Hard Rock Review: The Last Hero by Alter Bridge

It's hard to believe that Alter Bridge have been around for over a decade now. That being said, five albums into their career and it's safe to say that they're established as arguably the best Hard Rock band in existence, and at the very least a safe haven for guitar enthusiasts like myself. What makes Alter Bridge so much better than their peers is that they have two iconic traits--Mark Tremonti's controlled but ferocious guitar playing, and Myles Kennedy's incredible voice. I don't know who Tremonti represents from older eras, but I liken Kennedy to Chris Cornell in that his voice may not be for everyone, but his technical proficiency is far beyond what you normally hear in the rock world. As usual, both traits are on full display with Alter Bridge's latest release.

The Last Hero is a continued progression for the band, showcasing everything from their alternative metal leanings to iconic rock riffage of songs like "My Champion."  While it isn't as good as either Fortress or Blackbird, this album certainly has its place in the band's discography and is far from a misstep. Quite frankly, the worst Alter Bridge album would still likely be the best mainstream hard rock album released in a given year, because Alter Bridge provides so much of what the genre needs--incredible vocals, well written lyrics applied to well written songs that are excellently structured and avoid moments that lack any kind of purpose, and technical proficiency that is currently unprecedented on the radio waves. This band has it all. 

That being said, The Last Hero isn't without some glaring weaknesses when compared to the band's past releases. Where Blackbird has its title track and Fortress has "Cry of Achilles," there is no epic standout song on this album. Album opener "Show Me a Leader" is probably the best song on this record, and it's not some kind of transcendent song that's going to be a staple in Alter Bridge's live show for years to come. Other issues that I noticed were that the songs sometimes dragged on way too long, well past the 4 minute mark. Not one section or riff or lead seems out of place, as I mentioned, but very few songs on The Last Hero held my attention from the first second to the last. Even second single "My Champion" has issues. It's way too positive sounding to me. The main riff and solo are great, but the verses and chorus sound like a commercial for Bubble Gum, and that just isn't Alter Bridge's sound. The song isn't bad so much as it's out of character for the band.

This album feels like it could have been cut down to 10 songs. At 13 tracks, it runs on for over an hour, and that entire hour isn't as rewarding as their past releases have been. I often found myself just waiting for certain sections of songs and hoping I remembered to pay attention. As expected, The Last Hero has great guitar work scattered all over it, but everything that happens in between seems a little lackluster. I can see that they made the effort, but very few artists avoid the fate of a letdown album, and Alter Bridge is no exception. Another disappointment for me was that there aren't a lot of vocals from Mark on this record. "Water's Rising" from Fortress was unique in that Mark took lead vocals for a song, and I was hoping the band would continue this trend. I'm sad to say that isn't the case. These aren't issues that horribly affect the quality of the record, but they are noticeable in comparison to the band's best releases

Standout songs include the aforementioned "Show Me a Leader," "Poison in Your Veins," and "Crows on a Wire." I would also mention that every song on the record with a run time of over 5 minutes is quite good as well, but have moments that just aren't all that interesting and don't hold listeners' attention. There's plenty to like about The Last Hero, and it's still leaps and bounds better than most modern hard rock, but it will come down to each individual listener's tolerance for song length and extended sections. I don't mind longer songs, personally, but when a band or artist wants to go on and on and on with a certain song, it's my opinion that those songs have to avoid boring sections. Alter Bridge generally makes that happen, but for some reason the long songs on this album aren't as good as past albums.

Overall, The Last Hero is a welcome addition to a great discography that hopefully is far from being finished, but it has weaknesses not seen since Alter Bridge's debut album, and for that reason I was disappointed. 6/10

Upcoming Reviews:

Drive-By Truckers' American Band
Miranda Lambert's The Weight of These Wings
Metallica's Hardwired...To Self Destruct
Ronnie Dunn's Tattooed Heart
Mo Pitney's Behind This Guitar
Dan + Shay's "How Not To"

Sunday Morning Single Reviews: Current Mainstream Singles that I Don't Hate

Country radio is currently going through a ripoff R&B phase that is ten times worse than Bro Country ever was, which is horrifying. At the same time, there are more traditional sounding songs breaking through all the time, and this morning I decided to say a few words about the fact that mainstream radio is moving in the right direction.

