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At an initial cursory glance at the cover artwork, the 8th studio album from US arena-headlining rockers Alter Bridge sparks comparisons with 2010’s masterful ‘AB III’. The same simplistic, does what it says on the can, ethos. The music within is the important factor, so let’s not get distracted by an overfussy sleeve. Dig into the material to be found on ‘Alter Bridge’, however, and you might make comparisons with the album that not only followed ‘AB III’, but equalled it in terms of quality, 2013’s ‘Fortress’. A pertinent point to raise as ‘Alter Bridge’ is the strongest offering from the quartet since the knockout one-two of ‘AB III’ and ‘Fortress’.
It’s a heavy album. Not just in terms of lyrics and subject matter (one week into 2026 and it is already shaping up to be the year that says “hold my beer” to the dumpster fire that was 2025), but musically, in places, it’s as heavy as balls. Not only down to the riffs from Facemelter-in-Chief Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy (no slouch in the six-string department himself), but the heaviness also comes from the work of the backbone of the band, Brian Marshall on bass, and Scott Phillips on drums. This rhythm section has been playing together since 1994, and it shows. School of Rock could devote a full semester to this pair.
It’s thrashy, full-on, aggressive riffs that launch the album, on lead single ‘Silent Divide’. Slow, brooding, with oodles of sharp riffs, huge soaring vocal melodies, and a killer change of tempo around the three-minute mark, where the staccato effects of Kennedy’s vocals combined with the heavy hits from Phillips steal the show. At times, the guitar work from Tremonti and Kennedy sparks visions of Metal Gods Glenn Tipton and KK Downing. The guitar solo that shepherds in the wailing outro is alone worthy of repeat listens. Phillips? ‘Power Down’ belongs to the likeable drummer. And that intro of his gives the impression that all four players are playing together in the same room at the same time, with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette secretly pressing record to capture the magic without any pressure on the band.
‘Rue The Day’ looks like becoming a firm fans’ favourite, thanks to that magic dust of heavy, melodic, metal that AB have an uncanny knack of sprinkling. Heavy enough to give necks a proper workout, and catchy enough to not scare off casual listeners, with guitar solos set to stun – gotta be Tremonti’s hands flying up the fretboard on the main solo, yeah? ‘Disregarded’ is going to be another new one that features heavily during the forthcoming World Tour. The downtuned, bending guitar notes that open the track hint that the band are going to go off in one direction, only for them to change tack and go off on a totally different tangent during the hooky-as-hell chorus. The dual guitar solo that lands near the end of the song is pure chef’s kiss. On their recent album ‘Legends’, Sabaton listed on the sleeve notes which guitarist performed each solo. Something similar on ‘Alter Bridge’ would be interesting, as Myles Kennedy doesn’t get enough credit as a guitarist.
Likewise, Mark Tremonti doesn’t get enough credit as a vocalist – thanks mainly to his prowess on guitar – and his work on the Tremonti project, as well as his big band solo material, proves that the guy can carry a tune. Here, he gets his moment in the spotlight on both ‘Trust In Me’, where Kennedy handles the verse duties while Tremonti takes the chorus, and then on the enormous, weighty ‘Tested and Able’, where the roles are flipped, and Tremonti handles the verses, and Kennedy takes on the choruses. Do people still say “gnarly” in 2026? If so, then ‘Tested and Able’ is gnarly, and one of the many standouts featured amongst the twelve tracks that make up ‘Alter Bridge’.
Other standout moments would be the cellphones-in-the-air tones of ‘Hang By A Thread’, which is a not-too-distant cousin of AB classic ‘Watch Over You’, and will surely strike a chord amongst the huuuuge army of Alter Bridge fans. And on the opposite end of the scale is the much-talked-about nine-minute epic that closes the album: ‘Slave To Master’. In the hands of, for instance, a progressive metal outfit, a nine-minute track is going to border on self-indulgence. Here, it’s lean and free of any self-indulgence, and passes in no time at all. If it featured on an album by Queen, then it would be on the best Queen album of them all: ‘Queen II’, as there is so much going on that it almost has that feel of multiple suites and movements about it. A little bit of a thick, bass solo lurking in the darkness halfway through? Nice. It’s the guitar solos, though, that take top spot on the podium. THAT twin guitar solo on ‘Blackbird’ will never be beaten, but here, Messers Tremonti and Kennedy run it a close second. Plankspankers of the world unite, because this is pure magic. And even a layman in terms of guitar knowledge wouldn’t fail to be impressed. In terms of where it would slot into the setlist – how about the last song before the encores kick in?
