The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. PAWNS & KINGS

[Anguyen92]

The track listing in case anyone is curious.  I expect the backhalf of the album to be where they shine and put the good stuff at.  Short album for their standards as well.  Only 52 minutes and 10 songs.

1.   "This Is War"   04:03
2.   "Dead Among the Living"   04:52
3.   "Silver Tongue"   04:18
4.   "Sin After Sin"   06:42
5.   "Stay"   04:37
6.   "Holiday"   03:58
7.   "Fable of the Silent Son"   08:22
8.   "Season of Promise"   04:51
9.   "Last Man Standing"   05:33
10.   "Pawns & Kings"   06:18

[nick_z]

Listened to a minute or two of it and it just didn’t grab me at all. Sounded like a pretty by the numbers AB song. I’ll try it again soon and listen to the whole thing but they really haven’t impressed me much in the last few albums.

Which actually means you missed the amazing breakdown at the three minute mark.

Agreed - there's a lot going on in this song. Only one listen, but I'm quite impressed. Kinda cool that they put out something like this as the first single.

[Deadeye21]

It’s the second big release to me this year using its closing track as it’s first single. Other one being Megadeth.

[wolfking]

Listened to a minute or two of it and it just didn’t grab me at all. Sounded like a pretty by the numbers AB song. I’ll try it again soon and listen to the whole thing but they really haven’t impressed me much in the last few albums.

I kind of agree with this when it comes to the chorus.  However, there was enough interesting stuff going on to make me want to check the album out.

Once again though, Myles' solo here is better than Tremonti's.

[lordxizor]

I'm digging the new song. I hope they hit up Minneapolis on the US tour. I'd love to see them live again. It's been quite a few years for various reasons after seeing them live a bunch of time in the early days.

[Stadler]

Full disclosure: I don't do well with early releases like this.  I HATED Tattoo when VH released it like this, but the album was my 2012 album of the year.   I HATED the DT snippets for... I think it was the self-titled, and it's an excellent record.   I outright MOCKED the Arc Of Life (Billy Sherwood) project, and yet the album itself was very good.

So with that, it's a good song, not great, and largely because it's looking to be something more adventurous, clearly, but Tremonti's guitars still have that nu-metalish wall sound and the drums sound like he's hitting a cardboard box ("thock!", "thock!").  It's distracting.  I've said before, I don't want the artists I like to do what I want, I want to hear their choices.  And that stands; I just wish there was more...  warmth in Alter Bridge.  Not soft, not emotion, but in terms of the sound.   But that's me.

[Deadeye21]

Yeah, but the best AB songs were never singles.

[PixelDream]

Full disclosure: I don't do well with early releases like this.  I HATED Tattoo when VH released it like this, but the album was my 2012 album of the year.   I HATED the DT snippets for... I think it was the self-titled, and it's an excellent record.   I outright MOCKED the Arc Of Life (Billy Sherwood) project, and yet the album itself was very good.

So with that, it's a good song, not great, and largely because it's looking to be something more adventurous, clearly, but Tremonti's guitars still have that nu-metalish wall sound and the drums sound like he's hitting a cardboard box ("thock!", "thock!").  It's distracting.  I've said before, I don't want the artists I like to do what I want, I want to hear their choices.  And that stands; I just wish there was more...  warmth in Alter Bridge.  Not soft, not emotion, but in terms of the sound.   But that's me.

I agree 100%. Checked out the single to hear what they went with production-wise after the last two albums were completely smashed. It isn’t as open-sounding as the first couple of albums, but this is approaching Fortress levels of compression. It isn’t optimal, but there seems to be some more fidelity again at last.

[Stadler]

I'd pay money to hear an Alter Bridge album produced by Dave Cobb (Rival Sons), for example. Myles worked with him on Slash's album "4".

[nick_z]

I'd pay money to hear an Alter Bridge album produced by Dave Cobb (Rival Sons), for example. Myles worked with him on Slash's album "4".

Yes! Rival Sons are great and they sound so good!

[Anguyen92]

I'd pay money to hear an Alter Bridge album produced by Dave Cobb (Rival Sons), for example. Myles worked with him on Slash's album "4".

Given what I've read regarding people's thoughts on the production on 4 from various forums, some like the approach to recording.  Others felt that Myles got the short end of the stick when it comes to the vocal mix (granted, the band caught Covid at the time of recording so that might have been a factor).  I didn't listen to 4, but I did hear that people liked the mix of the live stream better when they played the album live in full at the time it came out.

