CD Review - Alter Bridge - One Day Remains

Let's do a little call and response to start this one off.

Did I go out today over my lunch hour today to pick this disc up? You got it.

Did I try to go pick it up last night? Yep, and I'd like to take a moment to deliver a hearty "screw you" to Cheapo. Back in my day they used to release the Tuesday newbies at around 11:30 on Monday night. Guess they stopped that. Punks. I could've been sleeping...

Are we all gonna reap the benefits of your punctuality with this review? Depends on what you mean by "reap the benefits". [Especially since it's now been two days since I wrote this segment.]

Now that I've ripped the disc to my iTML (that's iTunes Music Library), is the physical CD going to leave my car stereo any time in the next three weeks? Unlikely.

I haven't bought a disc that sounds like this in quite some time. It sounds a lot like the best work from Soundgarden, influenced by both Metallica-grade metal, and booming late-80s arena rock. Call it SoundJoviCa. I just did this whole review a disservice by making that joke, because the album is damn good. You'll just have to go test drive it for yourself. Perhaps it would help if I pointed out that while the sound is similar, this album doesn't have the typical glam-rock "girls and cars and beer" subject matter. Just wanted to make that clear. There's also a bit of Audioslave sound to it... enough rambling.

I should do the whole full-disclosure thing here, and say that I have never owned a Creed album, nor really listened to any song besides that "With arms wide open" one, and that only because the song was unavoidable for a while there. I didn't like the way their singer sounded, and so thus I didn't listen to them. Therefore, I have no idea if this band compares at all with how Creed sounded. If anyone would like to pipe up about that, the Forum is, as always, open for business.

What I can tell you is how this album compares to the other works of lead singer Myles Kennedy. I'm a Myles freak. It'd been so long without a Myles fix for me that I tracked down his old, old band's albums as Christmas presents for my kid sis and I, just to hear something new with his voice in it. Yes, he's that good. This album, this Alter Bridge, this is Christmas in August. It's more driven by guitar than the old Mayfield Four albums, but that's not a bad thing, and there's still plenty of room for Mr. Myles's voice to shine through.

Let's dive in. The first track, Find the Real, is some classic grunge - a slower tempo rock and roll number with plenty of crunch. One Day Remains kicks up the speed with a very catchy melody over a guitar line that's straight out of Metal 101, and that I'd like to see played live. We've covered Open Your Eyes on this site before, and it's still as totally ass kicking as it was the first time I mentioned it.

Track four is called Burn it Down, and I'm not sure how to describe it. It's actually almost more of a pop song, got some nice harmonies on the chorus, and it's a little slower through most of it - and maybe a little hint of the blues in there too. Pretty cool. And then we go right back into the heavy stuff again with Metalingus [cute], although I gotta tell ya that the second track was way more metal than this one. Still, this is good stuff, I like it when a nice heavy verse is set off with a booming melodic chorus like that.

We've stepped into ballad-land with tracks six and seven, Broken Wings, and In Loving Memory. I can't decide which of these wins the Memorial Sounds-Like-Creed Award, but with both of them, I imagine the old Creed singer on the mic and it makes me appreciate Kennedy just that much more. He brings these songs to life. I think ILM is the stronger of the two... there's a point going into the second chorus where you can hear the amps come to life on the guitars while Myles is wailing I can't believe you're gone... ... it's one of your classic power ballad moments. What can I say? It's good stuff. It was probably the moment that struck me the most the first time I listened to the disc. There is a bit of a weird bridge in ILM that I think is supposed to make you feel like the song is "soaring", but on first listen is just unsettling. It gets better once you know it's coming, though.

Here's the deal about the next song, Down to My Last. If I were still in a band, making music, I'd want to write this song. I can just imagine playing it live... just power rocking all the way through the guitar solo... then looking around at each other during the momentary slow part after, and smiling at how much fun it is. ...and then just destroying the last chorus. Now that's fun. This song is basically an up-tempo power rock number, but the chorus is probably the best on the album. Very, very catchy. This is definitely my favorite number overall (this is a statement that is always subject to change, however).

Watch Your Words... I swear to you. This song is Metallica's Wherever I May Roam crossed with Soundgarden's Outshined. If you've heard both songs, I know you're gonna think the same way. It's uncanny. Good song, though. Back into the heavier sound.

The penultimate track, Shed My Skin is akin to a Metallica-Ballad, which is just another way of saying it's a slower song that manages to be heavy. Can't really complain about that. The track doesn't really stand out much, except for the little singsong bit at the end, which is pretty cool.

And finally, the end is here with The End is Here. (Sorry, couldn't resist). Here they break quite a ways out of their mold to deliver a track that I would most concisely describe as a very heavy Pink Floyd track. It's nicely experimental, and is as good a way to end as any.

I would say simply, in conclusion, that if you're any kind of hard rock or heavy metal fan, you owe it to yourself to go out and get this disc. It's a very solid effort that you should enjoy.

--08/12/2004