major complaints some have had about AB -- about stuff sounding the same. This doesn't. Looking forward to seeing some of the tunes live. That always brings a new perspective. 

[Stadler]

I've been on the fence about this; I'm a HUGE Myles fan, but AB largely leaves me cold (there are exceptions). But there's a lot there in that review that makes me want to hear this.

[sylvan]

It's hard to figure out where to start. I'll touch on some of the negatives just to get them out of the way. Production is still something I would like for AB to change up, but this is at least slightly better than TLH as far as volume of the mix goes. It might not be dramatic, but it's the difference between listenable and not-so-much. The solos are maybe the weakest of their discography, but I'll also concede that it feels like that wasn't necessarily their focus here. I'm okay with that. I'm not sure where the songs will actually stand up to the rest of their catalog, time will tell there.

Now that's out of the way, the POSITIVES! The first thing that stands out to me is that the songs sound "complete". When they decided to change their approach to writing, it became undeniably clear that that was the problem with TLH, and even Fortress to some degree. The songs felt like a mashup of ideas without the cohesive feeling of a completed song. On TLH, it was the feeling of starting a song, digging the verse and riff, and then getting a chorus section that just didn't seem to fit. Or even worse, wasn't particularly good/fun/catchy/whatevs. The choruses on Walk The Sky are terrific. It's hard to top Myles when he gets into his melodic vocal grooves that are just so catchy and dynamic and strong. And Myles, what else can really be said about Myles?  He absolutely shines on this album. Truly phenomenal in every single way. Even a song like Tear Us Apart, which is more or less the obligatory straightforward, upbeat AB song, is one of the best performances you'll hear from Myles. He can make a potentially boring song fantastic. I've also been one of the people that wants to hear something "different" from them, and I think they heard their fans. This is not the typical AB album, even if it's quintessential AB. At the very least, I really appreciate the effort to put a different spin on a familiar sound. I don't worry too much about the sound of the production after hearing the whole album. It's clear that they had a particular sound/tone they were going for, and with the different approach to writing and a new AB sound, I can get with it.

Ultimately, I was VERY DISAPPOINTED with TLH. I have none of those same feelings about Walk The Sky. I've already listened to it front to back more than TLH.

[Samsara]

I don't necessarily agree that the songs on the previous few records sounded like mashups. For example, Calm the Fire, My Champion, Cradle to the Grave, etc., all sound like complete songs. I think there ARE some that have that mashup quality, but by and large, I think for the most part that works.

Agreed on the choruses. They are all pretty damn melodic and good.

Listening all the way through the fourth time now, my standouts remain the same, and I love those standouts even more. I think Mark and Myles were correct in summing up Walk the Sky as a theme of seeking serenity. I feel it. I'm curious, as they said it is sort of the "answer" to the theme on AB III, what both records will sound like when played back-to-back. I'll check it out this week.

I'm really blown away by the title track (or sort of title track) on Walk the Sky. I love songs that take you on an emotional journey, and that one really hits the nail on the head.

[Anguyen92]

I think Walk the Sky can be more appreciated when listened to along with not just AB III, but with Year of the Tiger as well.  I've always thought that Year of the Tiger in some ways a prequel to AB III when it comes to the themes of losing faith and the stuff that is related to it, and Walk the Sky is the epilogue and the big reflective throughout this journey.  I'm not going to go ahead and post my thoughts on it now (since that's going to take forever to write and I still need to finish up typing my thoughts on my trip to the East Coast last month), but I think the album is great and I think it's a good step up from The Last Hero.

[mikeyd23]

I think Walk the Sky can be more appreciated when listened to along with not just AB III, but with Year of the Tiger as well.  I've always thought that Year of the Tiger in some ways a prequel to AB III when it comes to the themes of losing faith and the stuff that is related to it, and Walk the Sky is the epilogue and the big reflective throughout this journey.  I'm not going to go ahead and post my thoughts on it now (since that's going to take forever), but I think the album is great and I think it's a good step up from The Last Hero.

