Alter Bridge
Encyclopedia
Alter Bridge is an American rock band that was formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida
by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti
, bassist Brian Marshall
, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed
. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy
, formerly of The Mayfield Four
and the frontman of Slash
's current solo project, joined shortly after the band's formation. Tremonti named the group after an actual bridge that used to be located in Detroit, Michigan near his former home on Alter Road
.
Despite Creed's multi-platinum
success, Alter Bridge arose with only gold status with their first studio album
, One Day Remains
, which was released on Wind-up Records
in August 2004 to generally mixed reviews. After the band's first tour, they dropped their contract with Wind-up Records in 2006 and signed with Universal Republic
, releasing their sophomore album, Blackbird
, which was positively received by critics, in October 2007. Alter Bridge spent the next two years touring and working on other projects, and in 2010, the band reconvened to work on its third album, AB III, which received critical acclaim and was released in October 2010 on Roadrunner Records
, and later on the band's own label via EMI
in North America in November 2010. In January 2011, Alter Bridge's first live album
and concert film
, Live from Amsterdam
, was released. Originally released exclusively on Amazon.com
in August 2009, it was met with two years of delays before finally being released in stores.
Early on, Alter Bridge was criticized by some for perceived similarities to Creed in their music. However, the band has since made several critical and commercial achievements and has received general praise in recent years, despite relatively low mainstream success and label support for the majority of its career. Alter Bridge has become known for their frequent and extensive touring and for their loyal fanbase. The individual members of Alter Bridge are also involved with various other projects, including solo and session work, Creed, and Kennedy's collaborations with Slash and former members of Led Zeppelin
. In 2009, Ultimate Guitar Archive
named Alter Bridge the 36th greatest band of the decade.
, bassist Brian Marshall
, and drummer Scott Phillips were members of Creed
with lead vocalist Scott Stapp
since 1997. After releasing two successful albums, Marshall left the band in 2000, followed by the release of their third album in 2001. The band went inactive in 2003 following the conclusion of a controversial tour. That year, Tremonti began writing new material with plans of forming a new band with Phillips and Marshall. Being fans of Myles Kennedy
's former band, The Mayfield Four
, they invited him to join as their new lead vocalist. They named the new band Alter Bridge, after an actual bridge near Tremonti's home on Alter Road
in Detroit, and subsequently began recording their debut album.
Citing creative differences and increasing tension between Stapp and the other band members, Creed announced its breakup in June 2004. Coinciding with this announcement was the one of Alter Bridge's formation and of their debut album and the album's lead single, "Open Your Eyes
." The band members felt as if Creed had "run their course" and were determined to focus on their future with their new singer. Alter Bridge's debut album, One Day Remains
, was released on August 10, 2004 by Wind-up Records
and received mixed reviews. Produced by Ben Grosse
(who has also produced albums by artists such as Filter
, Fuel
, and Sevendust
), the album sold 750,000 copies worldwide and achieved only gold status, a far cry from the multi-platinum success that Creed had previously achieved. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard charts
for fourteen weeks. After "Open Your Eyes," two more singles were released from the album: "Find the Real
" and "Broken Wings
." Also, partially due to the fact that the album was almost finished by the time Kennedy joined the band, it is the only Alter Bridge record that does not feature Kennedy as a guitarist, although he did play guitar on several songs on the album's accompanying tour. The music was composed completely by Tremonti, who had also written most of the lyrics by himself, though Kennedy wrote or at least co-wrote the lyrics for about half of the remaining songs.
Several songs from One Day Remains established an affiliation with WWE
. Most notably, "Metalingus" was adopted by former WWE superstar Edge as his entrance theme in 2004, and it was used as such until his retirement in 2011. Alter Bridge would later appear with Edge in a backstage segment on an episode of WWE Raw
in 2005. Also in 2005, Alter Bridge released a rare instrumental song called "Ahavo Rabo Taco Salad" for Total Guitar
magazine. It was solely a Mark Tremonti song originally, but the rest of Alter Bridge soon got involved. A song called "Save Me" was included on the soundtrack for the 2005 Marvel
film Elektra
. The soundtrack for another 2005 Marvel film, Fantastic Four
, also featured an Alter Bridge song, "Shed My Skin." That same year, the band released a four-song EP
called Fan EP as a promotional CD in Europe.
In 2007, Alter Bridge announced that they had signed a record deal with Universal Republic
. Tremonti said of the band's new material, "I think it's the best work we've ever done." Alter Bridge's second album, Blackbird
, featuring the successful singles "Rise Today
" and "Watch Over You
," was released on October 9, 2007. "Watch Over You" was featured in VH1
's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
in 2008 and its music video featured clips from the series. Another version of the song featuring Cristina Scabbia
of Lacuna Coil
is available in the United Kingdom. Blackbird received very positive reviews from critics, and currently holds an average of 9.4 out of 10 on Ultimate Guitar Archive
. The album also featured the critically acclaimed title track
, the guitar solo of which would later be lauded by Guitarist
by reaching #1 on their 2011 list of the greatest guitar solos of all time.
