Alter Bridge — “Coeur D’Alene,” from the album AB III (2010).
Mark Tremonti
Weekly Focus: Alter Bridge, Pt. II, Day Two
Alter Bridge — “Buried Alive,” from the album Blackbird (2007).
Weekly Focus: Alter Bridge, Pt. II, Day One
Alter Bridge — “Shed My Skin,” from the album One Day Remains (2004).
Album of the Week: Alter Bridge’s AB III
Is it bad when one of a band’s weaker albums is still stronger than other artists’ best albums? That’s how I feel about AB III. It is not at the top of their catalog, in my opinion, yet Alter Bridge has undoubtedly done something special with this record. Standout tracks such as “Wonderful Life” and “Words Darker Than Their Wings” have this offering in my player more often than not.
Alter Bridge Set to Release ‘Live at the Royal Albert Hall’ in September
This past October, Alter Bridge played at the Royal Albert Hall in London, accompanied by the 52-piece Parallax Orchestra. The momentous occasion was recorded and will be available everywhere as a CD/DVD combo on September 7th. You can preorder it now via Alter Bridge’s official site.
The track list is as follows:
CD 1
01 – “Slip To The Void”
02 – “Addicted To Pain”
03 – “Before Tomorrow Comes”
04 – “The Writing On The Wall”
05 – “Cry Of Achilles”
06 – “In Loving Memory”
07 – “Fortress”
08 – “Ties That Bind”
09 – “The Other Side”
10 – “Brand New Start”
11 – “Ghost Of Days Gone By”
CD 2
12 – “The Last Hero”
13 – “The End Is Here”
14 – “Words Darker Than Their Wings”
15 – “Waters Rising”
16 – “Lover”
17 – “Wonderful Life / Watch Over You”
18 – “This Side Of Fate”
19 – “Broken Wings”
20 – “Blackbird”
21 – “Open Your Eyes”
DVD
01 – “Intro”
02 – “Slip To The Void”
03 – “Addicted To Pain”
04 – “Before Tomorrow Comes”
05 – “Show preparation / Interview”
06 – “The Writing On The Wall”
07 – “Cry Of Achilles”
08 – “In Loving Memory”
09 – “Fortress”
10 – “The first rehearsal / Interview”
11 – “Ties That Bind”
12 – “The Other Side”
13 – “Rehearsal reactions”
14 – “Brand New Start”
15 – “Ghost Of Days Gone By”
16 – “Future Song Foundation / Interview”
17 – “The Last Hero”
18 – “The End Is Here”
19 – “Rehearsal – WDTTW / Interview”
20 – “Words Darker Than Their Wings”
21 – “Waters Rising”
22 – “Lover”
23 – “Family / Interview”
24 – “Wonderful Life/Watch Over You”
25 – “This Side Of Fate”
26 – “Fans / Interview”
27 – “Broken Wings”
28 – “Blackbird”
29 – “Open Your Eyes”
30 – “End titles / Credits”
And to build even more anticipation, Alter Bridge has shared the video of “Addicted to Pain” from the DVD.
You Can Now Pre-order ‘A Dying Machine’ (The Novel)
In case you didn’t know, there is going to be a novel that tells the story of Tremonti’s concept album A Dying Machine. The book is the combined effort of Mark Tremonti and John Shirley. Pre-orders available on both Fret12.com and marktremonti.com. Items will ship later this summer.
Here’s the synopsis, via Fret12:
“When Brennan Gibbons’ beloved wife Eleanor dies, so does the renowned architect’s career. On a fluke, Brennan enters and wins the 22nd Century Lottery to be one of the few people able to buy a first generation Vessel – an artificial human, part flesh, part machine, created to be the perfect partner. Though slightly dubious, Brennan brings Stella home, with the hopes that she can help him re-engage with life, without replacing his dead wife. At first, Stella is everything Brennan could desire in a partner, but Stella is not entirely human. Her robotic parts make her better, stronger, and faster. Yet as time passes, Stella begins to develop her own personality and free will–along with a dark obsession.
At the same time, the Vessels created to be the bodyguards for the rich and powerful board members of Fusion Flesh are realizing that they too have free will. Bred to be killers and forced to serve as confidants and lovers, these Vessels realize that they have the tools necessary to fight for the rights of their kind. Led by Ares, the bodyguard of Fusion Flesh CEO Maggie Coogan; the Vessels band together to form a ruthless guerilla unit to overthrow those who control them.
A DYING MACHINE weaves a tale of two stories: that of Ares and Stella – highlighting human folly through the creation of seemingly perfect beings… Beings who ultimately want what all people want: the freedom to love and live.“
Playlist Challenge, Day 408
Tremonti — “My Last Mistake”
Album Review: Tremonti’s A Dying Machine
Band: Tremonti
Album: A Dying Machine
Genre: Rock/Metal
Release Date: June 8, 2018
Standout Tracks: “Desolation,” “Traipse,” “A Dying Machine,” “Trust,” “The First The Last,” “As the Silence Becomes Me,” and “A Lot Like Sin”
◾◾◾
I have labeled half of the album as “standout,” if that is any indication of my love for Tremonti’s A Dying Machine. I had a pretty good idea from the moment the title track, which is the core of this rock opera, was released that I was going to adore this record, but nothing could have prepared me for the perfection that would soon be gracing my ears. A Dying Machine kicks off with the hard-hitting “Bringer of War” and carries the listener on an intriguing musical journey, concluding with the instrumental “Found.” In the middle is some of the best work I have heard from Tremonti.
While staying true to their metal influences with such songs as “From the Sky” and the blistering “The Day When Legions Burned,” Tremonti also takes a left turn into the unexpected (“Take You With Me”) and the emotional (“Desolation”). They have used everything in their creative arsenal to tell us this story.
A Dying Machine is the perfect lovechild of its predecessors, yet it surpasses all of them. With each album, the band — consisting of Mark Tremonti, Eric Friedman, and Garrett Whitlock — has evolved. Their musical prowess has reached new levels, enabling them to take chances that certainly have paid off. Mark has grown as a lyricist, and his vocals on this latest effort are magnificent. His performance on the title track from Dust, as well as “Unable to See,” heralded what was to come; however, he pushes himself further on A Dying Machine, using his voice to evoke emotion more than he ever has before.
I can’t praise Tremonti enough for their unwavering dedication to this new wave of metal, heavy and melodic, unafraid to include a softer, more vulnerable side, or to bring in elements that supposedly have no place in the genre (something Mark has been doing with Alter Bridge for years). These unique inclusions are what make Tremonti stand out. In fact, they make the band rise above many of its contemporaries.
Offering a breath of fresh air to the hard rock/metal scene, A Dying Machine is my pick for Album of the Year. I’m sure it’s no surprise that I rate this record 5/5 stars.
And keep your eyes open: there will be a book based on A Dying Machine.
Tremonti Cover Metallica Acoustically — on Hello Kitty Guitars
I shouldn’t love this as much as I do. Mark Tremonti and Eric Friedman play “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” on a Hello Kitty guitar and ukulele, respectively.
Via Loudwire:
Playlist Challenge, Day 386
Alter Bridge — “Metalingus”
Mostly Music 