Ab 3.5

Excitement and anticipation were the feelings just before I played this CD!Alter Bridge deliver with full force here, the 3 year wait was worth it!I read that this is a loose concept album of sorts. And believe me, there's 14 songs here,but none of them tend to bore you half way through.And after listening to this cd for 3 days straight now - in the car, Home, Office Radio.. & so on..Below is my track-by-track review of this album.01. Slip Into The Void - Myles starts off this dark mood setter with soft sung, creepy vocals, something unheard in previous albums. Soft guitar picking in the background begin to paint a picture and give you a taste of things to come! The Riff here reminds me of "Find The Real"... Only darker and more twisted!02. Isolation - this is the albums First single, all round fast paced and heaviest song on the album. There's some good drumming here.. Around 2m 19sec, Tremonti breaks into a brilliant odd / even time signature speed metal riff! Totally takes you by surprise... and of course, its followed by Myles' guitar solo.03. Ghost of Days Gone By - The intro to this song brought a big smile on my face.. its very up beat with an almost punk feel to it... again, different! & a sound that's reminiscent of Alter Bridge's ghost of days gone by . . . . . ;o) But around the 2m 21sec mark, the song takes a complete 180° dive into darkness, reminding us what ABIII is all about \m/04. All Hope Is Gone - This song is a highlight... its got a very different sound than other AB songs. Big Riffs combined with Myles' more soulful vocals. Its probably got the best lead solo of the album.05. Still Remains - This song is all MeTaL! Its got a BIG Stop Start riff going with a few Mid Eastern elements in the beginning & end of the song.. Highlight here is the crazy chug chug riff around the 2m 40sec mark.06. Make It Right - A very positive message in this song... Myles sings, "Only you can Make it right" This is a trademark AB track.. its got all the elements that make AB songs stand out and different from any other artists music. Big Chorus + Constant picking and a Good closing solo.07. Wonderful Life - This is the ballad of ABIII and a possible second single. It will easily relate with anyone. Its up there with "In Loving Memory", "Watch Over You" & "Blackbird" I'd like to hear an acoustic version of this!08. I Know It Hurts - Another heavy / fast paced song with a great ending solo. Reminds me of similar AB songs like "Metalingus" & "White Knuckles"09. Show Me A Sign - Clocking in @ 5m 56sec, this is the longest track on ABIII. It has a Doomy feel to it and its mid tempo takes you back in time and seems to venture into Creed's Weathered ~ Human Clay territory... definitely not a bad thing! That funny saying truly fits here... "you cant make this $#!T Up!" ;o)10. Fallout - Good Mid paced heavy track, which gives us a glimpse of Myles' Country / Blues Roots. its got a very anthemic Chorus and a sweet Solo by Tremonti.11. Breathe Again - Really sweet song, its pure AB Style and on a similar pace as their songs "Down to my last" & "Before Tomorrow Comes" A good showcase of Myles dynamic range vocals.12. Coeur D'Alene - A very smart thing Mark Tremonti does here, by filling in guitar parts while Myles sings. It makes the song sound very guitar driven! A very straight forward rocker with a sweet closing solo.13. Life Must Go On - The moment I heard this song, the intro stuck in my head, cuz I knew I had heard it before, but just didn't remember where... Turns out Mark had played an acoustic version of it on his "The Sound & The Story" DVD, under the Alternate Tuning / Finger-style chapter. Its a beautiful mid paced track with a big chorus, definitely making it a worthy crowd sing-along-song! I like the way Mark plays the same intro towards the end of the song along with Myles Vocals, and the short sweet epic solo in the end. (My personal favorite song)14. Words Darker Than Their Wings - This song is a duet of sorts, between Myles and Mark. Showcasing more of Mark's vocal skills, which is not a bad thing, because He's quite a capable singer in his own right. The song itself is done very differently though, its not just two individuals singing, rather its more like a conversation between the two. Its on the lines and pace of their epic "Blackbird" , it's got a very distinctive 12 string guitar tone and it couldn't be a better closing song. Myles takes his vocals here to their peak which for sure is the highlight of this song!In closing I'd like to say,If One Day Remains was a transformation for them from Creed to AB~and Blackbird was all about shedding old skin and out with the new~I'd say over all this album boasts just one thing... and that is progression!They're not Stagnant, but Constant and innovative in their own unique style!Hats off & a Personal Thank You to Alter Bridge for this offering.PS. Still waiting for the 3 bonus tracks, probably will review those too when they become available ;o)Update -US Bonus#1 - Zero - this ones got a familiar riff to it.. reminded me of a song by 12Stones.. but how AB own it is amazing.. strong bass here and as usual, good solo by Mark. The song may be named Zero but definitely there's nothing Zero about it. Good addition to the album.US Bonus#2 - Home - this song's similar to "Make It Right" & "Words Darker Than Their Wings" off the same album.. straight up rocker.. the reverb echo effect used in Myles voice makes the song sound epic..Japan Bonus#1 - Never Born to Follow - This song is very different from anything AB have done, yes it's the typical AB sound, but has a very 90's feel to it with an almost dreamy hook.. the ooohhhs & whoaas are a give away! Almost sounds like something that Myles would have done when he was in Mayfield Four.. probably we will get to hear more of this on his upcoming solo. (My suggestion.. get the US version & just D/Load this song.. or get it off itunes.)Pulling off a feat like this is not easy.. These guys recorded a total of 17 outstanding Rock Anthems for ABIII,which is probably 3 tracks short of a Double Album.. in only 3 to 4 months ?Songs here might not be breaking new ground,but its an evolutionary growth process for the Band, to expand to the full potential of their sound.Kudos & All The Best to the band members for their hard work!Rock On \m/ \m/UPDATE - Hey guys, I finally got my hands on the ABIII.5 CD/DVD Pack so I thought I'd just leave a quick update.. the album .. well.. nothing more to say than I've already said.. just a quick update on the One By One DVD, as it's mentioned in the Product description, its the Making of the ABIII album.. its not entirely.. its got Production manager interviews, Slash speaks about the band.. of course the band members themselves also talk about life on tour, good times and hardships.. how they bought their way out of Wind Up Records to Universal.. & then again from Universal to their own.. it does have a couple of songs from all three albums filmed at various live shows... the highlight definitely would be "Rise Today" featuring a guest appearance by Slash on guitar of course ;o) he just ripped through the song and his solo towards the end was just epic \m/ \m/ - you have to check it out for yourself to believe it! (poor Mark :p)So.. in conclusion id like to say that either way, whether you get the standard edition.. or the import with this dvd.. its totally worth it.P.S. - The new Slash album with Myles, & Mark Tremonti's Tremonti Project would definitely be on the top of my list to look forward to this year.