The band embarked on a successful world tour in support of Blackbird, recording their December 7, 2008 show at the Heineken Music Hall
in Amsterdam
, Netherlands
for a live DVD titled Live from Amsterdam
. A single disc version was sold exclusively at venues during the Creed reunion tour in 2009 and on Amazon.com
. Released to extremely positive reviews, the DVD sold "thousands and thousands" of copies as opposed to the projected "hundreds" that Amazon expected to sell, reached #1 on Amazon's "Bestsellers in Music Videos & Concerts," and remained there for several weeks. A Blu-ray Disc
version and a deluxe edition to be sold in stores, however, became the source of controversy as they were delayed by Universal Republic several times, causing frustration amongst Alter Bridge fans and band members, but the band remained optimistic about its release. It was finally released in stores in North America on January 11, 2011 after two years of delays.
Singer Myles Kennedy received much credit since 2008 when he was strongly rumored to be working with former members of Led Zeppelin
. While reports that Led Zeppelin would be reforming with Kennedy as their new singer were false, Kennedy later confirmed that he had in fact written songs and rehearsed with Jimmy Page
, John Paul Jones
, and Jason Bonham
.
as Creed
, Kennedy worked on his first solo album and began working extensively with Velvet Revolver
lead guitarist Slash
, and later touring with Slash throughout 2010 and 2011 as his lead vocalist. However, Alter Bridge continued to write music through most of 2009 and began the recording process of their third album from February through May 2010.
On July 17, 2010, Billboard
reported that Alter Bridge had signed with Roadrunner Records
and that the band would embark on a spring tour with Godsmack
in 2011. While the latter report was later denied by the band, Alter Bridge announced the title of their new album, AB III, along with the track listing on their official website in early August, and the rumors that the band had signed with Roadrunner were confirmed in a press release by the label. The press release also included an announcement that AB III would be released on October 8, 2010. On September 6, 2010, Roadrunner Records debuted the first single, "Isolation
," on their website, where it was announced that the single would be made available in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2010. The song became the band's most successful song, reaching #1 on active rock
radio and on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, a first for Alter Bridge. AB III was released in Australia and Germany on October 8, 2010 and in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2010 by Roadrunner Records. It was then released on November 9, 2010 in North America on the band's own label, Alter Bridge Recordings, via EMI
. The album debuted at #17 on the Billboard 200
. The music video for "Isolation" premiered on Noisecreep
on December 6, 2010. On January 11, 2011, the band finally released its long-awaited live album and concert film, Live from Amsterdam
, in stores. Also, "I Know It Hurts" was later released as the second single, in Australia only, on January 21, 2011. "Ghost of Days Gone By
" was released as the next single on April 18, 2011, followed by "Wonderful Life" on June 5, 2011 in the United Kingdom.
The band advertised that AB III would be much "darker" than and a lyrical departure from their previous albums, and the album was confirmed to be constructed as a loose concept album
. AB III was met with "overwhelming critical acclaim" from professional reviewers upon its release, with MusicRadar
calling it "one of the guitar albums of the year." Artistdirect
gave AB III a perfect score and called it a "masterpiece."Also, a tribute album to Alter Bridge titled String Tribute to Alter Bridge, which features instrumental classical arrangements of various Alter Bridge songs, was made available on March 8, 2011. On October 25, 2011, Alter Bridge released a special edition of AB III titled AB III.5, which includes three bonus tracks and an hour-long documentary titled One by One.
The band started touring in support of AB III, in fall 2010 in the United Kingdom with Slaves to Gravity
appearing and a second in the United States with Taddy Porter
and Like a Storm
. In the spring of 2011, Alter Bridge toured the United States with Black Stone Cherry
and Like a Storm. Alter Bridge performed at several European festivals in the summer of 2011, including the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals, the Nova Rock Festival
, the 2011 Download Festival
, the 2011 Hellfest Summer Open Air
, and several others. Alter Bridge performed a free concert on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the ABC
television network on April 25, 2011. The band also co-headlined the second annual Carnival of Madness Tour in summer 2011 with Theory of a Deadman
, with supporting acts Black Stone Cherry, Adelitas Way
, and Emphatic. The band played on 29 November at Wembley Arena
, with the concert filmed and to be released as a DVD. The tour is expected to extend until January 2012, when the band will play select dates in Australia, including the Soundwave Festival
. The band has released a series of webisode
s produced by DC3 Music Group
detailing their current tour.
After the tour the instrumental members will turn their attention on their other band, Creed. Mark Tremonti has said in interview that after Creed's scheduled tour and new album in 2012, Alter Bridge will reconvene to record its fourth studio album, though no specific date has been announced. He also has emphasized that he is always writing music for both acts. Drummer Scott Phillips also said that new Alter Bridge material will probably be released in 2013.
, hard rock
, alternative metal
, post-grunge
, heavy metal
, and progressive metal
. The band members have cited several artists including Led Zeppelin
, Metallica
, Jeff Buckley
, Iron Maiden
, Guns N' Roses
, Soundgarden
, AC/DC
, Living Colour
, and Slayer
as influences.
Alter Bridge's music is co-written by Kennedy and Tremonti and arranged by Alter Bridge and the band's lyrics are written primarily by Kennedy, although Tremonti wrote most of the lyrics and all of the music on One Day Remains. The lyrics on the first two Alter Bridge albums mainly touch on hope
and overcoming regret
, sadness
, grief
, loneliness
, pain
, and addiction
. The subject matter on their third release, AB III, is noticeably darker, with lyrical themes mostly based on struggling with faith
and a loss of innocence
, as well as other dark themes including apathy
and struggling with the concepts of death
and mortality
.
