Author Topic: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. PAWNS & KINGS  (Read 256537 times)

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Online mikeyd23

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. 10 Years of "Blackbird"
« Reply #1715 on: September 07, 2018, 09:52:00 AM »
Looks like the BluRay + DVD + CD is only $27 on Amazon with free shipping. That's probably what I'll be ordering.

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. 10 Years of "Blackbird"
« Reply #1716 on: September 07, 2018, 10:14:02 AM »
Just got through the audio of Words Darker Than Their Wings (I hadn't watched it). I saw AB do it in Spokane last year, and my jaw hit the floor. It did it again when Myles HIT THAT FUCKING NOTE.

My God did the good lord bless that man with some INSANE talent.  :hefdaddy
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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. 10 Years of "Blackbird"
« Reply #1717 on: September 07, 2018, 10:34:10 AM »
^Yeah, killer vocal performance from Myles on that one.

Offline Accelerando

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. 10 Years of "Blackbird"
« Reply #1718 on: September 07, 2018, 05:06:08 PM »
Lost In Vegas has another Alter Bridge reaction up, but this time it's more of a review. A publicist for Alter Bridge reached out to them about the Royal Albert Hall blu-ray and it looks like he sent them a clip of Fortress performance, and I say that because usually Lost In Vegas will post the link to the actual song/video, and I can't find the actual video anywhere on YouTube. So this is EXCLUSIVE to Lost In Vegas until you get the copy of Royal Albert Hall!

Here it is

https://youtu.be/sDd2m47BgAc

Offline fadetoblackdude7

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1719 on: September 08, 2018, 10:04:10 AM »
So I watched the whole thing, and my god, it is everything I hoped it to be!! Everything is spot on from the mix to the performances to the setlist. 10/10

The only thing I didn't like about it, is that they spliced all of the behind-the-scenes footage in with the concert, and there's no option to turn it off. That being said, the behind-the-scenes footage is excellent too!

Online Adami

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1720 on: September 08, 2018, 10:49:42 AM »
So I watched the whole thing, and my god, it is everything I hoped it to be!! Everything is spot on from the mix to the performances to the setlist. 10/10

The only thing I didn't like about it, is that they spliced all of the behind-the-scenes footage in with the concert, and there's no option to turn it off. That being said, the behind-the-scenes footage is excellent too!

Wait, you can't just watch the concert? It has random cuts to other stuff? Or am I reading this wrong?
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Offline fadetoblackdude7

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1721 on: September 08, 2018, 11:07:38 AM »
So I watched the whole thing, and my god, it is everything I hoped it to be!! Everything is spot on from the mix to the performances to the setlist. 10/10

The only thing I didn't like about it, is that they spliced all of the behind-the-scenes footage in with the concert, and there's no option to turn it off. That being said, the behind-the-scenes footage is excellent too!

Wait, you can't just watch the concert? It has random cuts to other stuff? Or am I reading this wrong?

Correct. After every 3 or 4 songs, it goes to a behind the scenes clip, then back to the show.

Offline Accelerando

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1722 on: September 08, 2018, 12:16:44 PM »
So it’s more The Song Remains The Same, less Live In Amsterdam

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1723 on: September 08, 2018, 12:17:22 PM »
I can see that being annoying. They don't interrupt any songs, do they?
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Offline fadetoblackdude7

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1724 on: September 08, 2018, 12:24:29 PM »
I can see that being annoying. They don't interrupt any songs, do they?

No, not at all. Only in between songs.

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1725 on: September 08, 2018, 12:26:46 PM »
I can see that being annoying. They don't interrupt any songs, do they?

No, not at all. Only in between songs.

Oh okay. I can deal with that. I remember looking at potential Aerosmith DVD's once and one of them, the reviews said they would interrupt songs to show other stuff? Seems odd.
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Offline fadetoblackdude7

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1726 on: September 08, 2018, 12:44:51 PM »
I can see that being annoying. They don't interrupt any songs, do they?

No, not at all. Only in between songs.

Oh okay. I can deal with that. I remember looking at potential Aerosmith DVD's once and one of them, the reviews said they would interrupt songs to show other stuff? Seems odd.

Yeah it's a little annoying but tolerable. It's good stuff, just wish it was separate. Minor flaw.