Regarding Michael Elvis Baskette, I think everyone in the Alter Bridge and Sevendust (I'm including Sevendust since both them and AB are good friends, have same management, and also picks Elvis for their albums and their side bands' albums) camps always goes with this guy to produce their albums is because those bands have had careers where certain things in the music business were out of their hands which affected their bottom line.  At least, when it comes to creating albums, the bands want to have the control and go with their guys that they can trust (to a fault, I may add).  I'm not saying it's always a good thing, but they want to be surrounded with guys they can trust (again to a fault).

[Stadler]

I don't disagree with that, but sometimes a band's evolution isn't just in longer guitar solos, or more complicated song structures.  It's in exploring the sound of the band as well.   Kiss's Destroyer isn't their landmark album because Detroit Rock City or Sweet Pain is so radically different than what came before; it's just an advancement in the sound and arrangements. Adding acoustic guitars and acoustic  pianos.  Classical introductions and choral arrangements.  I'm not saying I want that for Alter Bridge, I don't, but it might be nice to have a different point of view.  Martin Birch didn't radically change Maiden's approach either, but he certainly helped them get to a new level, to where NOTB is a clear progression over the debut.

[PixelDream]

It would sure be interesting to have someone else produce or at least mix an AB album. Also I can’t comprehend why Elvis Baskette was increasingly brickwalling his mixes even in this day where the loudness war is pretty much over. One Day Remains, Blackbird and ABIII are still pretty dynamic, and then he arrives at Walk The Sky which is just a big wall of mush. Same goes for Sevendust’s All I See Is War.

[Adami]

Listened to the whole song.

Bridge was cool, but not enough to make me interested. It just feel (to me, and possibly only to me) that they said "well, we have to put out another record in the next few months, so let's get it done or something."

I can't hear that raw inspiration I used to hear. Sounds like they have their formulas and bag of tricks and are writing because it's time to do so. I'm sure they're having a good time and not phoning it in, but it just feels requested, rather than something they needed to express.

[Stadler]

Listened to the whole song.

Bridge was cool, but not enough to make me interested. It just feel (to me, and possibly only to me) that they said "well, we have to put out another record in the next few months, so let's get it done or something."

I can't hear that raw inspiration I used to hear. Sounds like they have their formulas and bag of tricks and are writing because it's time to do so. I'm sure they're having a good time and not phoning it in, but it just feels requested, rather than something they needed to express.

That's part and parcel with the way it's all put together in pieces.  Myles has to fit in with Slash between Guns' stadium shows.  So there's that.  Then Myles has to fit in between his solo stuff and what Mark Tremonti is doing with his band. So there's that.   I don't think any of these guys are sitting around waiting for inspiration to strike in that way.

For me, I don't know if it's technically brick-walled or not, but in what I listened to, the guitars felt very dense but without a certain richness, and I've come to appreciate that some music is better when it breathes.

[Samsara]

Hahahaha...opinions.

I have to disagree entirely. The song, to me, is exactly what I'd hope they'd do. Time changes, good atmosphere, aggression, twin and harmony lead. And a song, along with song titles and album...seem like a concept album on the surface.

Sorry it doesn't work for you all, but I'm absolutely thrilled. 

[emtee]

Only listened on my phone so there's that, but I don't hear any tonal difference between any of the drums. No warmth, just thunk, thunk, thunk. Song isn't bad...maybe with repeat spins and within the context of the full album. Will try again later with headphones.

[wolfking]

Yeah, I wasn't thrilled with the production again on this tune.  Didn't seem as bad as Walk the Sky though.

[DTwwbwMP]

Yeah, I wasn't thrilled with the production again on this tune. 

Yep, my first thought was....ugh, sounds this bad again! Didn't they learn their lesson with WTS?

[Stadler]

And to be clear (and to be fair to Samsara, because I don't want to in any way temper his enthusiasm) I'm still going to give this a solid, serious listen.   I'm just not going to get too far excited or too low disappointed until I can hear it in a controlled environment (i.e., the CD on my home system or in my main car).

[Samsara]

For those interested, there is a Japanese cd/dvd version available for purchase on amazon.co.jp.

[LCArenas]

Whoa seeing the first reactions to Pawns & Kings I gotta say, Music really does hit differently depending on the listener. Gotta admit Walk the Sky hadn't aged well for me and I was kind of uninterested in listening to AB lately, but Pawns & Kings really got me amped! Loved the track, honestly.

Only listened on my phone so there's that, but I don't hear any tonal difference between any of the drums. No warmth, just thunk, thunk, thunk. Song isn't bad...maybe with repeat spins and within the context of the full album. Will try again later with headphones.

Song definitely sounds better for me on headphones than on my car stereo.

[Samsara]

It's way better on headphones or an actual stereo set up. Love the panning done on portions of the track.

