Alter Bridge & Slash - Classic Rock Magazine (February 2013)

[Timotheus]

Your opinion ain't the truth.. Neither does Mark's, but you act like your opinion is superior over everybody's on here..

I agree with Mark that Blackbird is AB's best record.

[MidnightToker]

Mark has no idea what he's talking about these days.
After all, he thinks :
- Creed is a commercial band (just because it was successful doesn't mean the songs were cliché and generic in the first place)
- Alter Bridge is super technical progressive stuff
- Tremonti is great
- Projected is also great
- Elvis is a good producer

The guy has just become as predictable as it gets when it comes to songwriting. All that was special about him is long gone.
He has no idea what Creed was all about anymore, and he oversestimates AB's input just because he's friends with Myles.

Mark needs a wake-up call, FAST.

PS : One Day Remains FTW

Interesting comments. You're definitely entitled to your opinion, but saying that "Mark needs a wake-up call" is a bit of an odd thing to say. He's making the music he wants, maybe not the music you want. Are you saying that Mark should realize he sucks now or something? I think he's quite content with his playing and songwriting.

Also, and I'm not trying to be a dick, but I just want to know more about what you mean by the line "he overestimates AB's input just because he's friends with Myles". I'm just not exactly sure what you mean by that.

[chtimixeur]

Interesting comments. You're definitely entitled to your opinion, but saying that "Mark needs a wake-up call" is a bit of an odd thing to say. He's making the music he wants, maybe not the music you want. Are you saying that Mark should realize he sucks now or something? I think he's quite content with his playing and songwriting.

Self-indulgence does not always mean good music.
All I'm saying is Mark thinks he can handle 3 projects and still release great music. It's impossible for anyone, and the last 3 albums have shown a real decline in quality IMHO.
He should then focus on what made him famous (heavy riffs, groove, clean guitar, etc...), instead of trying to bring more metal influences to his music.
It seems to me that his solo project is a way for him to feel young again (playing music he loved as a teeanger, with a band of much younger musicians). I hope it's just a phase, and that he'll come back to his former quality standards in the near future.

Also, and I'm not trying to be a dick, but I just want to know more about what you mean by the line "he overestimates AB's input just because he's friends with Myles". I'm just not exactly sure what you mean by that.

Mark likes Myles => "Alter Bridge is the awesomest band in the world. It's technical, progressive, and the sky is the limit to our potential"
Mark hates Stapp => "Creed is a commercial band and I can do way better than those basic power chords"
Mark likes Erock and Wolfie Van Halen => "Tremonti rocks ! I feel young again !"
Mark likes Erock and Flip => "Projected is such a cool band. Check 'em out !"

See what I mean ?
Sometimes, when you're friends with someone, you tend to be quite subjective when you judge their output (and vice versa). I'm sure Mark thinks Alter Bridge is WAAAAAAAY better than Creed, whereas you can definitely hear a lot of similarities between those 2 bands.

[anguyen92]

Interesting comments. You're definitely entitled to your opinion, but saying that "Mark needs a wake-up call" is a bit of an odd thing to say. He's making the music he wants, maybe not the music you want. Are you saying that Mark should realize he sucks now or something? I think he's quite content with his playing and songwriting.

Also, and I'm not trying to be a dick, but I just want to know more about what you mean by the line "he overestimates AB's input just because he's friends with Myles". I'm just not exactly sure what you mean by that.

I agree with this comment. I think Mark feels very content of the material/playing style that he's been releasing for the last 8 years or so. Whether or not, it is good playing style in your ears, my ears, and anyone else's ears is of course their opinion. However, most people in this board really really is content with Mark's current playing style. Would those people wish Mark go back to that ODR playing style? Of course, but they know it is not happening, but it is not like they hate his current style, in fact, they love it (I know I do). Those that keep moaning about his current style should just either hang back or be patient and be optimistic that Mark may go back to that style and not bring this negative aura in their posts when they are looking at what Mark says about his current playing style or the tactics AB is currently using to produce their albums.

Bolded #2. I'm trying to figure that out myself. Maybe Chitimixeur thinks that Mark believes that AB has a higher chance to be commercially better than Creed, in today's mainstream rock scene, and that Chtimixeur feels that Mark is overestimating that aspect because of Myles?

[Ubik]

So in essence...Stapp's better than Mark because he has no friends?

[Dolo]

Yeah, right...
Mark has no idea what he's talking about these days.
After all, he thinks :
- Creed is a commercial band (just because it was successful doesn't mean the songs were cliché and generic in the first place)
- Alter Bridge is super technical progressive stuff
- Tremonti is great
- Projected is also great
- Elvis is a good producer

The guy has just become as predictable as it gets when it comes to songwriting. All that was special about him is long gone.
He has no idea what Creed was all about anymore, and he oversestimates AB's input just because he's friends with Myles

Wowowowoow, slow down man.

