Review: Alter Bridge – Fortress
Artist: Alter Bridge
Album: Fortress
Rating: 10/10
If you’re a 90’s kid and you remember Creed’s glory days and, even if not, you will most likely at least heard of active rock giants, Alter Bridge. The band is the brainchild of the remaining members of Creed, after Scott Stapp left to pursue his solo career. The group joined forces with Myles Kennedy and the rest is history. You’ve probably heard their songs, most notably “Open Your Eyes”, “Broken Wings” and “Metalingus”, with them being promoted through various ways. These tracks, however, were only from their debut album. Later in their career, the band has scored such hits as the tearjerker, “Watch Over You”, the slamming and anthemic, “Isolation” and, most recently, “Addicted to Pain”. Their new album, “Fortress” is the first that the band has recorded and released with virtually no help from a label. The album, to be released on October 8th in the US and the rest of the world on September 30th, is over an hour of pure, non-stop rock. The likes of which will knock you off your feet, have you crying, singing to the top of your lungs and headbanging like there’s no tomorrow. Sound intriguing? Add to that some of the best lyrics in the band’s history and you have a recipe that is surely headed for success.
There was much skepticism in how this album would sound when it was originally announced without label support, however, the critical reception alone should be enough to tell you that they know what they’re doing. In terms of musicianship, the band grows more and more with each release and you can sense a family-like relationship between the instrumentals and vocals, indicating that the band is more than comfortable with each other by this point.
Standout tracks: “Cry of Achilles”, “Addicted to Pain”, “Lover”, Bleed It Dry”, “The Uninvited” and “Fortress”
The tracks I just listed are the ones that stand out the most to me, but it could easily be different from fan to fan. Make no mistake about it, there’s not a song on this album that disappoints on any level. In fact, if anything, the material on this album is the best the band has ever created. Different people have different tastes, some prefer mellow and relaxed while others, myself included, prefer gritty, heavy and in your face. “Lover” is a ballad and is very experimental, in a sense, for AB’s sound. It’s very melodic, relaxed and almost lullaby-like. “The Uninvited”, however, is a track that is very heavy, very groove-driven and extremely in your face. You can hear a taste of this track in one of the band’s studio update videos. Whether this review has whet your appetite or you find yourself wanting to know more, take a look at the track-by-tracks and listen to the stream of the album, which I’ve left a link for below. Bottom line: “Fortress” is an album for the ages, a pinnacle in AB’s career and will gain them many more fans, due to it’s relatable subject matter and incredibly catchy nature. Pick up your copy, wherever you may be, on September 30th or, if you live in the US, on October 8th through Alter Bridge Recordings!
“Addicted to Pain” Official Video
“Fortress” Official Album Stream
Buy “Fortress” (Amazon)
Buy “Fortress” (iTunes)
Track-By Track Videos:
Part 1: (Cry of Achilles, Addicted to Pain, Bleed It Dry, Lover)
Part 2: (The Uninvited, Peace Is Broken, Calm the Fire, Waters Rising)
Part 3: (Farther Than the Sun, Cry a River, All Ends Well, Fortress)