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1727 on: September 08, 2018, 12:45:02 PM »
The behind the scenes stuff is great stuff and gives a nice breather in between songs and no, it didn't interrupt the songs, they would not do that to us.  They talked about how the shows came to be, there was some rehearsal footage, they talked about how they brought their family in just for this show, and how fans from all around the world came to London for this show.

I would say, overall, this is a fantastic DVD and I'm glad they decided to do a show like this. I would say this would rival Live From Amsterdam for me as the best live DVD release I have ever watched. There were moments where there were tears in my eyes during In Loving Memory, Wonderful Life/Watch Over You, Blackbird, etc.  This show screams like it's a big swan song for Alter Bridge, but I'm hoping that it would not be the case and I'm hoping they can keep striving for something more daring in the veins of this show, but time will tell.
« Last Edit: September 08, 2018, 01:09:59 PM by Anguyen92 »

Offline Logain Ablar

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. 10 Years of "Blackbird"
« Reply #1728 on: September 09, 2018, 08:05:00 AM »
Lost In Vegas has another Alter Bridge reaction up, but this time it's more of a review. A publicist for Alter Bridge reached out to them about the Royal Albert Hall blu-ray and it looks like he sent them a clip of Fortress performance, and I say that because usually Lost In Vegas will post the link to the actual song/video, and I can't find the actual video anywhere on YouTube. So this is EXCLUSIVE to Lost In Vegas until you get the copy of Royal Albert Hall!

Here it is

https://youtu.be/sDd2m47BgAc

Loved that video, and a great performance by AB. Those two guys are great, just so enthusiastic.

I like how they noticed that the “Fortress coming down” part was left out of the chorus. It shows they did their homework. I noticed it too in the audio version - maybe it was a missed opportunity for the orchestra to do something if it wasn’t going to be sung, but never mind, just a minor thing.

Does anyone know if there will be a digital/streaming video version? I don’t really buy Blu Rays any more.

Offline Samsara

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1729 on: September 10, 2018, 08:41:44 AM »
I thought the performance was incredible. Really enjoyed it.

But did anyone else encounter frame jumping? It is very slight, and started during "Fortress." The picture "jumps" slightly. It increased in frequency for the next few songs, to the point where it was like once every six seconds are so. I stopped it, turned things on and off, and picked back up, it was still there.

I was using a 4k UHD Blu-ray player by Samsung, and it up-converted the standard Blu-Ray, so if no one else encountered anything, I am going to assume it had something to do with that. I mean, it bothered me (once you see it, you can't unsee it), but the release itself was great. I very much enjoyed the behind the scenes spliced throughout the show. The audio is there if you want to listen to the whole show without interruption. I loved seeing all the intricacies that went into preparing for the gig.

p.s. "Wonderful Life" is SO much better as an acoustic song.
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Online Adami

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1730 on: September 16, 2018, 09:57:11 AM »
Watching it now.

I'll just say the obvious that I think mix could be considerably better, luckily it's not enough to ruin it for me.

That said, this is really great. Performances are great, and the orchestra does more than I thought they would. And I really don't mind the documentary being played throughout, the rhythm of it all seems to work well.
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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1731 on: September 16, 2018, 04:54:48 PM »
I purchased this one because the released tracks on YT were amazing. I feel every AB live release thus far has some kind of flaw, like songs being played too fast for example.

This one has an absolute DREAM setlist, all of the big and special songs have been included and the orchestra is very tasteful throughout. Mostly just playing mellow lines along with the chords, and playing some nice embellishments when there’s room. The guitars sound nice and heavy, Myles is in top form. I honestly have no complaints; great set, performance, mix and image. One of the best live films I’ve seen in years!

Ok maybe one complaint, I cannot for the life of me understand why Mark doesn’t use his clean channel anymore.
« Last Edit: September 16, 2018, 05:04:06 PM by PixelDream »
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Offline ReaperKK

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1732 on: September 16, 2018, 08:50:51 PM »
I don't have the album but I've been looking at youtube videos and I don't get why Mark doesn't use clean either. He has awesome clean tone.

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1733 on: September 17, 2018, 11:20:20 AM »
I don't have the album but I've been looking at youtube videos and I don't get why Mark doesn't use clean either. He has awesome clean tone.

Yeah, it's my one big complaint with this release.

