Alter Bridge Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
After the demise of Creed, Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips, and Brian Marshall obviously had unfinished business and hired singer/songwriter Myles Kennedy, who quickly formed a writing partnership with Tremonti, and the new band Alter Bridge brought out their debut album One Day Remains in 2004. Three years later in October 2007, the second album, Blackbird, was released and with new man Kennedy fully integrated into the lineup, Creed fans weren't disappointed although the overall sound had changed and had become both heavier and more mature without the bickering of Scott Stapp hindering the band's music. Right from track one, "Ties That Bind," there was an aggressive vocal and thundering guitar riff that hardly relented throughout the entire album. Tremonti was freed to play lead guitar as Eddie Van Halen would have done, which is shown to good effect on the track "Come to Life," but the overall heavy thunder effect of the guitar throughout denied him more chances to show off this skill. There were the more mellow tracks, however, "Brand New Start," "Buried Alive," "Watch Over You," and "Wayward One" all begin as acoustic songs and show the softer side of Alter Bridge. It was on the title track with eight minutes of powerful emotions at work that the band really shone, the song alternating between a hard rock guitar riff-heavy number and an acoustic ballad about the loss of a loved one. ~ Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Alter Bridge aligns the original Creed lineup of guitarist Mark Tremonti, drummer Scott Phillips, and bassist Brian Marshall with vocalist Myles Kennedy, formerly of late- '90s modern rock hopefuls Mayfield Four. The resulting One Day Remains retains some Creed-isms, like Tremonti's foot-on-monitor-wedge showboating, or the thickheaded riffs that unfold smoothly into elegiac, radio-ready choruses (Creed diehards are going to love "Open Your Eyes"). But Kennedy isn't nearly as melodramatic as Scott Stapp was, and his reaching back to wail like vintage Chris Cornell fits nicely with Alter Bridge's more aggressive moments. Witness the chunky PRS shredding of "Metalingus," the Metallica influence in "Watch Your Words," or the slaves and bulldozers of pounding opener "Find the Real." Principal writers Tremonti and Kennedy don't shy away from spiritual generalizations -- believing in the promise of a new day, for example, in "Burn It Down." There's also the dualistic quality of the band's name and album artwork, as well as a fold-out poster emblazoned with the title track's lyrics. "When every wound has been opened/And in this world of give and take you must have faith." This stuff muddies the line between old group and new; together with flourish-laden post-grunge pacesetters like "Broken Wings," "In Loving Memory," and "Shed My Skin," it suggests Alter Bridge is happier courting Creed's constituency than establishing the promise of its more metal side. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
