All right, feeling like I'm on a roll now here we go.
11. Alter Bridge - One Day Remains (2004)Hard rock, alternative metal, post-grunge
The album that started it all for this band. The backstory was this. Back in 2002, Creed, despite Brian Marshall being fired from the band, was on top of the world in terms of commercial success and people making fun of them due to songs like With Arms Wide Open and Higher. However, there comes a time where Scott Stapp was not at his professional best and Mark Tremonti and Scott Phillips was getting very burnt and they felt like being in a band was getting to the point where it was not fun anymore, and I think there came a time where they wanted to get out of the music game, but both Mark and Flip realized they still want to make and play music, just not as Creed at the time.
So they laid down the foundation for a new band in 2003, having some ideas for songs. They got Brian Marshall back on bass and now they needed a singer. Apparently, they had auditioned a couple of singers, some Mark felt were really good, but not really the fit he was looking for. I think, in recent interviews, Mark was looking for a vocalist in the veins of a Chris Cornell style. Something different from Creed where Stapp had been known to be singing in an Eddie Vedder style. Then, he found a guy from a band called The Mayfield Four named Myles Kennedy and, in 2004, Alter Bridge has finally been born and, in August 2004, came out with their debut album,
One Day Remains.
The album kicks off with
Find The Real. A song that talks about a guy whose been hiding a lot of personal skeletons that has been exposed and wanting to feel free from it all. One thing to note was an excellent bridge where Myles sang about wanting to be free from all of these demons before Mark lets it ripped with an excellent solo, the first of many many many great solos for Alter Bridge. Next, came the title track to
One Day Remains and it certainly had a really exciting feel-good vibe. Whereas the latter-day Alter Bridge tracks have gone in a more darker and pessimistic direction, early Alter Bridge was filled with hope and optimism and the title track to One Day Remains reflects that especially in the chorus. "'Cause I see in you. More than you'll ever know. And I ask you, "Why You question the strength inside?" And you need to know. How it feels to be alive." Once again, Mark Tremonti lays down another excellent solo that reflects the light and goodness of the song.
The 3rd track was the song, to most people, that started it,
Open Your Eyes. I recall this story many many times here, but I'll say it again. The first time I heard this track when I was watching a youtube fanmade video of a WWE PPV, Royal Rumble 2004, and the song that was playing was Open Your Eyes. Probably the first ever song that I felt this sort of connection regarding anything music relating where the song was so easy to relate to. The chorus is so catchy to sing along and the first song I've ever heard such a very long extensive bridge that was building towards an amazing solo. That song just cements me being a huge fan of Alter Bridge, no matter what, and the crowds in the live shows probably felt that way as well, singing during the bridge when it was one of the last songs of the night.
Then came the first of many somber songs,
Burn It Down. Fun fact, before Blackbird and Fortress and Cry of Achilles became their longest songs in their catalog, this was the longest song of the album clocking at 6:11. We move towards probably the song that jumpstarted their popularity among the mainstream and pop culture,
Metalingus, due to former WWE wrestler Edge using it as his theme song from late 2004 to the end of his active career and still uses it when making appearances on WWE TV. To long-time fans, this was another song that got them into Alter Bridge. Essentially, the first song of the album that was going towards a more heavier and metal-ish direction and certainly a sign that Alter Bridge was going to be different than Creed. They slowed the tempo down much in
Broken Wings with an excellent bluesy-influenced intro and had that big chorus and this was the song where they had their most cinematic music video ever (especially nowadays where they just do performance video and just play the song, no frills, no story.). Then, we move towards a very sad song,
In Loving Memory. Another excellent intro, and a song that highlights mourning a loved one's passing. I think the first time I heard this particular song was when I was watching a video highlighting the life of the late WWE Wrestler Eddie Guerrero and this was hitting me hard, even though I never really knew the guy and his career that much at that point, but the song was really powerful.
We move back towards being optimistic with another favorite of mine,
Down To My Last. It is essentially a song that talks about what it says on the title. A song about a lot of hardships in life and now you got this chance, this last chance, to make it all right. Another awesome Mark Tremonti solo was a highlight of the song. Next came another heavy-sounding song,
Watch Your Words. I guess a song that really gets overlooked in terms of how heavy Alter Bridge can get during the One Day Remains era. The 10th track was
Shed My Skin. People have been claiming that this is the best track of the album, and for some reason, I just do not see it that way. Felt like it was too much poppy for me, especially at the end where Myles was going "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." The album ends with
The End Is Here and it starts off with this, I don't know how to describe it, very-eastern worldly sounding-ish guitar intro from Mark. The song had a good amount of big-time feel and was a strong predecessor for AB ending their albums on a really strong note since their last song of the album have been one of the stronger ones of the album (The End is Here, Wayward One, Words Darker Than Their Wings, Fortress).
So, I'd say this was a really strong debut album for Alter Bridge. Sure, it could have been influenced by ideas that Mark may have had in mind for a future Creed album, but you can also see certain things that this band was going to be onto something in songs like Metalingus and Watch Your Words and that they can go heavy. This is certainly an album, even though the band really changed their style going heavier and being more darker, that certainly aged really well about 12 years later. I can still hear it well in full and enjoy it like I did back in 2008. The album sold pretty good as well. It went gold and it is their highest-seller album. Too bad Wind-Up really did not see it that way and felt that it was a failure since it did not do Creed numbers and wanted to pressure Mark and Flip to go back to Creed. They thought, "Naww." and had to buy out of their contract with AB for a huge sum (a sum that they are slowly chipping off to this day, 10 years later), but, at least, they are still around and got four amazing albums in their belt with a fifth on their way. However, going back to the debut, One Day Remains was the start of something amazing for Mark Tremonti, Myles Kennedy, Scott Phillips, and Brian Marshall.
Favorites:
Find The Real,
One Day Remains,
Open Your Eyes,
In Loving Memory, and
Down To My Last.