Offline LCArenas

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1734 on: October 13, 2018, 07:52:12 PM »
It's a great live album but is it me or is the Orchestra too low in the mix? I barely can hear it, is there a problem with me or my headphones?Maybe I was expecting the levels to be more even a la Metallica's S&M and I can't see anyone really complaining about it in this thread to be honest

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1735 on: October 13, 2018, 10:42:46 PM »
^^ A fair amount of people in the AB Nation forums has made their disappointment known about the orchestra being too low in the mix.  I think the consensus was the CD mix was not optimal and that hearing the DVD through headphones would not be optimal to hear as much of the orchestra as it should be.

For me, sure, the orchestra could have been more louder.  That stated, in the end, I still heard it a fair amount and it is still distinctive in comparison to the band and that there was a huge difference than if AB didn't have an orchestra.  For me, personally, I think it worked out well for them in the end.  I would have preferred it this way where the band is more upfront where the orchestra did not overshadow everything they do, but the orchestra still provided their flair that suits what the song needs.

I mean I saw Evanescence with an orchestra last month and honestly, I could not hear any guitars at all with the exception of the encore (which was a cover of No More Tears).  It sounded like mainly an orchestra playing Evanescence songs with Amy Lee singing (which is not a bad concept in general, but that show was still billed as an Evanescence show).  The irony was that Lindsey Stirling played a set before them with the same orchestra and I couldn't hear any orchestra that much (granted, the main instrument of the show was the violin so it was going to be a challenge trying to piece together on what part was Lindsey playing and what parts were the orchestra playing).

Above all else, these AB shows still needed have that comfort of an Alter Bridge show (which so happens to have an orchestra playing behind them) rather than an orchestra playing AB songs and we wouldn't hear guitars that much (although I would have been shocked if that happened since AB has a tendency to be a bit too loud at times, live or studio) and that everyone has to act in a certain way for these shows since there's an orchestra at a prestigious venue.  To me, I don't dig the idea of bringing an orchestra for rock shows that much.  This next thought may sound a bit stereotypical, but I find those sort of shows to be "snooty" and "unexciting" and I felt there's a certain level of comfort, watching it as a spectator, taken away when that happens which is actually one of my main criticism of DT's Score (which is still a good DVD, but I just prefer Breaking the Fourth Wall because of that comfort level and excitement watching it as a fan) 

However, you just take a look at the conductor, Simon Dobson, for these AB shows and that you look at the orchestra (which looks like a relatively younger bunch, some of them actually are AB fans) and I felt like my worst fears for these shows would not happen at all.  Heck, Myles mentioned it in the behind the scenes stuff. Once he took a look at the crowd and all of the familiar faces and fans and that everyone is there and excited to see AB (and they were the only band on the bill), he knows there's nothing to worry about and it felt like he's playing a show in front of his family and loved ones (which some actually did come to see these shows) and I saw that sort of that excitement I was hoping for in the crowd that I know AB fans can be.  They are not going to be too loud and rambunctious, at times, but they'll sing along at the right moments and show appreciation at the right time (especially in Words Darker Than Their Wings when Myles hit the high note and the crowd gave them a standing ovation after the song was over).

I don't even know what I'm rambling about in the last few paragraphs.  I just love this DVD a lot.  It really felt like a moment of triumph for them (which can be hard to come by).

Offline Samsara

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1736 on: October 15, 2018, 10:34:17 AM »
I thought the orchestra was mixed just enough. It is a delicate balance. The release, to me, was stellar, and I'm really glad they did it. For a band like AB, which prides itself on doing everything live, without piping stuff in, doing that, plus an orchestra, and having only two dates to record, and hope that no one goofed too badly, Live at the Royal Albert Hall was a tremendous success.

The orchestra + metal thing is a little overdone now, but while late to the party, AB really hit it out of the park with its setlist for that night, and allowing the orchestra to play in spots that really filled out the mix nicely.
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Offline kaos2900

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1737 on: October 15, 2018, 01:07:43 PM »
I'm also in the orchestra being to low in the mix crowd. I think the overall album audio is terrible. The 5.1 mix is decent on my good system but even with that cranked it was too low. Visually it's beautifully shot but the the audio sucks.

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1738 on: October 15, 2018, 01:58:30 PM »
Anyone see this? - Words Darker... with only the orchestra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqzsOj6O0uw&t=0s

Makes me wish I could actually hear the detail of this in the mix with the band.