Often recognized for their live performances, the band generally does not perform in larger venues such as arenas and amphitheaters. Instead, Alter Bridge regularly plays smaller venues such as House of Blues
, as was their intention from the start. Myles Kennedy said in an interview with Artistdirect
, "We're definitely a live band. That's what it's all about for us. We make records so we can go out and play for people." The band has been joined on stage by several surprise guests, including Slash
, Paul Reed Smith
, Wolfgang Van Halen
, and Eric Friedman
, and several notable musicians, such as Eddie Van Halen
, Jimmy Page
, and John Paul Jones
, have been reported to have attended an Alter Bridge concert. Alter Bridge's live performances are generally praised.
, was certified gold
by the RIAA
in November 2004. It is the band's only RIAA-certified album. Since then, however, the band's subsequent albums have received general acclaim. The band has also received extremely positive reception for their 2009 live album
and concert film
, Live from Amsterdam
. It was originally released via Amazon.com
, where on October 22, 2009 it rose 15,000 spots on Amazon's "Bestsellers in Music Videos & Concerts" chart, rising ahead of artists such as Michael Jackson
and Bon Jovi
to #1, where it remained for several weeks. This was done with no official promotion or record label support. Also in late 2009, Alter Bridge was ranked by Ultimate Guitar Archive
as the 36th best heavy metal
band of the decade.
In October 2010, the band's song "Ties That Bind" from Blackbird
was listed by Total Guitar
as the 41st greatest guitar song of the decade, with Ultimate Guitar Archive naming AB III the seventh best album of 2010 that December. In March of the next year, the dual guitar solo in the critically acclaimed song "Blackbird
" was named the greatest guitar solo of all time by Guitarist
, ahead of tracks by artists such as Led Zeppelin
, Guns N' Roses
, Van Halen
, Pink Floyd
, and others. Myles Kennedy responded by saying that he was "a little uncomfortable with the idea that it was voted the 'best,'" but he and Mark Tremonti both stated that they were honored. Later, in May 2011, the band defeated Avenged Sevenfold
, Linkin Park
, Three Days Grace
, and other artists in Fuse TV
's "Battle of the Fans" poll. The tournament peaked at 7.2 million votes.
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti
Mark Tremonti
Mark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
, bassist Brian Marshall
Brian Marshall
Brian Aubrey Marshall is an American musician and songwriter best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He also co-owns a bed and breakfast called Mango Moon in Costa Rica.-Early life:...
, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed
Creed (band)
Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy
Myles Kennedy
Myles Richard Kennedy is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the lead vocalist in Slash's current solo project...
, formerly of The Mayfield Four
The Mayfield Four
For the telephone signalling method known in the UK as MF4, see Dual-tone multi-frequencyThe Mayfield Four was an American rock band formed by Myles Kennedy in Spokane, Washington in 1996...
and the frontman of Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
's current solo project, joined shortly after the band's formation. Tremonti named the group after an actual bridge that used to be located in Detroit, Michigan near his former home on Alter Road
Alter Road
Alter Road is a north-south thoroughfare of approximately four miles length in southeastern Michigan's Wayne County.-Basic History:Although Alter Road itself is completely within the Detroit city limits, nevertheless it is a symbolic dividing line between the overwhelmingly African-American City of...
.
Despite Creed's multi-platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
success, Alter Bridge arose with only gold status with their first studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, One Day Remains
One Day Remains
One Day Remains is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alter Bridge, released on August 10, 2004 on Wind-up Records. The album was produced by Ben Grosse. It has been certified Gold in the United States with worldwide sales reaching 750,000. It is said the album received its name from...
, which was released on Wind-up Records
Wind-Up Records
Wind-up Entertainment, Inc. is a record label based in New York City. It was formed in 1997 by Alan Meltzer, former owner of CD One Stop, following his 1996 purchase of Grass Records. Wind-up is currently the largest independently-owned record label in the world...
in August 2004 to generally mixed reviews. After the band's first tour, they dropped their contract with Wind-up Records in 2006 and signed with Universal Republic
Universal Republic
Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman...
, releasing their sophomore album, Blackbird
Blackbird (album)
Blackbird is the second studio album by rock band Alter Bridge, released on October 9, 2007. The first single, "Rise Today", was released on July 30, 2007. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200, selling 47,000 copies in its first week on the charts. As of December 2008, Blackbird has...
, which was positively received by critics, in October 2007. Alter Bridge spent the next two years touring and working on other projects, and in 2010, the band reconvened to work on its third album, AB III, which received critical acclaim and was released in October 2010 on Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
, and later on the band's own label via EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in North America in November 2010. In January 2011, Alter Bridge's first live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
and concert film
Concert film
A concert movie, or concert film, is a type of documentary film, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by a musician ....
, Live from Amsterdam
Live from Amsterdam (DVD)
Live from Amsterdam is the first concert film and live album by American rock band Alter Bridge, recorded on December 7, 2008 at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands and released to extremely positive reviews on September 12, 2009 via Amazon...
, was released. Originally released exclusively on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
in August 2009, it was met with two years of delays before finally being released in stores.