The last library of music that was as impactful as ABIII, was "Operation Mindcrime" by a little band called Queensryche.ABIII is a masterpiece of material. Mark Tremonti is one of the better rock guitarists of our generation. Mark can bring the heat with power chords and plays very beautiful melodies. Myles Kennedy has an Ethereal, Haunting voice. I'm not sure of his octaves but his vocal range fits the music perfectly. The first track "Slip to the Void", take a listen to that , you will recognize my definition of "haunting" vocals. Of course the bass and drums hold up very well, Alter Bridge are one of my favorite bands in the Post-Grunge era.In my opinion for an album to be great, it should have 5 great songs, I have always said, if 5 tunes are great, then its one to purchase. This album has well over 10 great tracks! I read somebody's review of how the mixing is less than stellar, I disagree. I think Alter Bridge records tracks more as a band , as opposed to each musician doing their own parts and mixing together,I think AB goes for that "live" sound. I don't think guitar tracks should be overdubbed and layered, to sound more full. You can tell on this album, that both Myles and Mark play to acheive that cohesive blend of sounds, Myles Kennedy is a decent guitarist, considering the quality of his voice.There are parts of this album that remind me of Queen's opera-esque melodies and vocals, there are parts that are just in your face ROCK and there are tracks like "Slip to the Void and "Show Me a Sign" that are eerie and very sonic. Songs that stick in your head and make you feel like you are taking a journey with the band, lost in this album...I would have never imagined a better follow-up to Blackbird, but this album reaches that pinnacle and goes past it.If you can ever catch this band live, do so. They are gifted musicians and put on a great show.To sum it up, if your library is missing a recent album that can played again and again, with the likes of Def Leppard's Pyromania , AC/DC's "Back in Black or Queensryche's "Operation Mindcrime", ABIII is in that same company.Perhaps I am biased, for I am a big fan of Creed but I feel it is safe to say that Alter Bridge is a better band and writes better songs. Some day, they will have to tour as Alter Bridge and Creed, when Creed plays, just throw Myles on guitar and backing vocals. You have two HUGE bands at a lower touring overhead!If you have been lacking a big time band, a big time album in the 2000's(2012) era, get this album and see what rock should be in this day and age.Alter Bridge's time is now, lets hope they continue to churn out new material.

