vanwarp's Full Review: Blackbird * by Alter Bridge
After getting pressured by Wind-Up Records to dump vocalist Myles Kennedy in favor of putting Creed back together, the boys of Alter Bridge did the only thing they could do, they dumped Wind-Up in favor of another label - Universal Republic.
Blackbird is the result of the very first collaborative effort between Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti finally sharing songwriting duties, with all four band members ironing out the arrangements. Alter Bridge's debut album One Day Remains was largely written before Myles Kennedy joined the band, so it was mostly a Creed album without Scott Stapp. The biggest difference this time around is that Blackbird is a very different beast. I mean, One Day Remains was nothing more than a puppy, something I likened to an immature imitation of a Creed wannabe band. But Blackbird instantly sheds this image in favor of a more mature Alter Bridge, a more well oiled machine running on all pistons and looking to crush everything in it's way. OK, bluntly speaking, they went from being gentle vibrant puppies to raging pit bulls. On to the music...
The album opens with “Ties That Bind” and “Come To Life,” two hard rocking songs with a metal edge. And the emphasis here is clearly on the metal side of things. The acoustic intro to “Brand New Start” with it's accompanying huge sing-a-long chorus is without doubt one of the true highlights on the first half of the album for me.
I couldn't help but notice on many early reviews that everybody seems to be raving about “Before Tomorrow Comes” and “Rise Today,” two of the more commercially accessible tracks on the album. But, the mostly acoustic “Watch Over You” is one of the finest ballads the band has ever written and in my view, “One By One” has just as much chance of being released as a single.
Yet, the tracks that have most of my attention right now are “Wayward One” which sounds like something Toni Iommi would be proud of, while “White Knuckles” has me foaming at the mouth every time it spins around and “Blackbird” is destined to go down in the books as a classic. There are moments on this one where I'm reminded of Toni Iommi again, can't quite put my finger on it but those doom like transitions and soft building moments are Iommi trademarks that I enjoy quite a bit. Both Kennedy and Tremonti solo here and it's all very exciting stuff.
Those looking for a definitive hard rocking album with a metal inkling need not look any further. This is one of those rock albums that comes around every once in a while and helps define a band. Alter Bridge have prooven that they're the real deal and I believe that Blackbird is the album that is going to lay to rest - once and for all - any hopes of a Creed reunion.
Myles Kennedy's vocal range is more often found on the genres of music mostly associated to power metal and AOR. Kennedy does a bang job here and gives a much better performance overall. Tremonti also continues to improve his chops on guitar and on backing vocals as well. I wouldn't be surprised at all to find Tremonti's work on future releases of the ever popular Guitar Hero video game. As for the rhythm section of Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips, on bass and drums respectively, they simply rule. Together they make a killer band and Blackbird is simply a killer rock album.
I must admit that I enjoyed Scott Stapp's solo album The Great Divide and I always felt like it was better and a little heavier than anything Creed ever put out. And now, Alter Bridge ups the anti once again. Can't wait to see where this apparent sparring leads to, but there's no denying that Stapp takes a beating this time around...
The Band:
Myles Kennedy - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Mark Tremonti - Backing Vocals, Guitar
Brian Marshall - Bass
Scott Phillips - Drums
Track Listing:
1. Ties That Bind – 3m19s (Song: 8/10 - Solo: 9/10 )
2. Come To Life – 3m51s (Song: 8/10 – Solo: 9/10))
3. Brand New Start – 4m54s (Song: 9/10 – Solo: 9/10)
4. Buried Alive – 4m35s (Song: 7/10 – Solo: 8/10)
5. Coming Home – 4m19s (Song: 8/10)
6. Before Tomorrow Comes – 4m06s (Song: 8.5/10)
7. Rise Today – 4m21s (Song: 8.5/10 – Solo: 9/10)
8. Blackbird – 7m58s (Song: 10/10 – Solo: 10/10)
9. One By One – 4m20s (Song: 9/10)
10. Watch Over You – 4m19s (Song: 9.5/10)
11. Break Me Down – 3m56s (Song: 6/10)
12. White Knuckles – 4m24s (Song: 9/10)
13. Wayward One – 4m46s (Song: 9/10 – Solo: 9/10)
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