Alter Bridge
Pawns & Kings

If we had to think of an excellence in metal from recent years, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment and would say: Alter Bridge.

The band, formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida, consists of 75% former members of the legendary Creed, a post-grunge band that broke every sales record from 1995 to 2012 (with a five-year break between 2004 and 2009). In Creed, the frontman was Scott Stapp (not exactly a newcomer), while in Alter Bridge the microphone (as well as the electric and acoustic guitar) was entrusted to Myles Kennedy, a voice with four octaves (Freddie Mercury had three...) of embarrassing quality. Myles came from a half failure with his former band, "The Mayfield Four," with which he produced two albums, starting immediately to astonish critics. And to think that just a few years earlier he was giving private guitar lessons (as his primary occupation) and was too shy to realize he could be an extraordinary singer...

But back to us. With Myles Kennedy, we have Mark Tremonti on guitar, Brian Marshall on bass, and Scott Phillips on drums. Tremonti is among the most well-known and appreciated guitarists in the metal scene and is known for his solo project "The Tremonti Project," with which he has churned out five powerful albums in nine years. Recently, for charitable purposes (for the charity "Take a Chance For Charity" founded by him) "Tremonti sings Sinatra" was released, an album of covers recorded with Mike Smith and the surviving members of the great Frank's band.

Myles, besides boasting two solo albums, partners with Slash in the parallel project "Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators," with which he has recorded four albums.

Scott Phillips, instead, is also part of the supergroup "Projected," founded with John Connolly, Vinnie Hornsby of Sevendust, and Eric Friedman, the latter coming directly from the Tremonti Project. This aside was needed for those not familiar with the band and to give an idea of the level of talent found among its ranks.

"Pawns & Kings" is the seventh studio album and comes after eighteen years of activity and an endless amount of success. It is, therefore, one of those significant challenges a band must face to prove its ability to maintain continuity in its work. You will understand at the end of the review whether the challenge has been overcome, although the five stars already serve as a spoiler.

This seventh work is pure maturity (were there still a need for it), a power that is anything but an end in itself, novelty but also a remarkable confirmation. It is immediately clear what we are talking about from the very first track: "This is War." Myles's voice appears without hesitation in all its quality, rising and accompanying the musical explosion of his bandmates. A few lines will never do justice to the experience of listening to an Alter Bridge song. The strings of Tremonti and Marshall fill the ears and accompany Phillips's percussion in an amalgamation of unprecedented power, with choral voices that stutter. The first thirty seconds already raise the pores of the skin. And we are just at the beginning.

The same sensations can be felt in "Dead Among the Living," "Silver Tongue," and "Sin After Sin." Tremonti unleashes all his virtuosity, with riffs even more complex than those we've been used to hearing so far. Myles rises, falls, tears, the vocalizations outside the sung text are now a trademark. After nearly twenty years and quite a few live performances I've attended, my ears remain incredulous, as if I had used them for the first time.

"Stay" is the emotional ballad of the album (they are never missing), where Myles almost completely steps aside to hand the microphone to Tremonti, now appreciated and recognized both for his vocal cords and for the virtuosic strings of his guitars. Mark timidly started from the early years as a backing vocalist, gaining more and more space, reaching full awareness of his talent with the birth of the solo project. In this piece, he exploits all his octaves, accompanied in the choruses by Myles, who here is in all respects the second voice. The lyrics cry out for hope, with an eye turned to the sky:

"Don't turn away again for I am always at your side

As I take another look around me

And as I'm trying to be all I can be.

The time, it is right to love, to feel, to light a fire

We'll never know just when we'll have the chance again"

There are still no confirmations, but it is most likely a dedication to Mark's mother, who passed away exactly twenty years ago, to whom Tremonti had already dedicated the poignant "In Loving Memory," entirely sung by Kennedy at the time.

"Holiday" draws a line, is indeed the last headbanging piece and leads us towards more radio-friendly sounds. The start is entrusted to stuttering riffs, which turn the tips of our feet into a metronome tapping in allegretto. Also, the lyrics are more explicit than the others, with cynicism and total surrender to life's challenges between the lines.

As mentioned, from this point on, the pace slows, and a more restrained vocal side of Myles stands out.

"Fable of the Silent Son" is the progenitor of this at-times dark narrative. Initially acoustic, the piece gradually incorporates Tremonti's strings and, despite a sing-song rhythm, explodes halfway through with a noteworthy solo.

"Season of Promise" restores optimism and conveys positivity in the singing, with a truly exciting chorus. "Last Man Standing" leads us towards the end. It's the piece I appreciated the least, knowing it felt already heard. However, it is undeniable that it is technically impeccable and can still hold its own.

"Pawn & Kings," the title track and first single released, has been given the role of closing song. During the first listen, I remember remaining fairly lukewarm, especially considering what we've been accustomed to in recent years. The singing continuously shifts and often seems disharmonious with the music. However, it remains technically interesting and is enriched by Tremonti's usual guitar, an omnipresent added value in this band.

Every time a new Alter Bridge album comes out, I wonder how the four from Orlando manage to improve and renew themselves every time. And each time, systematically, I don't find the answer. I believe the secret of their enduring talent and their special chemistry lies in the ability to give life and continuity to parallel projects, which in turn amaze for their quality.

The rating is high this time too, and it would be great if everyone, absolutely everyone, had at least one Alter Bridge album in their homes. Because here, history is being made.