That's a good point, lyrically this album definitely seems like a response to ABIII. Where ABIII was Myles questioning a lot of big picture, life things, WTS seems to be Myles finding answers to a lot of things in life. I definitely saw a couple interviews where Myles backs this up too.

I'm still listening and these songs are continuing to grow on me. I think I definitely like this album more than TLH.

Clear Horizon is a fantastic song 

[kaos2900]

Finally made my way through WTS with a few quality listens. As a huge Alter Bridge fan I was a bit let down after my first listen. There are some GREAT songs on this and I feel like the start and end of the album are super strong, however I feel like there is some dead weight in the middle that bog down the listen. I think the album would have been stronger with a few cuts. That may change with more listens...

[Samsara]

I think Walk the Sky can be more appreciated when listened to along with not just AB III, but with Year of the Tiger as well.  I've always thought that Year of the Tiger in some ways a prequel to AB III when it comes to the themes of losing faith and the stuff that is related to it, and Walk the Sky is the epilogue and the big reflective throughout this journey.

Good call. I agree.

Clear Horizon is a fantastic song 

That one stood out to me (along with the title track) on first listen. Dig it big time.

Finally made my way through WTS with a few quality listens. As a huge Alter Bridge fan I was a bit let down after my first listen. There are some GREAT songs on this and I feel like the start and end of the album are super strong, however I feel like there is some dead weight in the middle that bog down the listen. I think the album would have been stronger with a few cuts. That may change with more listens...

That's my preliminary feeling as well. If they cut Indoctrination, The Bitter End, and Pay No Mind, that would leave them with 11 tracks (10 songs), and still almost a 50-minute disc. I would have made some further tweaks personally, but if those three were lifted, it may flow better, be a little less bloated and been a stronger record overall. Although reasonable minds obviously will differ on what would get cut.

Overall though, I'm with Mike - I like it more than TLH. But where it ultimately sits will take time. I do hope they return to soloing a bit more next time out though. I feel like a duo of Kennedy and Tremonti is creatively on-par with some of the best duos from the 70s and 80s, and I would really like them to showcase their trade off and harmonized skills a bit. But that's probably the 40-something in me talking. Still though, if you have those skills, I'd like to hear it.

[mikeyd23]

Overall though, I'm with Mike - I like it more than TLH. But where it ultimately sits will take time. I do hope they return to soloing a bit more next time out though. I feel like a duo of Kennedy and Tremonti is creatively on-par with some of the best duos from the 70s and 80s, and I would really like them to showcase their trade off and harmonized skills a bit. But that's probably the 40-something in me talking. Still though, if you have those skills, I'd like to hear it.

Yeah me too, but with this record, it seems like they kinda went the other way and focused on vocally-driven songs based around melody more than relying on guitar solos or long instrumental sections, guitar harmonies, etc... In my ideal world, AB puts out a record that is a balance of all that. That's why BB and Fortress are my top AB albums. I feel like those are the albums when the balance of vocal melodies, guitar riffs, solos, instrumental sections, etc... was on point.

[Samsara]

I agree with BB and Fortress. But I don't quite think they've fully embraced that guitar duo thing, even on those two records. The solo in Fortress comes close, but I'd like to hear more of that trade off stuff from them. They did it in a way that didn't sound like it was from the 80s, and I'd like to hear it expanded.

Been listening more and more to Walk the Sky. It really has clicked. "Native Son" is just IMMENSE. What a killer tune. Now up there with my standouts from above, which brings it to a total of six tracks for me on this album that I absolutely love. Almost half the record (not counting the intro track One Life) are big time favorites in the catalog. I listen at work, then in the car, at home, and finally, at work on headphones to absorb as much as I can (rocking out in the car, nuances on the headphones, casual listening, etc.). There is so much to love on Walk the Sky. I feel a lot more connected with this record. Myles really hit home with his lyrics.

[kaos2900]

Okay, this album has been on constant rotation and is growing into a beast. Pretty sure it has surpassed TLH so we'll see where else it goes.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I definitely do not like this album as much as TLH. Yes it has some superb songwriting and the production is better, but TLH has some of my top favorite AB songs: Cradle to the Grave, the title track, The Other Side, This Side of Fate. These are epic compositions that nothing from WtS could match IMO.

