The 4th Album - FORTRESS - Discuss The Album Here!

[Electricladyland]

You make very valid points. My post about the songs being samey was merely a statement of my expectations of the band that can deliver A-1 sauce records. And i think one of the cool things about being a fan is having those expectations, because that causes excitement. In the end, like many of us AB fans, I'm still at the record store day of whenever a new AB album comes out, ready to blast the living hell out of it

[TenaciousBe]

Indeed! And like I say, wanting them to be "them" doesn't stop me from having opinions and desires on what I hope "them" turns out to be on the next album. Which is maybe what everyone else was already assuming and I'm just late to the party!

[Them Bones]

Playing hard rock dosn't mean you are a metal band and to me Alter Bridge is hardly a metal band... Some of their heavier tunes are good and I'd love for them to make heavy tunes... Tremonti's riffs are the best.. but off late the way tremonti seems to be writing, most of his riffs sound "wannabe metal". ... I don't think classifying music to a specific genre is the right thing to do , but with AB, I really think they are good at making really great Hard Rock songs... AB/Creed's latest efforts sound mediocre at best.. the reason could be rushing the albums or whatever, but that music gets boring after 2 listens.. I haven't listened to songs from BB, ABIII, or full circle in a very long time, except for a few, like brand new start, bb, or time, or bread of shame or ghosts of days gone by... Their heavier tunes sound cliche....

[DeadCell]

Honestly, I'm not really anticipating a 4th album. I'm more looking forward to Creed's next one. I listen to each new AB album less than the last one. Idk.

And I don't like the direction Myles is going in. His live vocal performances are starting to become somewhat lackluster, while Scott Stapp is finally getting his old voice back. And I pretty much hated the latest live AB DVD, aside from Isolation (which was amazing). I felt it wasn't necessary for Myles to find a way of working the word "fuck" into every single track (except ballads). Alter Bridge doesn't cuss on their albums, why adlib them in when playing live? And it's not just energy, it sounded like he was trying to find a way to work them in. Maybe its a product of playing with Slash, oh well.

Anyway. Once we're approaching the release date for AB's 4th album, I'm sure I'll be more excited.

[gbruin]

I felt it wasn't necessary for Myles to find a way of working the word "fuck" into every single track (except ballads). Alter Bridge doesn't cuss on their albums, why adlib them in when playing live? And it's not just energy, it sounded like he was trying to find a way to work them in. Maybe its a product of playing with Slash, oh well.

I think you're right.

[chtimixeur]

TenaciousBe is right. We should stay in your place, and all these ideas we've thrown out at them should stay what they are : suggestions.
But there seems to be more and more fans who are disappointed with AB's direction, and the band should at least take notice of a few suggestions. It doesn't mean they have to agree, but when I hear them speak about how awesome ABIII is or about Elvis' skills, I have the impression they live in their little bubble, having no idea some fans are skeptical about where they are going musically...

In a perfect world, they would ditch either Creed or AB to focus on one and only project. I don't care which one, because I like both bands almost equally, but IMHO, that's the only way they'll be able to raise the quality filter.
I also hope they'll "dare to take risks", but I doubt they will since they seem so happy in their little comfort zone with Elvis.

[foz]

We're really talking about ABiV already?

Wow. Times flies.

[Shaggy]

More of Mark singing, and more of Myles playing guitar. Just to see what it's like.

It's funny, because I hear this opinion a lot, and I also hear One Day Remains is the favorite album according to most fans, which is the complete opposite.

Yeah, but BB and AB3 weren't the opposite of ODR. They were like a middle ground.

I thought BB was about as good a mix as they'll ever get. AB III had too few of Mark's signature solos imo.

Are you crazy?:o AB3 was full of Marks signature solos man.

[Dolo]

We're really talking about ABiV already?

Wow. Times flies.

You are not funny in any way.

[NytestrykerZ]

[Rosenblaetter]

These guys can play so let them play. A bit of imrpov here and there. Lengthier solos and more daring quiet parts maybe.

Yes, yes, yes.
They have fun playing - they should be playing. It's not like they have to rock throughout the whole show or have a rocking cd with two ballads to take a short breath. Let's forget about the radio and remember what was the essence of the band in the first place - to grow artistically.

Take 'Show Me A Sign' as an example - Mark said he loved to play it but 'it wasn't fans favourite'. I don't think that's really true - it was slowing down the show and it wasn't a sing-a-long type of a song. Is that really so bad?

