Fortress

The solid opening of Alter Bridge’s fourth studio album made it immediately apparent that Fortress was going to be different. The band has been making music since 2004, but despite almost a decade having passed since then and their roots in Creed, Alter Bridge have proved themselves to be far from uninspired. The heavy, aggressive sounds of Fortress are evidence that even fourth albums can sound refreshing and dynamic.

Not that Alter Bridge were in any danger of becoming overlooked by the world of rock. The eponymous track (like that of their second album, Blackbird) is proof of their ability to produce songs on an epic scale, and is surely on track to be remembered as one of their best. Its opening is mysterious and melodic, and the song (like many on the album) builds until it reaches a heroic solo, courtesy of the master guitarist himself, Mark Tremonti.

That mysterious, melodic quality seems to be a popular formula for the album: ‘Bleed it Dry’, ‘Lover’, ‘Calm the Fire’ and ‘Waters Rising’ all trade in similar moods at various moments. In particular, ‘Bleed it Dry’ exhibits an obvious interruption of the heavy to (temporarily) make way for the melodic, and it’s one of the aspects which makes the song – and likewise, its parent album – so diverse and creative.

A special mention must go to ‘Waters Rising’, standing as the only song on the album in which the lead vocals are sung by Tremonti, who reminds us that he also has vocal talent (displayed last year on his solo record, All I Was). Oddly enough, ‘Waters Rising’ is one of the songs which sounds most like pre-Fortress Alter Bridge, but instead of this being a negative it actually benefits the band, proving that they haven’t abandoned their roots altogether. In fact, the penultimate track, ‘All Ends Well’, calls to mind the emotional and uplifting melodies of their previous album, AB III. Buried within an album full of atypical heavy tracks and somewhat more pessimistic lyrics than usual, this single is appropriately characteristic of the group, but better.

Alter Bridge always deliver incredible live shows, and it wouldn’t be surprising if several of these tracks quickly establish themselves as set highlights.

A second special mention has to go to the album’s lead single ‘Addicted To Pain’, as well as the opening song ‘Cry of Achilles’: both notable for their crashing riffs and impressively catchy choruses. Alter Bridge always deliver incredible live shows, and it wouldn’t be surprising if these tracks quickly establish themselves as set highlights. Likewise, the last four songs from the album are particularly strong.

It’s nice to see that Alter Bridge have broken out of their “soft rock” label without turning their back on their musical flair. Yes, it could be considered that their new, heavy sound has made them more mainstream, but what really matters is that they’re breaking their own stereotypes, while still producing energetic music. Fourth album or not, the strength of Fortress proves that Alter Bridge still have as much passion as they did when they first began making music.

Similar To: Creed, Black Stone Cherry, Shinedown

MP3: ‘Fortress’, ‘All Ends Well’, ‘Addicted to Pain’