It’s just as difficult to retain an audience and a following as it is to find one in the first place, but Alter Bridge have kept that audience coming back in spades for two decades now. No flashy gimmicks, no fuss, no hype, just great songs expertly played from a bunch of guys with zero pretences that are equally at home standing next to you in the crowd at a gig, as they are onstage in some of the biggest venues in the world. How do they fit eight albums into one setlist, though? With great difficulty, that’s how. Find out for yourself on one of the upcoming live dates. That Cardiff Castle gig has all the makings of a special day out, doesn’t it?
‘Alter Bridge’ is available January 9th via Napalm Records. Pre-order HERE.
Review – Dave
Portrait photo credits – Chuck Brueckmann
Live images – Dave Jamieson/Callum Scott
European What Lies Within Tour 2026:
Jan 15 – HAMBURG, GERMANY – Sporthalle
Jan 17 – OSLO, NORWAY – Sentrum Scene
Jan 18 – OSLO, NORWAY – Sentrum Scene
Jan 20 – STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – Annexet
Jan 22 – HELSINKI, FINLAND – Ice Hall Black Box
Jan 24 – COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – KB Hallen
Jan 25 – BERLIN, GERMANY – Columbiahalle
Jan 27 – GLIWICE, POLAND – Prezero Arena Gliwice
Jan 28 – BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – Barba Negra
Jan 30 – VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Gasometer
Jan 31 – ZAGREB, CROATIA – Bocarski Dom
Feb 02 – ROME, ITALY – Atlantico
Feb 03 – BERGAMO, ITALY – ChorusLive Arena
Feb 05 – ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – The Hall
Feb 06 – LYON, FRANCE – Halle Tony Garnier
Feb 08 – BARCELONA, SPAIN – Razzmatazz 1
Feb 10 – LISBON, PORTUGAL – Sagres Campo Pequeno
Feb 12 – MADRID, SPAIN – Palacio Vistalegre
Feb 13 – BORDEAUX, FRANCE – Arkea Arena
Feb 15 – LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG – Rockhal
Feb 17 – OBERHAUSEN, GERMANY – Oberhausen Turbinenhalle
Feb 18 – PARIS, FRANCE – Zenith
Feb 20 – MUNICH, GERMANY – Zenith
Feb 22 – AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – Ziggo Dome
Feb 23 – BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – Ancienne Belgique
Feb 25 – NEWCASTLE, UNITED KINGDOM – Utilita Arena
Feb 26 – MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM – AO Arena
Feb 28 – DUBLIN, IRELAND – 3Arena
Mar 02 – GLASGOW, UNITED KINGDOM – OVO Hydro
Mar 04 – LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – The O2
Mar 05 – NOTTINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM – Motorpoint Arena
What Lies Within US Tour
Apr 25 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues – TM
Apr 26 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy – 7D/TM
Apr 28 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center – F/TM
Apr 29 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom – F/TM
May 1 – Tulsa, OK – Skyline Event Center at Osage Casino Hotel – F/TM
May 2 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha – F/TM
May 5 – Green Bay, WI – EPIC Event Center – F/TM
May 6 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed – F/TM
May 9 – Atlantic City, NJ – Event Center at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa – F
May 10 – Boston, MA – Citizen House of Blues Boston – F/TM
May 12 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount – F/TM
May 13 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater – F/TM
May 18 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Roxian Theatre – F/TM
May 19 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit – F/TM
May 21 – Nashville, TN – The Pinnacle – 7D/TM
May 22 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company – F/TM
May 24 – Tampa, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Event Center – F/TM
** TM = Tim Montana, F = Filter, 7D = Sevendust
Blackbird Festival
Jun 27 – CARDIFF, WALES – Blackbird Festival @ Cardiff Castle
More information on all tickets and VIP packages for the upcoming tours can be found at www.alterbridge.com.
Tickets for the Blackbird Festival are on sale now via blackbirdfest.com and Ticketmaster.