Myles also needs to stop double tracking his vocals. It doesn't suit him and ODR didn't really do it. He sounding amazing and earthy in ODR, lots of gritty lows to go with the highs. He also pushed his chest voice from time to time on ODR and it sounded amazing. Remember the end note to Find The Real? Why does it sound super awesome? Chest voice. Oh and in FTR there's that "All I've taken I hunger for more bit"? It sounds fucking awesome.

Could. Not. Agree. More.

Myles has so many tones to offer - most of them so rarely used in recent years... More chest voice and more bluesy notes (but not Slashy notes) would make a trick and make it more fun for him too... 'Fallout', 'All Hope Is Gone', 'Zero'... just listen to the verses... why not to keep things like that in choruses as well?! I love AB's soaring refrains but for God's sake, we don't have to soar all the time, do we?

And that line "All I've taken I hunger for more" made me realise that this guy is much more than just another rock singer introduced in 'Open Your Eyes'.

Of course these are silent wishes. In the end I'll take whatever they offer with open arms. My love for this band is for life.

[Andy92]

I agree about the choruses. Find The Real doesn't have a soaring chorus. Nor does One Day Remains, The End Is Here, and really I don't think I'd consider Burn It Down to have a soaring chorus until the end of the song.

[\m/>.<\m/]

Yeah I think Blackbird is the best we'll get from these guys. They've got to evolve a bit musically or if they don't then they've just gotta make sure every song on the next record in unbelievable cuz it's hard to keep doing the same thing over and over and consistenly get better at it.

[psycosquirrel789]

Fans, not record producers. Remember that.

In essence, and this is oversimplifying it, to me it's more important for them to be AB than it is for any of us individually to be AB fans. That sounds horrible when I look back at it, but it's kind of how I feel. It's more important to me that they put out the album that they want to make, rather than making the album that they think the fans want to hear. That's the kind of thing that got Nickelback into the place they're in. Not that I could see AB writing songs about sex and partying in 10 years, but it's the same general idea of writing to sell records rather than writing to show who you are.

Well, AB already makes music they think we want to hear. In multiple interviews they say things like; "for this type of music", "safe radio songs", "to much for radio", ect. So they already make music based on the type of band they've classified themselves as. I think a lot of us want them to stop doing that. Stop making radio songs, stop playing it safe, be more creative and not so rigid. So the point of them being "them" that's what we want!!! Not to be confined to what they think they have to make - because they already do that.

EDIT: YES on the double tracking vocals. I love Myles, but having 35 Myles on one track doesn't work.

[TenaciousBe]

Fans, not record producers. Remember that.

In essence, and this is oversimplifying it, to me it's more important for them to be AB than it is for any of us individually to be AB fans. That sounds horrible when I look back at it, but it's kind of how I feel. It's more important to me that they put out the album that they want to make, rather than making the album that they think the fans want to hear. That's the kind of thing that got Nickelback into the place they're in. Not that I could see AB writing songs about sex and partying in 10 years, but it's the same general idea of writing to sell records rather than writing to show who you are.

Well, AB already makes music they think we want to hear. In multiple interviews they say things like; "for this type of music", "safe radio songs", "to much for radio", ect. So they already make music based on the type of band they've classified themselves as. I think a lot of us want them to stop doing that. Stop making radio songs, stop playing it safe, be more creative and not so rigid. So the point of them being "them" that's what we want!!! Not to be confined to what they think they have to make - because they already do that.

That's an excellent point. Though, at times they've also said that AB is their "creative" band while Creed is their "commercial" outlet. I do agree with many that I wish they'd get more creative, do more outside of the box thinking with their songwriting and structures. I don't think there's a song on ABIII that I don't like, individually, but when listening to the album as a whole, getting into the second half of the album, it all just starts running together.

[gbruin]

In the end I'll take whatever they offer with open arms. My love for this band is for life.

Amen.

[\m/>.<\m/]

Actually if we could create a formula for writing great songs, then music would be a pretty cheap thing. All we can do here is discuss what we want more of, but in the end, what we all want is just another great album; and "great" is a matter of opinion that is different for each person.

[Rosenblaetter]

"great" is a matter of opinion that is different for each person.

It is, but on the other hand anyone can spot a difference between 'Breathe Again' and 'Blackbird'.

[foz]

We're really talking about ABiV already?

Wow. Times flies.

You are not funny in any way.

Excuse me?.. Please point out to me which part of my post was intended to be a joke of any form?

Be quiet.

[Dolo]

We're really talking about ABiV already?

Wow. Times flies.

You are not funny in any way.

Excuse me?.. Please point out to me which part of my post was intended to be a joke of any form?

Be quiet.

I took it as a sophisticated sarcasm

No, I won't be quiet, you won't tell me what to do.