Alter Bridge
AB III

And why on earth would a third review on "AB III" be necessary?! Easy, because the first two were wrong!

Ok ok, "wrong" is an incorrect term. Let's say I don't align with reviews that, in my view, are too praising of Alter Bridge's latest album. People speak of the "band's maturity," "a fresco of genres and sensations," "musical pinnacle"... Too much, too much...

AB III, unfortunately, fails to meet the expectations that were -rightfully- placed on it. A particular phenomenon occurred: the band "took off" in terms of popularity with an album that, however, declines in overall quality compared to the previous ones. "One Day Remains" and "Blackbird" were solid, honest, and effective albums that rightly attracted the attention of hard rock critics and fans (let's keep it vague with music genres)... Now, three years after the previous one, we expected a truly impressive album with which to assert a strong presence in the 2010 hard rock mainstream. And instead, no.

The fact that they produced two good albums previously, have a loyal fan base that keeps growing, and have signed with Roadrunner Records (which is promoting them very well), has brought Alter Bridge to a high visibility. The album sells well, the European tour is very busy, and many shows are sold out, even in Italy. But it's the new product they bring on tour that doesn't live up to the "standing" they have acquired.

"AB III" is a setback in the path the band has taken.

The general "sound". Very little evolution compared to the previous album. Alter Bridge greatly deceives us with the opener, "Slip To The Void", which offers an unexpected, chilling intro: slow, dark, treacherous, sneaky. Few piano chords and little else serve as a backdrop to a sort of chant by Myles Kennedy (vocalist) that seems to foreshadow a song by Tool or A Perfect Circle. Something is about to happen... In short, it gets us all hyped up, and finally, we reach a powerful riff, and from there, we dive into a captivating song where the band displays its firepower. Excellent then! But if from this track (probably the best of the album) one could expect great things to follow, then one will be disappointed... The promises/premises of innovation stop here.

The experimentation. It is almost completely absent. Excluding the opener and the closer ("Words Darker Than Their Wings"), "nothing new on the western front". The structure of the songs remains consistently similar, they do not dare anything audacious. Now and then, the sequence and repetition of parts (verse, chorus, bridge, solo) seem to really come from a stencil... The drums (by Scott Phillips) add nothing compared to the previous works (in fact, they hide a bit and don't deliver any gem like Metalingus or White Knuckles, to be clear). The bass is there (Brian Marshall) but never takes the stage. Some might call this "consistency" with the previous works. I rather call it a decline in inspiration, the ability to explore and experiment musically.

The duo. It's useless to say, as it is obvious, that Alter Bridge is Myles Kennedy + Mark Tremonti (guitarist). And it is from those two that more could be expected. Myles once again (if there was any need) showcases great vocal ability. Impeccable technique, good interpretation, and sufficient lyrics. But where is that "extra something", those glory expectations we had placed in "AB III". It's not there, they are not there. We find tracks where he really moves well ("Wonderful Life", "All Hope Is Gone" and "Fallout" for example) but there are no jewels (except for some rarely repeatable live "high pitch"). And Mark Tremonti, the true (not flashy) leader of the band? He also "does his duty", but nothing more. Indeed, maybe it's him who disappoints the most in this album. Where are the "Tremonti's intros", his trademark? Or his tasty arpeggios? His powerful and effective riffs? There's a bit of everything, but not to a sufficient level. Even the solos are lacking, a bit rough, not well-crafted, and the vast majority of them are pentatonic (for someone who publishes instructional DVDs...)!

This album lacks high-level songs, those that stand out for sound, melody, power, experimentation, and effectiveness. In their time, "Find The Real", "One Day remains", "Metalingus", "The End Is Here" (for example) were like this in the first album. And "Brand New Start", "Before Tomorrow Comes" and "Blackbird" (for example) in the second. This third album does not present gems of such level.

In short, what this album lacks is a true, strong, genuine, and innovative inspiration. If we have to save something, I'd say "Slip To The Void", "Isolation" (the heaviest song), "Show Me A Sign", "Fallout" and "Coeur d'Alene". The rest certainly doesn't stand out.

To be honest, however, one thing must be said: AB III is certainly a better product than 90% of the rock currently out there. That's for sure. And that's why we will hear more about Alter Bridge in the coming years, and we will see their popularity grow. But in our hearts, we will still hope they find inspiration again to be able to give us better satisfaction.