Early on, Alter Bridge was criticized by some for perceived similarities to Creed in their music. However, the band has since made several critical and commercial achievements and has received general praise in recent years, despite relatively low mainstream success and label support for the majority of its career. Alter Bridge has become known for their frequent and extensive touring and for their loyal fanbase. The individual members of Alter Bridge are also involved with various other projects, including solo and session work, Creed, and Kennedy's collaborations with Slash and former members of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. In 2009, Ultimate Guitar Archive
Ultimate Guitar Archive
Ultimate Guitar Archive, also known as Ultimate-Guitar.com or simply UG, is a large guitarist community website known for its large amount of guitar and bass tablature, reviews of music and equipment, interviews with notable musicians, online written and video lessons, and forums...
named Alter Bridge the 36th greatest band of the decade.
Formation and One Day Remains (2003–2006)
Alter Bridge lead guitarist and founder Mark TremontiMark Tremonti
Mark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
, bassist Brian Marshall
Brian Marshall
Brian Aubrey Marshall is an American musician and songwriter best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He also co-owns a bed and breakfast called Mango Moon in Costa Rica.-Early life:...
, and drummer Scott Phillips were members of Creed
Creed (band)
Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
with lead vocalist Scott Stapp
Scott Stapp
Scott Alan Stapp is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Creed, of which he is a founding member. His debut solo album, The Great Divide, was released in 2005. A second album, Between Lust and Love, is currently in production...
since 1997. After releasing two successful albums, Marshall left the band in 2000, followed by the release of their third album in 2001. The band went inactive in 2003 following the conclusion of a controversial tour. That year, Tremonti began writing new material with plans of forming a new band with Phillips and Marshall. Being fans of Myles Kennedy
Myles Kennedy
Myles Richard Kennedy is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the lead vocalist in Slash's current solo project...
's former band, The Mayfield Four
The Mayfield Four
For the telephone signalling method known in the UK as MF4, see Dual-tone multi-frequencyThe Mayfield Four was an American rock band formed by Myles Kennedy in Spokane, Washington in 1996...
, they invited him to join as their new lead vocalist. They named the new band Alter Bridge, after an actual bridge near Tremonti's home on Alter Road
Alter Road
Alter Road is a north-south thoroughfare of approximately four miles length in southeastern Michigan's Wayne County.-Basic History:Although Alter Road itself is completely within the Detroit city limits, nevertheless it is a symbolic dividing line between the overwhelmingly African-American City of...
in Detroit, and subsequently began recording their debut album.
Citing creative differences and increasing tension between Stapp and the other band members, Creed announced its breakup in June 2004. Coinciding with this announcement was the one of Alter Bridge's formation and of their debut album and the album's lead single, "Open Your Eyes
Open Your Eyes (Alter Bridge song)
"Open Your Eyes" is a song by the hard rock band Alter Bridge. The song, which is one of the band's biggest hits to date, was released as the first single off their debut album One Day Remains and peaked at No. 2 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 2004, the band's highest charting single on...
." The band members felt as if Creed had "run their course" and were determined to focus on their future with their new singer. Alter Bridge's debut album, One Day Remains
One Day Remains
One Day Remains is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alter Bridge, released on August 10, 2004 on Wind-up Records. The album was produced by Ben Grosse. It has been certified Gold in the United States with worldwide sales reaching 750,000. It is said the album received its name from...
, was released on August 10, 2004 by Wind-up Records
Wind-Up Records
Wind-up Entertainment, Inc. is a record label based in New York City. It was formed in 1997 by Alan Meltzer, former owner of CD One Stop, following his 1996 purchase of Grass Records. Wind-up is currently the largest independently-owned record label in the world...
and received mixed reviews. Produced by Ben Grosse
Ben Grosse
Ben Grosse is an American record producer and mixer, who has worked on numerous albums. He currently works with a staff at his own studio, The Mix Room, in Burbank, California...
(who has also produced albums by artists such as Filter
Filter (band)
Filter is a rock group formed in 1993 in Cleveland by singer Richard Patrick and guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang. Filter has released five studio albums, the most recent being The Trouble with Angels, which was released on August 17, 2010....
, Fuel
Fuel (band)
Fuel is an American rock band formed by guitarist/songwriter Carl Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie in 1989. Originally known as Small the Joy, they changed the group's name to Fuel sometime in 1994...
, and Sevendust
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...
), the album sold 750,000 copies worldwide and achieved only gold status, a far cry from the multi-platinum success that Creed had previously achieved. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
for fourteen weeks. After "Open Your Eyes," two more singles were released from the album: "Find the Real
Find The Real
"Find the Real" is a song recorded and performed by post-grunge band Alter Bridge. The song was the second of three singles released off of the band's debut studio album, One Day Remains...
" and "Broken Wings
Broken Wings (Alter Bridge song)
"Broken Wings" is a song recorded and performed by the band Alter Bridge. The song was the third and final single from the band's debut studio album, One Day Remains. It was not as successful as the previous two singles . Actor Paul Guilfoyle, known for his role in the hit show CSI: Crime Scene...
." Also, partially due to the fact that the album was almost finished by the time Kennedy joined the band, it is the only Alter Bridge record that does not feature Kennedy as a guitarist, although he did play guitar on several songs on the album's accompanying tour. The music was composed completely by Tremonti, who had also written most of the lyrics by himself, though Kennedy wrote or at least co-wrote the lyrics for about half of the remaining songs.