[Samsara]

I definitely do not like this album as much as TLH. Yes it has some superb songwriting and the production is better... .... These are epic compositions that nothing from WtS could match IMO.

I feel the opposite regarding your first sentence. I think it is by far superior. But I fully agree with the middle part I quoted and your last sentence.

Walk the Sky is meant to not be as drawn out. It's a big focus on melody. And melodically, it is far superior to anything they've ever done. I'm blown away at how they've been able to be pivot a little bit, direction-wise, and still maintain everything that makes them unique as Alter Bridge. They reduced the number of traditional solos, and shortened them, but then they crop up near the end of songs, or during sections you wouldn't expect, sitting underneath, but not disturbing the huge melodies. Every listen to this record has opened my eyes more to just how incredible the record is. I won't lie -- it took a minute. First listen I was a little taken aback. Second listen a couple of things got my attention. Third listen, boom, I was admitting that some of the tunes are absolute classics. Now, after many spins (I think I'm approaching 10), I went so far to say last night to my wife that this is probably by second favorite AB record in terms of front to back. It flows that well, and has this organic feel that I haven't heard from them since the Blackbird album.

That said, obviously, other records, like AB III, have songs I love more (if we're cherry picking). But honestly, not by much. I mean yeah, Blackbird and Words Darker Than Their Wings sit higher than Dying Light to me. But the sheer amount of songs I LOVE on Walk the Sky dwarfs the amount on any other AB record except possibly Blackbird. Walk the Sky just continues to grow on me with each subsequent listen. Native Son took a few spins, and then it jumped at me, for example. Another good example is Indoctrination. I wasn't huge at all on that tune. And just now I am listening to it, and it has really connected with me, and I'm wondering what I didn't hear earlier. The growl, the chorus, the little but impactful solo at the end... it's great!

The record is a grower, with a huge reward if you let it sink in. Other than the addition of the synths for atmosphere, the biggest thing I have noticed is just how powerful the choruses are. My big thing with AB were their killer bridges. They always wrote good choruses,  but man, the bridges were just other-worldly. And they still are. But the choruses are crazy good on Walk the Sky. Probably the best they've ever done on a record.

I know everything is subjective, and you have a right to feel how you feel. But it took me a bit for it really to sink in. And at least to me, it sounds immense on headphones.

[Max Kuehnau]

I definitely do not like this album as much as TLH. Yes it has some superb songwriting and the production is better... .... These are epic compositions that nothing from WtS could match IMO.

I feel the opposite regarding your first sentence. I think it is by far superior. But I fully agree with the middle part I quoted and your last sentence.

Walk the Sky is meant to not be as drawn out. It's a big focus on melody. And melodically, it is far superior to anything they've ever done. I'm blown away at how they've been able to be pivot a little bit, direction-wise, and still maintain everything that makes them unique as Alter Bridge. They reduced the number of traditional solos, and shortened them, but then they crop up near the end of songs, or during sections you wouldn't expect, sitting underneath, but not disturbing the huge melodies. Every listen to this record has opened my eyes more to just how incredible the record is. I won't lie -- it took a minute. First listen I was a little taken aback. Second listen a couple of things got my attention. Third listen, boom, I was admitting that some of the tunes are absolute classics. Now, after many spins (I think I'm approaching 10), I went so far to say last night to my wife that this is probably by second favorite AB record in terms of front to back. It flows that well, and has this organic feel that I haven't heard from them since the Blackbird album.

That said, obviously, other records, like AB III, have songs I love more (if we're cherry picking). But honestly, not by much. I mean yeah, Blackbird and Words Darker Than Their Wings sit higher than Dying Light to me. But the sheer amount of songs I LOVE on Walk the Sky dwarfs the amount on any other AB record except possibly Blackbird. Walk the Sky just continues to grow on me with each subsequent listen. Native Son took a few spins, and then it jumped at me, for example. Another good example is Indoctrination. I wasn't huge at all on that tune. And just now I am listening to it, and it has really connected with me, and I'm wondering what I didn't hear earlier. The growl, the chorus, the little but impactful solo at the end... it's great!