Offline kaos2900

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1739 on: October 16, 2018, 07:23:04 AM »
Anyone see this? - Words Darker... with only the orchestra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqzsOj6O0uw&t=0s

Makes me wish I could actually hear the detail of this in the mix with the band.

Man that sounds great! Honestly this just makes me more disappointed in the mix. All that time and effort and you can't even hear it, what a waste. I'm not normally one to complain but I think the band should re-release this if for nothing else to showcase the orchestra.

Online Adami

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1740 on: October 16, 2018, 07:25:19 AM »
Anyone see this? - Words Darker... with only the orchestra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqzsOj6O0uw&t=0s

Makes me wish I could actually hear the detail of this in the mix with the band.

Huh, very very cool sounding. Much of what I heard on the blu ray itself sounded like the band playing with the occasional keyboard string pads in the background. I honestly just assumed the orchestra was just playing a few chords on top of the guitar chords. Nice and sad to know so much more was happening.
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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1741 on: October 16, 2018, 07:56:37 AM »
Huh, very very cool sounding. Much of what I heard on the blu ray itself sounded like the band playing with the occasional keyboard string pads in the background. I honestly just assumed the orchestra was just playing a few chords on top of the guitar chords. Nice and sad to know so much more was happening.

That was my general feeling as well. In the mix with the band, I lost the vast majority of the orchestral parts. It's a shame, that was a really killer arrangement.

Offline Samsara

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1742 on: November 07, 2018, 01:23:00 PM »
This made me happy today:

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/alter-bridge-has-begun-writing-material-for-follow-up-to-the-last-hero/

Quote
Myles Kennedy has confirmed that ALTER BRIDGE has begun work on material for the follow-up to 2016's "The Last Hero" album. He told Myglobalmind in a new interview: "After I finish with the press today, I'll get back to writing. Mark Tremonti [ALTER BRIDGE guitarist] has been doing the same thing. We will reconvene in April and make a record. There are a whole bunch of ideas being thrown around. It's pretty exciting stuff. There is too early to tell what the vibe is just yet or what will make the cut. Mark and I tend to come up with a lot of ideas that we throw up against the wall to see what will stick. The songs we pick will decide the mood of the record and we won't know that until April."

Fingers crossed for a 2019 release. My guess is early 2020 though.
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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1743 on: November 07, 2018, 01:35:00 PM »
 :metal :metal

Offline Mister Gold

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1744 on: November 08, 2018, 02:32:36 AM »
This made me happy today:

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/alter-bridge-has-begun-writing-material-for-follow-up-to-the-last-hero/

Quote
Myles Kennedy has confirmed that ALTER BRIDGE has begun work on material for the follow-up to 2016's "The Last Hero" album. He told Myglobalmind in a new interview: "After I finish with the press today, I'll get back to writing. Mark Tremonti [ALTER BRIDGE guitarist] has been doing the same thing. We will reconvene in April and make a record. There are a whole bunch of ideas being thrown around. It's pretty exciting stuff. There is too early to tell what the vibe is just yet or what will make the cut. Mark and I tend to come up with a lot of ideas that we throw up against the wall to see what will stick. The songs we pick will decide the mood of the record and we won't know that until April."

Fingers crossed for a 2019 release. My guess is early 2020 though.

Probably going to get torn alive for saying this, but I really hope Myles and Mark opt to stay more on track with their sound on this album. The highlights of Fortress and The Last Hero are some of the finest material the band's ever put out, and I feel like they're evolving more and move into a progressive metal sound a la Queensryche.

And then they try to throw in songs that sound like the 'rock-ier' tunes off of their first two albums to appease the older fans... and it just doesn't work. These songs aren't as memorable as the ones they wrote back in 2004/2007, because that's not what they seem to be as comfortable writing anymore, and they don't mesh very well with their other sound at all.

I'm all for musical diversity and mixing things up, but it has to be done well. And so far I'm getting worried that will be Myles and Mark's Achilles Heel.
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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1745 on: November 08, 2018, 07:48:21 AM »
That's an interesting opinion.  I've always felt that AB enjoys creating and playing the "Active Rock" radio-like songs as much as they do creating their epics.  Not only that, those kinds of rock radio-like songs outclasses the majority of the stuff you hear on Sirius XM Octane (I have yet to hear one track from AB on that radio station, heck the only song I heard on Sirius XM was Open Your Eyes which was on Turbo, a primary a late 90s-00s radio station).  I mean songs like Farther Than the Sun and Crows on a Wire does have its merits and people in the festivals enjoy those kinds of tracks.