Several songs from One Day Remains established an affiliation with WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. Most notably, "Metalingus" was adopted by former WWE superstar Edge as his entrance theme in 2004, and it was used as such until his retirement in 2011. Alter Bridge would later appear with Edge in a backstage segment on an episode of WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
in 2005. Also in 2005, Alter Bridge released a rare instrumental song called "Ahavo Rabo Taco Salad" for Total Guitar
Total Guitar
Total Guitar is a monthly magazine based in the United Kingdom. The magazine is the best selling guitar magazine in Europe.The magazine is owned by Future Publishing, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to mountain bikes and knitting magazines.Total Guitar regularly...
magazine. It was solely a Mark Tremonti song originally, but the rest of Alter Bridge soon got involved. A song called "Save Me" was included on the soundtrack for the 2005 Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
film Elektra
Elektra (2005 film)
Elektra is a 2005 superhero film directed by Rob Bowman. It is a spin-off from the 2003 film Daredevil, starring the Marvel comics character Elektra Natchios . The story follows Elektra, an international assassin whose weapon of choice is a pair of sai.For the screenplay, Zak Penn, Stuart Zicherman...
. The soundtrack for another 2005 Marvel film, Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four (film)
Fantastic Four is a 2005 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics comic Fantastic Four. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. It is the second live-action Fantastic Four film to be filmed. The previous attempt, a B-movie produced by Roger Corman only for the...
, also featured an Alter Bridge song, "Shed My Skin." That same year, the band released a four-song EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
called Fan EP as a promotional CD in Europe.
Label change and Blackbird (2006–2009)
Before the final leg of the One Day Remains tour in 2006, Alter Bridge's relationship with Wind-up Records, who did not share the band's vision, began to deteriorate. The band asked to be released from the label since the release of One Day Remains, but their request was consistently declined until April 2006 when all recording, publishing, and merchandising agreements were finally terminated. However, Alter Bridge continued to face difficulties, including criticism for disbanding Creed, pressure to reform Creed, and numerous false reports of a Creed reunion, in addition to some critics describing Alter Bridge's music as sounding like "Creed with a different singer." Despite Creed later reforming in early 2009, Tremonti responded to these claims by stating, "Creed will never exist as a band again."In 2007, Alter Bridge announced that they had signed a record deal with Universal Republic
Universal Republic
Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman...
. Tremonti said of the band's new material, "I think it's the best work we've ever done." Alter Bridge's second album, Blackbird
Blackbird (album)
Blackbird is the second studio album by rock band Alter Bridge, released on October 9, 2007. The first single, "Rise Today", was released on July 30, 2007. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200, selling 47,000 copies in its first week on the charts. As of December 2008, Blackbird has...
, featuring the successful singles "Rise Today
Rise Today
"Rise Today" is a song recorded and performed by hard rock band Alter Bridge. The song was released as the first single in promotion of the band's second studio album, Blackbird...
" and "Watch Over You
Watch Over You
"Watch Over You" is a song by the American rock band Alter Bridge, featured on the band's second album Blackbird in 2007. The ballad is one of Alter Bridge's softer songs and has a much lighter tone than other songs on the album...
," was released on October 9, 2007. "Watch Over You" was featured in VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew is a reality television show airing on the cable network VH1 that chronicles a group of celebrities as they are treated for alcohol and drug addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. The first season premiered...
in 2008 and its music video featured clips from the series. Another version of the song featuring Cristina Scabbia
Cristina Scabbia
Cristina Adriana Chiara Scabbia is an Italian singer, best known as one of the two vocalists in the Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil. She also writes an advice column in the popular rock magazine Revolver, alongside musician Vinnie Paul. Scabbia is featured in a Megadeth song, "À Tout le...
of Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...
is available in the United Kingdom. Blackbird received very positive reviews from critics, and currently holds an average of 9.4 out of 10 on Ultimate Guitar Archive
Ultimate Guitar Archive
Ultimate Guitar Archive, also known as Ultimate-Guitar.com or simply UG, is a large guitarist community website known for its large amount of guitar and bass tablature, reviews of music and equipment, interviews with notable musicians, online written and video lessons, and forums...
. The album also featured the critically acclaimed title track
Blackbird (Alter Bridge song)
"Blackbird" is a song by the American rock band Alter Bridge from their album of the same name, which was released on October 8, 2007 by Universal Republic. At nearly eight minutes long, it is the band's longest song to date...
, the guitar solo of which would later be lauded by Guitarist
Guitarist (magazine)
Guitarist is a monthly music making magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. The magazine features reviews of newly released guitars, amplifiers and other equipment, plus interviews with guitar players, features on the guitar industry, news articles, and features on playing...
by reaching #1 on their 2011 list of the greatest guitar solos of all time.
The band embarked on a successful world tour in support of Blackbird, recording their December 7, 2008 show at the Heineken Music Hall
Heineken Music Hall
Heineken Music Hall is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands, near the Amsterdam ArenA .The big hall is used for concerts, has a capacity of 5500 and is 3000 m²...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
for a live DVD titled Live from Amsterdam
Live from Amsterdam (DVD)
Live from Amsterdam is the first concert film and live album by American rock band Alter Bridge, recorded on December 7, 2008 at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands and released to extremely positive reviews on September 12, 2009 via Amazon...
. A single disc version was sold exclusively at venues during the Creed reunion tour in 2009 and on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
. Released to extremely positive reviews, the DVD sold "thousands and thousands" of copies as opposed to the projected "hundreds" that Amazon expected to sell, reached #1 on Amazon's "Bestsellers in Music Videos & Concerts," and remained there for several weeks. A Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
version and a deluxe edition to be sold in stores, however, became the source of controversy as they were delayed by Universal Republic several times, causing frustration amongst Alter Bridge fans and band members, but the band remained optimistic about its release. It was finally released in stores in North America on January 11, 2011 after two years of delays.