The record is a grower, with a huge reward if you let it sink in. Other than the addition of the synths for atmosphere, the biggest thing I have noticed is just how powerful the choruses are. My big thing with AB were their killer bridges. They always wrote good choruses,  but man, the bridges were just other-worldly. And they still are. But the choruses are crazy good on Walk the Sky. Probably the best they've ever done on a record.

I know everything is subjective, and you have a right to feel how you feel. But it took me a bit for it really to sink in. And at least to me, it sounds immense on headphones.

I agree.

[Samsara]

I agree.

Max, you are a man of few words.    But thankfully, I'm not alone in my feelings on this album. ha ha.

[Max Kuehnau]

I agree.

Max, you are a man of few words.    But thankfully, I'm not alone in my feelings on this album. ha ha.

so I am told.

[Samsara]

Regarding The Last Hero...I don't think it's song quality (for me) that's lacking on that record. I think because everything is so in your face all the time (whatever mastering or mix issues, etc., I tend to think it's lazy mastering), it really washed out the dynamics of otherwise really good songs. My favorites on TLH are Cradle to the Grave, My Champion, and Show Me a Leader. All three of those songs have elements where the mastering don't bother them so much. CttG is slower, more epic, without a lot of showy playing, My Champion has a bit of a mainstream poppy chorus with openness, and Show Me a Leader has a chorus where the instrumentation drops out. All three songs breathe. And that allows for them to shine to my ears, whereas the other songs are a bit more intricate, and all of that gets washed out, unfortunately. They were a lot better live. I hope at some point that record is remastered correctly.

But with Walk the Sky -- everything breathes. And it is much more enjoyable listen.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I definitely do not like this album as much as TLH. Yes it has some superb songwriting and the production is better... .... These are epic compositions that nothing from WtS could match IMO.

I feel the opposite regarding your first sentence. I think it is by far superior. But I fully agree with the middle part I quoted and your last sentence.

Walk the Sky is meant to not be as drawn out. It's a big focus on melody. And melodically, it is far superior to anything they've ever done. I'm blown away at how they've been able to be pivot a little bit, direction-wise, and still maintain everything that makes them unique as Alter Bridge. They reduced the number of traditional solos, and shortened them, but then they crop up near the end of songs, or during sections you wouldn't expect, sitting underneath, but not disturbing the huge melodies. Every listen to this record has opened my eyes more to just how incredible the record is. I won't lie -- it took a minute. First listen I was a little taken aback. Second listen a couple of things got my attention. Third listen, boom, I was admitting that some of the tunes are absolute classics. Now, after many spins (I think I'm approaching 10), I went so far to say last night to my wife that this is probably by second favorite AB record in terms of front to back. It flows that well, and has this organic feel that I haven't heard from them since the Blackbird album.

That said, obviously, other records, like AB III, have songs I love more (if we're cherry picking). But honestly, not by much. I mean yeah, Blackbird and Words Darker Than Their Wings sit higher than Dying Light to me. But the sheer amount of songs I LOVE on Walk the Sky dwarfs the amount on any other AB record except possibly Blackbird. Walk the Sky just continues to grow on me with each subsequent listen. Native Son took a few spins, and then it jumped at me, for example. Another good example is Indoctrination. I wasn't huge at all on that tune. And just now I am listening to it, and it has really connected with me, and I'm wondering what I didn't hear earlier. The growl, the chorus, the little but impactful solo at the end... it's great!

The record is a grower, with a huge reward if you let it sink in. Other than the addition of the synths for atmosphere, the biggest thing I have noticed is just how powerful the choruses are. My big thing with AB were their killer bridges. They always wrote good choruses,  but man, the bridges were just other-worldly. And they still are. But the choruses are crazy good on Walk the Sky. Probably the best they've ever done on a record.

I know everything is subjective, and you have a right to feel how you feel. But it took me a bit for it really to sink in. And at least to me, it sounds immense on headphones.

Pretty good insight to the album, and again, WtS is a fantastic album. But that’s the beauty about this band, there’s not a bad album so far!