Alter Bridge: Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge is one of those bands you simply have to know. My first taste of their music was my mother duetting Myles Kennedy’s vocals while dancing around the living room with me, maybe 9 or 10 at the time, and early on declaring them to be one of the greats. In fact, few acts have reached the worldwide cult status and acclaim that US-American band Alter Bridge has. With their 8th studio album, self-titled ‘Alter Bridge’ (set for release on January 9, 2026 via Napalm Records) they prove that their status is well-deserved. The album is an explosive testament to hard rock. The quartet of Myles Kennedy (vocals/guitars), Mark Tremonti (guitars/vocals), Brian Marshall (bass) and Scott Phillips (drums) have yet again managed something iconic.
The first track ‘Silent Divide’ immediately sets off with Kennedy and Tremonti on their guitars, a dirty, gloomy sound, before being further powered along by Marshall and Phillips. There’s no forgetting that classic Alter Bridge sound, with some magnificent high notes by Kennedy and a pitchy guitar riff to offset the gloom. The Let’s-Get-The-Band-Back-Together atmosphere is not just part of the sound. If you check out the accompanying music video, you’ll find that the theme stays strong with the quartet playing together in a tiny room as they might have done in the beginning. There’s no question why they picked this song to be the first single and introduction to the album.
‘Rue The Day’ neatly fits in with the sound Alter Bridge is known for. Memorable dual guitars by Kennedy and Tremonti, contagious vocals and, as always, a deeper message effortlessly threading itself into the sound. The lyrics and vocals are not a byproduct of the sound, nor is it the other way around. It’s a perfect symbiosis, and one of the reasons that make Alter Bridge unforgettable.
‘Trust In Me’ is one of my favorites of the album: Tremonti and Kennedy switch off between each other on chorus and verse, as musical puzzle pieces on vocals and guitar. Marshall and Phillips do their parts well, blending into along with adding to the puzzle that is Alter Bridge.
The riff in ‘Disregarded’ slaps you in the face with how good it is and ‘Tested and Able’ once again has the two vocalists sharing duties between verse and chorus. This song is a tearjerker in itself. The song starts and ends hard and heavy, in between a stark melodic contrast that nonetheless simply works. The lyrics describe a deep emotional hurt “What you lost you had gained, you were kind though the world was painful”, and the repeating harmony in both chorus and guitar underline that beautifully. To me, this one might be the most unforgettable on the whole record.
With ‘Hang By A Thread’ the band effortlessly makes you either want to slow-dance or smile and cry at the same time. The track feels spiritual, yet you can imagine swaying to it in the crowd.
They end the album with the 9:02 track ‘Slave To Master’, their longest song to date. Not a second in this is wasted. The classic Alter Bridge sound stays recognizable and yet the group manages to build something new on top: a fulfillment of both their theatrical, energy-laden sound and a keen ear for technical precision.
In this finale, though also the album itself, Alter Bridge shows that they know who they are and who they want to be. The album is well-refined and sincere, without ever losing the grit that makes them a legendary hard rock act. If you haven’t gotten enough of them after these 12 tracks, I recommend going to one of their upcoming European or US shows. (And if you see me at one of them, please say hi!)