Tim McGraw's "How I'll Always Be"

Tim McGraw hit a low point with "Looking for That Girl," but has since released one excellent single after another with "Top of the World" being the lone exception, and even that song isn't awful. Current single "How I'll Always Be" has an iconic country sound with a tried and true lyrical narrative. It's not as good as "Shotgun Rider" or "Meanwhile Back at Mama's," but it's almost guaranteed to be a hell of a lot better than the songs you'll hear on either side of it. 7/10

Brett Eldredge's "Wanna Be That Song"

Brett Eldredge has never been a major player in the erosion of country music's stylistic parameters. He is undoubtedly a pop artist, but his songwriting is phenomenal, and if his voice doesn't do anything for you, then you're missing out. "Wanna Be That Song" is the best single he's released in quite some time, and is more than worth a listen. 7/10

Miranda Lambert's "Vice"

I'm really excited about post-Blake Shelton Miranda Lambert. She's releasing double album The Weight of These Wings in the very near future, and lead single "Vice" is very solid. It has excellent lyrics and a great storyline that we can all relate to. 8/10

Blake Shelton's "A Guy With a Girl"

I didn't intentionally put these divorcees right next to each other, but here they are. "A Guy With a Girl" breaks no new ground but is probably the catchiest song on the radio right now and has an arrangement that isn't especially offensive. Blake isn't half the artist that he could be, but when he rarely does get it right, he strikes gold. "A Guy With a Girl" is a great song. 8/10

Chris Stapleton's "Parachute"

Chris Stapleton is a phenomenal vocalist, and routinely lays waste to every other artist on the radio in that regard. His current rise to stardom is completely unprecedented, and is the primary reason that radio is turning back in the right direction. While guys like Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson do a lot of the work in the background, Chris Stapleton has the exposure needed to make real change. "Parachute" is excellently sung and is just one more great song from Stapleton's Traveller. 9/10

Other Standout Singles Currently on Radio:

Michael Ray's "Think a Little Less"

Brad Paisley's "Today"

Chris Jansen's "Holdin' Her"

Josh Turner's "Hometown Girl"

Brantley Gilbert's "The Weeken.....just kidding. Fuck Brantley Gilbert

Craig Campbell's "Outskirts of Heaven"

Amanda Shires Breaks Through With My Piece of Land

It's not fair to Amanda Shires that new fans, like myself, subconsciously associate her with her husband Jason Isbell, and forget about her very impressive career in music. That being said, a new album can change all of that, and allow us to form our opinions of her strictly on her music. My Piece of Land is without a doubt a very good album, and while Isbell is present in the songwriting credits and vocal harmonies on a handful of songs (she has also lent her violin playing and vocal harmonies to his last few albums), it's Shires' identity as a singer and songwriter that comes to the surface before everything else.

The lead single, "The Way it Dimmed," is a perfect way to kick things off, and at just over two minutes, it forges a quick connection with listeners, and displays Shires' sharp songwriting and unique vocal style. Shires explores her past in the song, with great lines jumping out of the speakers over and over again. "The Way it Dimmed" is a standout already as it is, the only song on the album that's shorter than two and a half minutes.

The instrumental arrangements vary throughout the album, with steel guitar making appearances on only a selection of songs. There's a peppy, positive sound to other songs, even when the lyrics dive into heavier material. I was reminded of Sam Outlaw's Angeleno on multiple occasions, and that's a good thing. Electric guitar and violin make appearances on a few songs, as well. While the instrumentation is fairly low key for most of the record, each song has something unique in the arrangement.

That is what I find most impressive about My Piece of Land, that each song sounds drastically different from the last, and yet the album is still able to establish a sort of cohesion, anyway. As a traditional country and bluegrass fan, I found myself gravitating toward the songs that featured Shires' excellent violin playing, like "My Love (The Storm)," which I think is the best song on the album. Lyrically, it's a lesson in metaphor. "I am the storm/at summer's end/watch the willows mourn/watch the branches bend" might be one of the best lines I've heard all year.

As far as singing is concerned, I find Shires' voice to be very pleasant and unique. The only real criticism I have is that when she's singing softly, a raspy, breathy tone surfaces at times. It's not a huge issue, by any means, but some listeners will be turned off by it. "Mineral Wells" is a perfect example of this sound that could be considered an issue, and yet it's still a great song.

Overall, My Piece of Land is another great album released in 2016 and fans should be excited for the future of Amanda Shires' music. 8/10

*Written by Kellen Dobmeier, edited by April Dahlgren

Standout tracks:
"The Way it Dimmed"
"Slippin'"
"Harmless"
"Pale Fire"
"My Love (The Storm)"
"When You're Gone"