Band: Alter Bridge

Album: Walk the Sky

Genre: Rock

Release Date: October 18, 2019

Standout Tracks: “Godspeed,” “Indoctrination,” “Forever Falling,” and “Walking on the Sky”

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Alter Bridge is back with their sixth studio album, Walk the Sky.

Staying true to form, Alter Bridge has again created a unique collection of fourteen tracks that don’t sound quite like anything they’ve done before. There are touches from past records evident — the heaviness of The Last Hero, the deeper lyrical content of AB III, even a tip of the hat to Tremonti’s latest solo effort, A Dying Machine — and yet, Walk the Sky stands strong on its own merits.

The album opens with “One Life,” a soft and melodic intro clocking in at 1:23, then immediately hits the listener with the blistering “Wouldn’t You Rather,” an offering of sage advice. “There is no gain worth the commerce of self,” front man Myles Kennedy warns, before asking “Wouldn’t you rather live from the heart?”

“Godspeed” is a beautiful ode to a lost loved one (and the song that made me cry; there is always at least one). With the opening piano setting the mood, Myles delivers a heartfelt goodbye that touches the soul.

“Native Son” and “Take the Crown” are two of the harder tracks, followed by the raw, gritty, dark “Indoctrination” (a personal favorite). “Pay No Mind,” which was the second single, has grown on me exponentially with each listen.

Guitarist Mark Tremonti takes lead vocals on “Forever Falling,” a change that always goes over well with the Alter Bridge fanbase. The chorus serves up the absolute magic that is Mark and Myles’ intertwined voices, a combination I’ve loved from day one.

“Walking on the Sky” struck me with my very first listen of the album. I can’t even explain it. Perhaps it’s the aforementioned Myles/Mark harmonies; perhaps it’s the flawless shifting between the softness of the verses and the heavier chorus; or it could just be these words — “And if you fall, at least you tried/As you tremble on the wire/Walking on the sky.”

The record ends with “Dying Light.” Alter Bridge gifts their listeners with catharsis, assuring all who hear that “In the dying light, we can learn to live again/When we wake up to eternal life.”

I definitely encourage everyone to check out Walk the Sky. Alter Bridge has granted us an eclectic mix of the elements that make them one of the best bands in the business (the best, in my opinion). This record will surely be on repeat for months to come. 4/5 stars.