Alter Bridge has released their third album entitled AB III,One Day Remains and Blackbird. Also check out their live concert DVD, Alter Bridge: Live from Amsterdam. courtesy of Roadrunner Records. Their previous two albums include:
Michael (Elvis) Baskette, who produced Blackbird, the album to which AB III is a follow-up, also produced this album. It is a much more dynamic and progressive album musically and is very dark lyrically; a departure from the optimistic themes on past Alter Bridge records. It is a loose concept album, a first for Alter Bridge, with themes of struggles with faith and believing. It follows an unnamed character who falls away from faith, then struggles through life, and ends with finding a sense of meaning.
Myles Kennedy, lead singer for Alter Bridge, stated that the album "deals with a lot of doubts," and that musically, there are "moments that have that intensity and have that darkness to it." Mark Tremonti said in a later interview, "I think that the album is a reflection of what was going on in our lives and heads at that moment. It's a moody record. Lyrically, our singer Myles Kennedy took it in the direction of his struggles with faith and believing. Not to put words in his mouth, but Myles' father died at a young age and Myles has difficulty believing in anything. There are positive songs on the record as well, but overall the third album has a darker, lyrical tone."
According to a press release posted on Alter Bridge's MySpace page and website, the lyrics on AB III shift away from the themes of "hope and perseverance in the face of adversity" on the first two albums. Kennedy said, "This record is definitely a departure from the last two albums in terms of its subject matter. It touches on the thoughts and emotions of someone who has come to question everything that was once regarded as an absolute truth. It's the realization that everything you once believed in might not exist." The article also states that the album is a concept album about a character "desperately struggling to find their place in a world steeped in doubt and emptiness," but that there are songs that touch on other emotions, such as "Wonderful Life". Kennedy has said that he will be playing more lead guitar on this album. "I'm definitely doing things I haven't done in a long time as a guitar player."
Regarding the recording and mixing of the album, Kennedy stated, “It was done different from Blackbird in the sense that we didn't have as much time to arrange as a band. You know, the parts had been evolving over quite some time. Mark and I are always writing and stockpiling ideas, but as far as sitting with the band and really fleshing those ideas out, we literally had, I think, about six weeks total to get that going before we started working with our producer. And I think it actually worked out well, because it's a very a spontaneous record, and I think with music – with art in general, sometimes if you over-think something it can have a negative effect. ”
In a recent article, Rolling Stone magazine exclaimed, "AB III will be one of 2010's best rock albums with fourteen Billboard top 10 worthy tracks." Alter Bridge's third album will surely not disappoint fans. Although all the tracks on the new album are amazing, some of my personal favorites are "Isolation", "Ghost of Days Gone By", "Wonderful Life" and "Words Darker Then Their Wings". Help support a band who is about what matters: their music and their fans. Give AB III a listen and go purchase the album.
Members of Alter Bridge:
Myles Kennedy: Lead vocals, Guitar
Mark Tremonti: Lead Guitar, Backing vocals
Brian Marshall: Bass Guitar
Scott Phillips: Drums
Track List:
1. Slip to the Void
2. Isolation
3. Ghost of Days Gone By
4. All Hope is Gone
5. Still Remains
6. Make It Right
7. Wonderful Life
8. I Know It Hurts
9. Show Me A Sign
10. Fallout
11. Breathe Again
12. Coeur d'Alene
13. Life Must Go On
14. Words Darker Then Their Wings
Bonus Tracks:
15. Hope
16. Zero
17. Never Born To Follow
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