Singer Myles Kennedy received much credit since 2008 when he was strongly rumored to be working with former members of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. While reports that Led Zeppelin would be reforming with Kennedy as their new singer were false, Kennedy later confirmed that he had in fact written songs and rehearsed with Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
, and Jason Bonham
Jason Bonham
Jason John Bonham is an English drummer. Jason's parents are Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and his wife Pat Phillips. After his father's death in 1980, he has played with Led Zeppelin on different occasions, including the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London in...
.
Second label change, AB III and future (2009–present)
Alter Bridge took a break in 2009 following the announcement of Creed's reunion tour and new album. While Tremonti, Marshall, and Phillips were touring with Scott StappScott Stapp
Scott Alan Stapp is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Creed, of which he is a founding member. His debut solo album, The Great Divide, was released in 2005. A second album, Between Lust and Love, is currently in production...
as Creed
Creed (band)
Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
, Kennedy worked on his first solo album and began working extensively with Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
lead guitarist Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, and later touring with Slash throughout 2010 and 2011 as his lead vocalist. However, Alter Bridge continued to write music through most of 2009 and began the recording process of their third album from February through May 2010.
On July 17, 2010, Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
reported that Alter Bridge had signed with Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
and that the band would embark on a spring tour with Godsmack
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
in 2011. While the latter report was later denied by the band, Alter Bridge announced the title of their new album, AB III, along with the track listing on their official website in early August, and the rumors that the band had signed with Roadrunner were confirmed in a press release by the label. The press release also included an announcement that AB III would be released on October 8, 2010. On September 6, 2010, Roadrunner Records debuted the first single, "Isolation
Isolation (Alter Bridge song)
"Isolation" is a song written and performed by Alter Bridge, released as the first single from their third album, AB III, and is their most successful single to date. It was made available as a digital download on September 26, 2010 in the United Kingdom by Roadrunner Records and October 25, 2010...
," on their website, where it was announced that the single would be made available in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2010. The song became the band's most successful song, reaching #1 on active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
radio and on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, a first for Alter Bridge. AB III was released in Australia and Germany on October 8, 2010 and in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2010 by Roadrunner Records. It was then released on November 9, 2010 in North America on the band's own label, Alter Bridge Recordings, via EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. The album debuted at #17 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The music video for "Isolation" premiered on Noisecreep
Noisecreep
Noisecreep is a hard rock and heavy metal music news and media website based in the United States. The site was created by AOL Music in March 2009....
on December 6, 2010. On January 11, 2011, the band finally released its long-awaited live album and concert film, Live from Amsterdam
Live from Amsterdam (DVD)
Live from Amsterdam is the first concert film and live album by American rock band Alter Bridge, recorded on December 7, 2008 at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands and released to extremely positive reviews on September 12, 2009 via Amazon...
, in stores. Also, "I Know It Hurts" was later released as the second single, in Australia only, on January 21, 2011. "Ghost of Days Gone By
Ghost of Days Gone By
"Ghost of Days Gone By" is a song written and performed by Alter Bridge, released in the United States as the third single from their third album, AB III, on April 18, 2011. In the United States, the song was self-released via EMI, like the album. It is unknown when or if the single will be...
" was released as the next single on April 18, 2011, followed by "Wonderful Life" on June 5, 2011 in the United Kingdom.
The band advertised that AB III would be much "darker" than and a lyrical departure from their previous albums, and the album was confirmed to be constructed as a loose concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
. AB III was met with "overwhelming critical acclaim" from professional reviewers upon its release, with MusicRadar
MusicRadar
MusicRadar is a website for musicians. It covers information pertaining to artists and music, special features, product news and reviews, music lessons and a social network service in the style of Facebook and Myspace...
calling it "one of the guitar albums of the year." Artistdirect
ARTISTdirect
Founded in 1994, Artistdirect, Inc. is an online digital media entertainment company. It owns several websites including Artistdirect.com, UBL.com and the Artistdirect Network...
gave AB III a perfect score and called it a "masterpiece."Also, a tribute album to Alter Bridge titled String Tribute to Alter Bridge, which features instrumental classical arrangements of various Alter Bridge songs, was made available on March 8, 2011. On October 25, 2011, Alter Bridge released a special edition of AB III titled AB III.5, which includes three bonus tracks and an hour-long documentary titled One by One.
The band started touring in support of AB III, in fall 2010 in the United Kingdom with Slaves to Gravity
Slaves to Gravity
Slaves to Gravity were an alternative hard rock band formed in the summer of 2006 in London, England.On October 9th, 2011, the band announced they would be breaking up and that they would play their last ever show at Relentless Freeze Festival on October 28th....
appearing and a second in the United States with Taddy Porter
Taddy Porter
Taddy Porter is an American rock band formed in 2007 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The band members are Andy Brewer , Joe Selby , Doug Jones , and Kevin Jones...
and Like a Storm
Like A Storm
Like A Storm is a hard rock band from Auckland, New Zealand. Formed by brothers Chris, Matt & Kent Brooks, Like A Storm has toured the U.S. extensively with Shinedown, Creed, Puddle of Mudd, Staind, Alter Bridge, Drowning Pool, Helmet, Skillet, Hoobastank and many others, as well as playing the...