[Deathless]

Another new song has been released - Silver Tongue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snl8OANQ948

Chugga chugga.

[Samsara]

Nice more straight ahead rocker. Love the fact they are getting creative with how they are mixing. The drums are coming at  you from various angles if you wear headphones. Really dig it. Good tune. Curious it has no guitar solo, but in keeping with a traditional radio single, it fits the bill nicely.

[DTwwbwMP]

Another new song has been released - Silver Tongue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snl8OANQ948

Chugga chugga.

 

[Deadeye21]

Bring back the Tremonti backing vocals. They have been sorely missing throughout these two singles.

[wolfking]

I didn't dig that song at all.  Maybe I'm just growing out of these guys.

[PixelDream]

I finally listened to the two new singles in a row at a nicely loud volume in my studio over at my parents.

I was still a bit on the fence although I already liked it more than anything from Walk The Sky. But I have to say that musically I’m really digging it, suddenly it just clicked. This gives me high hopes for the album. Actually getting some Fortress vibes from these tracks - their last album where I still had that infatuation with their brand of epic sounding heavy rock. The last two records were really pushing it with the wall-of-sound production, but the new material brings it back to tolerable levels for me.

[The Realm]

I didn't dig that song at all.  Maybe I'm just growing out of these guys.

I think could also be me. After loving these guys for a few years now, I really did not connect at all with Walk The Sky and these new songs feel like more of the same.

[Samsara]

I finally listened to the two new singles in a row at a nicely loud volume in my studio over at my parents.

I was still a bit on the fence although I already liked it more than anything from Walk The Sky. But I have to say that musically I’m really digging it, suddenly it just clicked. This gives me high hopes for the album. Actually getting some Fortress vibes from these tracks - their last album where I still had that infatuation with their brand of epic sounding heavy rock. The last two records were really pushing it with the wall-of-sound production, but the new material brings it back to tolerable levels for me.

I totally got a Fortress vibe. I enjoyed Walk the Sky as they experimented with synth, and that was cool. Some good tunes. But I think the title track of the new record surpasses any of my favorites from WtS. Can't wait for the record and U.S. tour. It's a family obsession with Alter Bridge, so we're hoping to see at least two shows, maybe three if we can swing a weekend trip.

[Anguyen92]

Well, I was able to book my hotel and flight to Orlando for the Pawns & Kings Listening Party.  It wasn't cheap.  I'll leave it at that.  That stated, given how much I had a great time at the last listening party despite getting slightly screwed over by the venue, this was an easy call.  Manage to get a room at the same hotel I was at in 2019, but this time around, walking to the Abbey is shorter than walking to the Beacham.  That's actually pretty important given the no cell-phone policy for this event.  Can't wait.  Going in this one extremely cold, not listening to anything they have released so far, so the first song they released to the world for this album will be the last song I will hear of the album.

On a side note, I don't think this was mentioned, but Mark's doing another Tremonti Sings Sinatra event.  This time at the smaller room at the O2 Arena in London.  Just three days after AB plays their final show of the Europe tour in London in the big room in the O2 Arena.

https://twitter.com/MarkTremonti/status/1546880463603748865

On another note, I've been lazy in not buying more shirts for Pawns & Kings or the Tremonti sings Sinatra shirts, so I got to get on that.

[Samsara]

Anguyen,

Very cool. That'll be a fun event for sure. I picked up some shirts for the new record for me and the fam, and of course got an LP too, in addition to the CDs. Not sure if you saw my message above, amazon.co.jp is selling a two-CD version of Pawns & Kings. I preordered that.

[WardySI]

I didn't dig that song at all.  Maybe I'm just growing out of these guys.

I think could also be me. After loving these guys for a few years now, I really did not connect at all with Walk The Sky and these new songs feel like more of the same.

Same.  There's been some good songs along the way but haven't bought an AB album since Fortress.  I think they just tried be too heavy for the sake of heavy but to the detriment of those lush melodies that came with the debut and Blackbird.   

So the suggestion Silver Tongue might compare with their Fortress material gave it a good listen and yeah can hear some similarities to The Uninvited (a personal fave) so yeah Tongue is quite cool and (as always anyway) will go into the album open eared \m/

[Anguyen92]

LET'S GO!!!  US and Toronto Tour! They are going to continue to bringing Mammoth WVH as main support.  Fine with me.  No idea who Pistols at Dawn is, but they got Red as an opener for a leg and I rather have them, but we can't win them all.  I will be there for the Anaheim and Highland, CA shows.  Sorry Samsara.  No San Francisco shows here.  Considering that they also don't have Spokane or LA (although, Anaheim would be considered the LA show), maybe they may hit those areas later in 2023.