The one true Achilles heel for AB is, honestly, time.  Both Mark and Myles are so heavily involved in their other outlets that sometimes there isn't enough time to commit around 3 months away from doing other things to focus on really fine-tuning ideas to create compelling songs.  I'm all right with them pushing AB VI album release to 2020 if this is the best album they feel like represents them as a band in the now.  Of course, I would really love it that, in spite of these time constraints, they get the album out in Fall like they always do and they still feel like this is the best album they feel like represents them as a band in the now, but some people don't think it would go that way.  We'll see.

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1746 on: November 08, 2018, 07:58:56 AM »
Probably going to get torn alive for saying this, but I really hope Myles and Mark opt to stay more on track with their sound on this album. The highlights of Fortress and The Last Hero are some of the finest material the band's ever put out, and I feel like they're evolving more and move into a progressive metal sound a la Queensryche.

And then they try to throw in songs that sound like the 'rock-ier' tunes off of their first two albums to appease the older fans... and it just doesn't work. These songs aren't as memorable as the ones they wrote back in 2004/2007, because that's not what they seem to be as comfortable writing anymore, and they don't mesh very well with their other sound at all.

I'm all for musical diversity and mixing things up, but it has to be done well. And so far I'm getting worried that will be Myles and Mark's Achilles Heel.

I definitely won't tear you apart for that, seems pretty spot on. Highlights on the last couple albums for me are songs like - The Last Hero, Island of Fools, This Side of Fate, Cry of Achilles, Bleed It Dry, Fortress, etc...

Even going back to ABIII, Slip to the Void has held up really well for me. All these songs have stuff that is a little out of the box compared to straight up rocker tunes.

That's an interesting opinion.  I've always felt that AB enjoys creating and playing the "Active Rock" radio-like songs as much as they do creating their epics.  Not only that, those kinds of rock radio-like songs outclasses the majority of the stuff you hear on Sirius XM Octane (I have yet to hear one track from AB on that radio station, heck the only song I heard on Sirius XM was Open Your Eyes which was on Turbo, a primary a late 90s-00s radio station).  I mean songs like Farther Than the Sun and Crows on a Wire does have its merits and people in the festivals enjoy those kinds of tracks.

The one true Achilles heel for AB is, honestly, time.  Both Mark and Myles are so heavily involved in their other outlets that sometimes there isn't enough time to commit around 3 months away from doing other things to focus on really fine-tuning ideas to create compelling songs.  I'm all right with them pushing AB VI album release to 2020 if this is the best album they feel like represents them as a band in the now.  Of course, I would really love it that, in spite of these time constraints, they get the album out in Fall like they always do and they still feel like this is the best album they feel like represents them as a band in the now, but some people don't think it would go that way.  We'll see.

They have never really found success on "Active Rock" radio. I don't think they will. I don't think they need that, their fan base is established. I think they are at a point in their career's where they can stretch out and not feel like they have to have those "singles" on the record (songs like My Champion, Addicted to Pain, etc...).  If they enjoy mixing those songs into a record, that's cool more power to them. But I don't think they need to write those songs please anyone but themselves anymore.

As to your second paragraph on time - I fully agree. I've said here many times, my biggest issue with AB are all the side projects they have now. And I really like most of those projects, but I can clearly see how their stuff has been diluted because they are juggling multiple gigs. I listened to Blackbird (album) this morning on my way to work. It's soooooooo good. Like magically good. Every note of every song has this weight to it, like every chord or drum hit has perfect meaning within each song. I don't think they've been able to recapture that since, and part of the reason is time. When they created BB, that was everything to them. There was no Slash gig waiting, there was no solo Tremonti or Myles gigs waiting, no Projected, etc... I think Fortress was actually close, but still not there.

Offline Samsara

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1747 on: November 08, 2018, 08:04:21 AM »

Probably going to get torn alive for saying this, but I really hope Myles and Mark opt to stay more on track with their sound on this album. The highlights of Fortress and The Last Hero are some of the finest material the band's ever put out, and I feel like they're evolving more and move into a progressive metal sound a la Queensryche.

And then they try to throw in songs that sound like the 'rock-ier' tunes off of their first two albums to appease the older fans... and it just doesn't work. These songs aren't as memorable as the ones they wrote back in 2004/2007, because that's not what they seem to be as comfortable writing anymore, and they don't mesh very well with their other sound at all.