. In the spring of 2011, Alter Bridge toured the United States with Black Stone Cherry
Black Stone Cherry
Black Stone Cherry is an American rock band formed in 2001 in Edmonton, Kentucky. They are signed to Roadrunner Records. The band consists of Chris Robertson , Ben Wells , Jon Lawhon , and John Fred Young...
and Like a Storm. Alter Bridge performed at several European festivals in the summer of 2011, including the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals, the Nova Rock Festival
Nova Rock Festival
The Nova Rock Festival, also just Nova Rock, is a music festival that has existed since 2005 and takes place each year in June. It is Austria's biggest rock music festivals, and also one of the largest in Europe. It is located in Burgenland, the easternmost federal state of Austria, near...
, the 2011 Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
, the 2011 Hellfest Summer Open Air
Hellfest Summer Open Air
Hellfest is an annual music festival which takes place in Clisson, France in mid-June. It is held within the Val de Moine sport complex in Clisson, approximately 35 km south-east of the city of Nantes, and approximately 400 km south-west of the nation's capital Paris. Billed as an "extreme music...
, and several others. Alter Bridge performed a free concert on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television network on April 25, 2011. The band also co-headlined the second annual Carnival of Madness Tour in summer 2011 with Theory of a Deadman
Theory of a Deadman
Theory of a Deadman is a Canadian rock band from Delta, British Columbia, formed in 2001. The band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records as well as Island Records. The band also includes traits of other music styles, such as country and acoustic, as well as their post-grunge and alternative...
, with supporting acts Black Stone Cherry, Adelitas Way
Adelitas Way
Adelitas Way is a hard rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada that broke into mainstream in 2009 for their song "Invincible", which is the official theme song for WWE Superstars on WGN America. They also perform the song "A New Day" as the theme song for the defunct WWE Tag Team The Legacy and later used...
, and Emphatic. The band played on 29 November at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, with the concert filmed and to be released as a DVD. The tour is expected to extend until January 2012, when the band will play select dates in Australia, including the Soundwave Festival
Soundwave Festival
Soundwave Festival, held every year at the Scarborough Spa Ocean Room, Scarborough, UK, is a music and arts festival created by the DIY Collective, a group of young people from around the Scarborough area. It was first held in 1999 on South Bay Beach, Scarborough and was moved to the Spa Complex...
. The band has released a series of webisode
Webisode
A webisode is a short episode which airs initially as Internet television, either download or stream as opposed to first airing on broadcast or cable television. The format can be used as a preview, a promotion, as part of a collection of shorts, or a commercial.A webisode can be an episode...
s produced by DC3 Music Group
DC3 Music Group
DC3 Music Group is a multi-media company specializing in exclusive live concerts and behind the scenes content from musical artists, which are distributed through multiple distribution channels, including the latest mobile and digital technology...
detailing their current tour.
After the tour the instrumental members will turn their attention on their other band, Creed. Mark Tremonti has said in interview that after Creed's scheduled tour and new album in 2012, Alter Bridge will reconvene to record its fourth studio album, though no specific date has been announced. He also has emphasized that he is always writing music for both acts. Drummer Scott Phillips also said that new Alter Bridge material will probably be released in 2013.
Musical style
Alter Bridge's music is often characterized and described as "heavy, yet melodic." Their music has been listed under several genres including rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
, post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
, heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, and progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
. The band members have cited several artists including Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Living Colour
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...
, and Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
as influences.
Alter Bridge's music is co-written by Kennedy and Tremonti and arranged by Alter Bridge and the band's lyrics are written primarily by Kennedy, although Tremonti wrote most of the lyrics and all of the music on One Day Remains. The lyrics on the first two Alter Bridge albums mainly touch on hope
Hope
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or...
and overcoming regret
Regret
Regret or Regrets may refer to:* Regret * Regret, France, a village about 2 miles south-west of Verdun* Expression of regret, a common gambit in politics and public relations, used as an alternative to actually apologizing...
, sadness
Sadness
Sadness is emotional pain associated with, or characterized by feelings of disadvantage, loss, despair, helplessness, sorrow, and rage. When sad, people often become outspoken, less energetic, and emotional...
, grief
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
, loneliness
Loneliness
Loneliness is an unpleasant feeling in which a person feels a strong sense of emptiness and solitude resulting from inadequate levels of social relationships. However, it is a subjective experience...
, pain
Pain
Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...
, and addiction
Addiction
Historically, addiction has been defined as physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain.Addiction can also be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity...
. The subject matter on their third release, AB III, is noticeably darker, with lyrical themes mostly based on struggling with faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
and a loss of innocence
Innocence
Innocence is a term used to indicate a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, sin, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence refers to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime.-Symbolism:...
, as well as other dark themes including apathy
Apathy
Apathy is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical or physical life.They may lack a sense of purpose or meaning in...
and struggling with the concepts of death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
and mortality
Mortality
Mortality is the condition of being mortal, or susceptible to death; the opposite of immortality.It may also refer to:* Mortality rate, a measure of the number of deaths in a given population...
.
Often recognized for their live performances, the band generally does not perform in larger venues such as arenas and amphitheaters. Instead, Alter Bridge regularly plays smaller venues such as House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
, as was their intention from the start. Myles Kennedy said in an interview with Artistdirect
ARTISTdirect
Founded in 1994, Artistdirect, Inc. is an online digital media entertainment company. It owns several websites including Artistdirect.com, UBL.com and the Artistdirect Network...
