Walk the Sky by Alter Bridge

Alter Bridge’s Walk the Sky marks the creative high-point for this band and is sure to be one the new and old fans gravitate to.

For over 15 years, Alter Bridge has been merging the hard rock and heavy metal genres and their sixth studio album Walk the Sky is no different. Musically, it is hard to argue with this band. Singer Myles Kennedy has a beautiful, powerful voice and he is arguably one of the best vocalists in the genre. He certainly has a distinctive voice that is unmistakable for anyone else. But the whole band is solid. Guitarist Mark Tremonti often doesn’t get the credit he deserves but his playing on this album is sure to change that, while the rhythm section is rounded out by Brian Marshall on bass and Scott Phillips on drums. Each member of this four-piece seems to be highlighted on this album without anyone over-shadowing each other. It is one cohesive piece of music.  

Song-wise, this album is unique and hauntingly beautiful. The fourteen tracks seem to take you along a journey, each providing something a little different. From the opening track “One Life,” you know this album is going to be unique. The song is slow and melodic and not the expected fast-paced song that usually opens an album but it works perfectly here as an introduction. This song showcases the beauty of Kennedy’s voice and leaves the listener intrigued as to where we are going to go from here. The next two tracks “Wouldn’t You Rather” and “In the Deep” are classic Alter Bridge-style songs, leaning more toward that heavy metal feel with solid guitar riffs and the signature screams of Kennedy. The lyrics are deep and meaningful and the audience is sure to relate to them.

“Godspeed” and “Native Son” come next and are sure to be favorites. It is easy to see a crowd singing along with these songs. “Native Son” has that hard rock riff-driven sound that gets people on their feet and is one of the stand-out tracks. The album continues along with these songs that are very hard rock sounding mixed with the more melodic which is something this band does perfectly. There is an up and down rhythmic flow of the songs throughout. Tracks like “Walking on the Sky” and “Tear Us Apart” are two examples of the more melodic and it is easy to see how the listener can relate to them as they evoke emotion. “Dying Light” closes this album and there couldn’t be a better ending. This song is the perfect mix of the hard and the melodic sound that have been showcased all along. The album opens strong, flows beautifully and ends just as strong.

Kennedy always delivers an amazing vocal but this album seems to really showcase it. The entire band comes together in a way that is beyond cohesive. The sound is almost effortless, but when you listen to the words and the music you can understand how much must have gone into the making of this to have it come off with such a good solid sound. This is an album that you should listen to start to finish. It flows together and takes the listener on a journey and makes them want to listen to it over and over again.  

Set to be released October 18, 2019, on Napalm Records this is one of the albums of 2019 that is a must purchase. Once you listen to this you will not be able to wait to see these songs performed live.

ALTER BRIDGE
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