I'm all for musical diversity and mixing things up, but it has to be done well. And so far I'm getting worried that will be Myles and Mark's Achilles Heel.

I have made that comparison to Queensryche a few times as well -- I completely agree with you. Queensryche was a band that would put complex chord structures together, make things moody, address social issues, etc., and then mix in some commercial stuff as well (i.e. Jet City Woman). AB does the same thing. But people tend to not see that comparison for whatever reason, even though it is plainly obvious the the guitar tandem of Myles and Mark is almost spot-on like Chris and Michael. Their strengths are similar as players, and it comes out in the music.

That's an interesting opinion.  I've always felt that AB enjoys creating and playing the "Active Rock" radio-like songs as much as they do creating their epics.  Not only that, those kinds of rock radio-like songs outclasses the majority of the stuff you hear on Sirius XM Octane (I have yet to hear one track from AB on that radio station, heck the only song I heard on Sirius XM was Open Your Eyes which was on Turbo, a primary a late 90s-00s radio station).  I mean songs like Farther Than the Sun and Crows on a Wire does have its merits and people in the festivals enjoy those kinds of tracks.

I think they do as well. Just by reading/listening to all their interviews, and the brief fan interaction and meet and greets, it seems to me they are very conscious of their niche in the hard rock world, and they enjoy that balance of dipping their toes in various subgenres of hard rock. Personally, I could live without songs such as Farther Than the Sun, Crows on a Wire, etc. But then again, My Champion is one of those, and I absolutely love that song, and think it is one of the finest on The Last Hero. I honestly think the problem is more that they don't give themselves more time, which you mention....

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The one true Achilles heel for AB is, honestly, time.  Both Mark and Myles are so heavily involved in their other outlets that sometimes there isn't enough time to commit around 3 months away from doing other things to focus on really fine-tuning ideas to create compelling songs.  I'm all right with them pushing AB VI album release to 2020 if this is the best album they feel like represents them as a band in the now.  Of course, I would really love it that, in spite of these time constraints, they get the album out in Fall like they always do and they still feel like this is the best album they feel like represents them as a band in the now, but some people don't think it would go that way.  We'll see.

Agreed. They've fallen into a pattern where they constrain themselves, and I personally think in order to keep things fresh, they need to mix it up. Give themselves a longer leash, try some different things. But yeah, the whole spreading themselves thin with other commitments really detracts in my mind from AB. It's not that they don't create good stuff -- they do. But I also think it leads to them becoming formulaic, and they have to a certain extent.

My hope is with the next record, they venture out a bit into different territory. Try some really different arrangements and structures. For example, take Words Darker Than Their Wings. There are moody lulls in that song that really make it awesome. But I get the sense that Myles in particular thought it would be boring for fans, and wouldn't really come off well in a live setting. Then they did it, and people went nuts, and he said, I don't remember when, it may have been on the recent live release, that now they are going to have to play it regularly because fans liked it so much.

It's like they are so conscious of that mainstream vibe, that they hesitate to be "arty," and they shouldn't hesitate. People will follow.

And I know this is a pipe dream, but they need to break away from Elvis as their producer/engineer. Love the guy's work, and I know they are comfortable, but a fresh take on their music is needed. Would love to see them go with an old school guy like a Terry Date, Jimbo Barton, hell, even Terry Brown if he's up for it.
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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1748 on: November 08, 2018, 08:43:00 AM »
It's funny, because I agree with all that has been written, but from the opposite point of view.  I think AB is taking time from the Myles stuff I REALLY want to hear, namely his work with Slash and his solo stuff.    I would SOOOOOOOOOOOO much rather hear "The  Next Year Of The Tiger" (or "The Year of the Rabbit"?) than anything AB is going to put out. 

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Re: The Official Alter Bridge Thread v. LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
« Reply #1749 on: November 08, 2018, 09:01:34 AM »
It's funny, because I agree with all that has been written, but from the opposite point of view.  I think AB is taking time from the Myles stuff I REALLY want to hear, namely his work with Slash and his solo stuff.    I would SOOOOOOOOOOOO much rather hear "The  Next Year Of The Tiger" (or "The Year of the Rabbit"?) than anything AB is going to put out.

You, my friend, are a weirdo.  :lol

 :yarr
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