i first was exposed to this band with their excellent Blu-Ray release live in Amsterdam. Absolutely a first rate performance! Miles kennedy is so far ahead of Scott Stapp that comparisons are simply not possible. Mark Tremonti has never played better or as inspired. I have been a fan of rock for 40 years and my favorite bands are iron Maiden, Rush, Judas Priest, Y & T, Eric Johnson, Pat Travers, GnR, Metallica and countless others but I have to say no band has captured my spirit as much as Alter Bridge. A few of the reviews have been neutral to negative and I cannot understand that mentality at all. These guys are absolutely on top of their game and have never sounded better. For the Creed fans out there, listen to Creed albums and the work that Tremonti did on those albums. Then listen to Alter Bridge and his work on the first three AB albums...there is no comparison. He is a much better guitarist with Alter Bridge. Miles Kennedy vs Scott Stapp, Miles hands down is a better vocalist. Enough said!AB III is one of the best rock albums I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. For all you fence sitters out there, simply buy it! You will not regret it.

Mint condition in plastic seal, perfect sound! Glad I was able to find this to add to my vinyl collection as several of the Alter Bridge records are hard to find as a vinyl record.

After previously purchasing One Day Remains and Blackbird years ago, I saw that this had even higher ratings and went into this with great expectations. So far it hasn't lived up to the hype. It's a decent album, but it isn't nearly as good as the previously mentioned works. "Isolation" is just blah, and yet somehow it's their highest charting song of all time. Maybe the album will grow on me, hard to say, so far though it has not.

This album is absolutely stunning. Although I personally prefer  Blackbird  this album is right up there with the greats. It is easy to see this is a loose concept album as it takes you on a journey through the downs (Slip to the Void, Isolation, I Know it Hurts, All Hope is Gone), the better times (Ghost of Days Gone By, Make It Right, Breathe Again), dealing with loss (Wonderful Life), and acceptance (Coeur D'Alene, Life Must Go On). The original album ended with the most poignant of songs - a discussion between two people about faith. This bonus version has three more fabulous songs, and if it were possible ends of an even more poignant song in Never Born To Follow. Add to this album a fantastic documentary (with an interesting little clip after the credits), and you couldn't ask for more. The original album was long at 14 songs - I couldn't believe my luck. I saw this (with three songs I have been longing for for 10 months) and I was pretty much speechless. One of the great rock albums, and hopefully soon Myles, Mark, Brian, and Scott will be given the recognition they deserve. Blackbird

A brilliant combination of a CD and DVD giving a double bonus for all fans of Alterbridge..This is an excellent album as is the DVD which showed the band at its best performing a great selection of material..The cameras were all well placed for exceptional shots of the band and the sound is perfect..The CD too is true Alterbridge at their true best and a must have for your collection if your a fan of Myles Kennedey's vocals and the guitar playing of Mr Mark Tremonti...Excellent double package that id strongly recommend without reservation..

This is my favourite AB album, I adore it. It starts off loud and dirty with Slip to the Void and Isolation and as the album progresses we get a little bit more melodic with tracks like Wonderful Life and Life must go on. Myles Kennedy is a God amongst lead singers and he's not too bad to look at either so I shut my eyes when this album's playing and I drift to a different place.... Well a girl can dream!!!

… and WOW! More of what Alter Bridge do best.... A good mix of tracks, brilliant guitars, great vocals - they are just SO good at their art

I bought this CD after my son played one of the tracks to me, I fell in love with it so much that I sent for one for me and another for hubby. I've played it in my car every day since receiving it, some of the lyrics are very moving and remind us of a much loved but sadly lost, young friend.