, "We're definitely a live band. That's what it's all about for us. We make records so we can go out and play for people." The band has been joined on stage by several surprise guests, including Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, Paul Reed Smith
Paul Reed Smith
Paul Reed Smith , is a luthier and the founder and owner of PRS Guitars.Smith is originally from Bowie, Maryland. He made his first guitar while at St. Mary's College of Maryland, and continued to build guitars after he finished college, making them one at a time, one a month...
, Wolfgang Van Halen
Wolfgang Van Halen
Wolfgang William Van Halen , is an American musician. He is the current bassist for Van Halen, replacing Michael Anthony in 2006.-Personal life:...
, and Eric Friedman
Eric Friedman
Eric Charles "Erock" Friedman is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the current touring rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for Creed. He played with the band on their 2009 United States reunion tour with Staind and their 20-10 Tour with Skillet...
, and several notable musicians, such as Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
, Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, and John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
, have been reported to have attended an Alter Bridge concert. Alter Bridge's live performances are generally praised.
Activism
In 2011, Alter Bridge joined the fight against cancer by helping the "Play for Life" organization raise funds for City of Hope Medical Center, a leading research center for cancer.Awards and accolades
Alter Bridge's music was received poorly by critics in the band's early years, but their first album, One Day RemainsOne Day Remains
One Day Remains is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alter Bridge, released on August 10, 2004 on Wind-up Records. The album was produced by Ben Grosse. It has been certified Gold in the United States with worldwide sales reaching 750,000. It is said the album received its name from...
, was certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
in November 2004. It is the band's only RIAA-certified album. Since then, however, the band's subsequent albums have received general acclaim. The band has also received extremely positive reception for their 2009 live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
and concert film
Concert film
A concert movie, or concert film, is a type of documentary film, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by a musician ....
, Live from Amsterdam
Live from Amsterdam (DVD)
Live from Amsterdam is the first concert film and live album by American rock band Alter Bridge, recorded on December 7, 2008 at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands and released to extremely positive reviews on September 12, 2009 via Amazon...
. It was originally released via Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, where on October 22, 2009 it rose 15,000 spots on Amazon's "Bestsellers in Music Videos & Concerts" chart, rising ahead of artists such as Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
to #1, where it remained for several weeks. This was done with no official promotion or record label support. Also in late 2009, Alter Bridge was ranked by Ultimate Guitar Archive
Ultimate Guitar Archive
Ultimate Guitar Archive, also known as Ultimate-Guitar.com or simply UG, is a large guitarist community website known for its large amount of guitar and bass tablature, reviews of music and equipment, interviews with notable musicians, online written and video lessons, and forums...
as the 36th best heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band of the decade.
In October 2010, the band's song "Ties That Bind" from Blackbird
Blackbird (album)
Blackbird is the second studio album by rock band Alter Bridge, released on October 9, 2007. The first single, "Rise Today", was released on July 30, 2007. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200, selling 47,000 copies in its first week on the charts. As of December 2008, Blackbird has...
was listed by Total Guitar
Total Guitar
Total Guitar is a monthly magazine based in the United Kingdom. The magazine is the best selling guitar magazine in Europe.The magazine is owned by Future Publishing, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to mountain bikes and knitting magazines.Total Guitar regularly...
as the 41st greatest guitar song of the decade, with Ultimate Guitar Archive naming AB III the seventh best album of 2010 that December. In March of the next year, the dual guitar solo in the critically acclaimed song "Blackbird
Blackbird (Alter Bridge song)
"Blackbird" is a song by the American rock band Alter Bridge from their album of the same name, which was released on October 8, 2007 by Universal Republic. At nearly eight minutes long, it is the band's longest song to date...
" was named the greatest guitar solo of all time by Guitarist
Guitarist (magazine)
Guitarist is a monthly music making magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. The magazine features reviews of newly released guitars, amplifiers and other equipment, plus interviews with guitar players, features on the guitar industry, news articles, and features on playing...
, ahead of tracks by artists such as Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, and others. Myles Kennedy responded by saying that he was "a little uncomfortable with the idea that it was voted the 'best,'" but he and Mark Tremonti both stated that they were honored. Later, in May 2011, the band defeated Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
, Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...
, and other artists in Fuse TV
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
's "Battle of the Fans" poll. The tournament peaked at 7.2 million votes.
Band members
- Myles KennedyMyles KennedyMyles Richard Kennedy is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the lead vocalist in Slash's current solo project...
– lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitar - Mark TremontiMark TremontiMark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
– lead and rhythm guitar, vocals - Brian MarshallBrian MarshallBrian Aubrey Marshall is an American musician and songwriter best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He also co-owns a bed and breakfast called Mango Moon in Costa Rica.-Early life:...
– bass - Scott Phillips – drums, percussion
Discography
- One Day RemainsOne Day RemainsOne Day Remains is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alter Bridge, released on August 10, 2004 on Wind-up Records. The album was produced by Ben Grosse. It has been certified Gold in the United States with worldwide sales reaching 750,000. It is said the album received its name from...
(2004) - BlackbirdBlackbird (album)Blackbird is the second studio album by rock band Alter Bridge, released on October 9, 2007. The first single, "Rise Today", was released on July 30, 2007. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200, selling 47,000 copies in its first week on the charts. As of December 2008, Blackbird has...
(2007) - AB III (2010)