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

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