I think I kinda understand your train of thought but you got a bit too far IMO.

The thing that All I Was is pretty heavy and contains relatively straight-forward type of songwriting doesn't mean that ABIV will be the same way. Mark was gathering that material for ages and he decided to just re-arrange and release at the time when AB is not active. They started writing ABIV with nothing pre-written so there won't be anything ABIII-alike
In addition, I also don't see any point in flattering oneself. Mark had never said that AB/Tremonti are awesome and that they release super-extra-phenomenal material. Mark is a humble guy.

[Will]

but, but... Creed did become a commercial band.

[Timotheus]

Yeah, right...
Mark has no idea what he's talking about these days.
After all, he thinks :
- Creed is a commercial band (just because it was successful doesn't mean the songs were cliché and generic in the first place)
- Alter Bridge is super technical progressive stuff
- Tremonti is great
- Projected is also great
- Elvis is a good producer

The guy has just become as predictable as it gets when it comes to songwriting. All that was special about him is long gone.
He has no idea what Creed was all about anymore, and he oversestimates AB's input just because he's friends with Myles

Wowowowoow, slow down man.

I think I kinda understand your train of thought but you got a bit too far IMO.

The thing that All I Was is pretty heavy and contains relatively straight-forward type of songwriting doesn't mean that ABIV will be the same way. Mark was gathering that material for ages and he decided to just re-arrange and release at the time when AB is not active. They started writing ABIV with nothing pre-written so there won't be anything ABIII-alike
In addition, I also don't see any point in flattering oneself. Mark had never said that AB/Tremonti are awesome and that they release super-extra-phenomenal material. Mark is a humble guy.

That's not true. Mark's always writing and gathering ideas on his laptop. So does Myles. 3/4th of ABQ was probably already written before they even got in a room together.

[MidnightToker]

Mark likes Erock and Flip => "Projected is such a cool band. Check 'em out !"

I would guess this is just to be nice

[uctalum01]

Mark likes Erock and Flip => "Projected is such a cool band. Check 'em out !"

I would guess this is just to be nice

Or maybe he does actually like their music?!

[Timotheus]

That's impossible, because they don't like it

[joey78]

Self-indulgence does not always mean good music.
All I'm saying is Mark thinks he can handle 3 projects and still release great music. It's impossible for anyone, and the last 3 albums have shown a real decline in quality IMHO.
He should then focus on what made him famous (heavy riffs, groove, clean guitar, etc...), instead of trying to bring more metal influences to his music.
It seems to me that his solo project is a way for him to feel young again (playing music he loved as a teeanger, with a band of much younger musicians). I hope it's just a phase, and that he'll come back to his former quality standards in the near future.

Agree with all of this.And not just the studio records, I find even the playing on the Amsterdam show to be better than the Wembley. Wembley seems to be too rushed.

That's not true. Mark's always writing and gathering ideas on his laptop. So does Myles. 3/4th of ABQ was probably already written before they even got in a room together.

THIS is the truth, whether people like to believe it or not. With Myles and Mark's touring schedules this is going to be how it stays from now on. They are NOT writing like they did with Blackbird - which was probably 1 year of writing and trying to make a record that would separate themselves from what they did with Creed.

ABIV is going to be 75% of Mark's ideas and riffs leftover from previous records.

[anguyen92]

Agree with all of this.And not just the studio records, I find even the playing on the Amsterdam show to be better than the Wembley. Wembley seems to be too rushed.

THIS is the truth, whether people like to believe it or not. With Myles and Mark's touring schedules this is going to be how it stays from now on. They are NOT writing like they did with Blackbird - which was probably 1 year of writing and trying to make a record that would separate themselves from what they did with Creed.

ABIV is going to be 75% of Mark's ideas and riffs leftover from previous records.

Now, see, this is an opinion that I can tolerate well with that's hard criticism with the band.

However, I think that the 4th album could/may be a little different than ABIII and that's just due to the fact that no one is really booked to do the summer festivals/tours this year other than Myles/Slash doing Ozzfest in late May. When ABIII was released, the months prior to that Myles was touring with Slash and doing festivals, and everyone else was doing Creed.

Also from what I've heard from their behind the scenes videos and whatnot, Myles laid down the last vocals for ABIII in like late January 2010, I believe, before spending the next six months committed to Slash/Conspirators. Maybe the schedule, this year, would favor AB to spend as much production time as needed to go through every angle that they want to make the album work the way it should.

Hopefully, all members can manage to free up an extra few summer months away from touring to put the 100% effort to really well-define the 4th album that everyone can be proud of (band members, Elvis and producing team, and everyone in the forums).