Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

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Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by abw1987 »

Now that the full album is out, post your reactions and eventually your full reviews in this thread!
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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by fix »

Listened to the album multiple times now, so I edited my initial reaction/review a bit to represent my current thoughts.

'This is War' is a great and heavy start, great solo as well. Those Myles choirs are great as well, very unique. Like it very much!
Could definitely feel the Come to Life vibes in 'Dead Among the Living', nice and heavier song. Great chorus as well. Great stuff!
'Silver Tongue' I secretly really liked when it came out (thanks to the memorable riff) and jammed along with it a lot.
'Sin After Sin' is a Mark song and I love that vibey, brooding and dark sound that it has. Also love the harmonies of Mark (especially just before the outro solo), just love the sound of them together. Glad I resisted listening more than once to this song, still feels fresh.
Which brings me nicely to 'Stay', a song I won't be revisiting much I'm afraid. Although vocals sound great, it's just not my kind of song - polar opposite of what I like from AB. And that's fine, I know a lot of people love this.
'Holiday' has a cool groove, was kind of surprising. Don't really mind the Myles/'Slash' vibes it has, because I think Myles does that very well. It does feel a bit out of place though in terms of vibe and also thematically. Glad the bridge is a bit heavier, love the way that 'lead' came in before the bridge 'climaxed'. After repeated listens it got a bit lower on my ranking, I think it's in the lower middle part of my ranking.
Well well, here we go. 'Fable of the Silent Son' starts off really nice, with a great clean finger picking part - which had some old school rock vibes (made me think Led Zeppelin/Beatles). Then it picks up a bit with a doomy bendy riff which I liked. After that we get another part after a little atmospheric break, which has a very cool riff - almost has a little Queens of the Stone Age vibe for some reason. It goes along nicely with some more parts coming along. Solos were cool, interchanging between Myles and Mark. Does feel a little bit pieced together, but the vocals connect it very nicely for me. After listening more and more I also liked it more and more. Definitely one of my highlights off the album!
'Season' I knew in 10 seconds that was not really going to like it. The riff, the way the drums came in, I just cringed a bit. Not my thing, falls in the category of Twilight, Outright and Tear Us Apart - songs that I listened to maybe 2-3 times. Guitars sounded crunchy at those open chords in the verse though.
'Last Man Standing' is the surprise of the album for me. That pre-chorus grabbed my attention in the best way possible, finally something a bit weird and surprising haha. And the bridge was fantastic as well, great riff and two great solo sections. And there's Mark and Myles harmonizing vocals again. The transition from the bridge was a bit awkward, but other than that I love this one!
'Pawns & Kings' I listened to a bunch when it came out, and really had to leave that song alone for a bit because I was afraid of over-listening. But I LOVE this song. And have grown far from tired.

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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by Mr. Slash »

The amount of fresh and creative ideas on this album is ridiculous. Holiday kinda reminds me of Halestorm, but in a good way. :D

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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by Timotheus »

Mr. Slash wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 11:42 am The amount of fresh and creative ideas on this album is ridiculous. Holiday kinda reminds me of Halestorm, but in a good way. :D
Ohh that's a good call. I could definitely hear Lzzy sing that chorus...
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anguyen92 wrote:
Oh well. Deal with it.

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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by Andy92 »

I think having 10 songs really makes this album stand out as a strong one. It’s able to have multiple longer songs on it without feeling like the runtime drags out, and I wouldn’t consider any of the songs to be filler (although Holiday is probably my least favorite). Love that it’s an album where I’m not compelled to skip over anything.

The guitar and bass tones sound great on this album.
anguyen92 wrote:Oh well. Deal with it.

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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by maximzub »

Timotheus wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 11:43 am
Mr. Slash wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 11:42 am The amount of fresh and creative ideas on this album is ridiculous. Holiday kinda reminds me of Halestorm, but in a good way. :D
Ohh that's a good call. I could definitely hear Lzzy sing that chorus...
If they ever read this board, that just might give them an idea....
I'm in love with somebody...
Found someone who completes me...
I'm in love with somebody...
Oh yeah...
And it's Lzzy Hale!

MaraCarr wrote: It is not like a crush or a lust thing.
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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by anguyen92 »

Well, now that I have the chance to listen to the album in the comfort of my home. I like this album, a lot. They really knocked it out of the park with the last four songs of the album. I'm liking Dead Among the Living better amongst multiple listens. Holiday is an ok song. There were parts of it that reminded me of Coming Home, but yeah, it was supposed to be the "don't take yourself seriously" song which meant Myles used his voice that he would when he's with Slash. Last Man Standing might be the one song of the album that I really would recommend for anyone that wants to see what AB is all about. Season of Promise was a fun, uplifting song to hear. Fable of the Silent Son got a lot of interesting sections, and the storytelling is key.

I'm pleased with all of this. Bring on the tours. Got tickets for three shows in North America and I'm hoping at some point, next year, I may go to Europe to see them if they do more tours there.

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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by maximzub »

anguyen92 wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 12:38 pm It was supposed to be the "don't take yourself seriously" song which meant Myles used his voice that he would when he's with Slash.
For someone that doesn't really like Myles's work with Slash, I actually liked the way Myles sang this song. The vocal melody is more like classic rock and roll than modern rock. Obviously I really like modern rock as well, but hearing this song got me wishing that they would do more songs like this. The only thing I could do without is the recurring bluesy guitar part.

I'm gonna listen to the album a bunch more times in the next week and maybe make a video review once I've made my final opinion on each song and the album as a whole. Other than that, I'm really looking forward to finally seeing them live in February.
I'm in love with somebody...
Found someone who completes me...
I'm in love with somebody...
Oh yeah...
And it's Lzzy Hale!

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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by Dan Dando »

I thought I’d note down something I liked from each song…

This Is War
Like many others, I get a real kick out of the choir like parts.

Dead Among The Living
“In spite of the waiting”, I do like Myles during this section.

Silver Tongue
”FEAR, SPITE, LIE TO DIVIDE US”, Myles is incredible here. If he puts the same energy into this part when it’s played live it’s gonna bring the sodding house down.

Sin After Sin
Myles and Mark both singing the title lyric.

Stay
The whole song. Just hits the spot for me so nicely. In another topic I said that if Alter Bridge songs were different times of a day, this one would be a sunrise.

Holiday
Probably the only song that I’ve struggled to get into. Not a bad song by any means, but there’s nothing in it that sort of tickles my fancy. Maybe that’ll happen somewhere down the line.

Fable of the Silent Son
Goodness, where to start with this one? (Lol). I think my favourite part is the opening minute or so, with Myles singing over the guitar playing. This section of the song would feel right at home in something like The Last of Us. Think overhead shots of Joel and Ellie on horseback making their way through the apocalypse.

Season of Promise
This one is competing with Stay for my favourite. Love the bridge.

Last Man Standing
”For the shallow gains…”, Myles and Mark sound great together here.

Pawns and Kings
The instrumental section prior to “Stand your ground, hold your head high”.

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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by abw1987 »

Sharing some initial thoughts I jotted down while listening through a second time. This by no means constitutes a formal review (if I ever do one)! I'm listening to most of these fresh aside from the first three pre-release tracks which I maybe heard 2–3 times each; I did hold off on listening to "This is War" until the album dropped.

"This is War"
Overall: solid opener – in particular the chorus is very strong
Things I liked: novel guitar line underlying the chorus (vs. just straight powerchords) without being too distracting. One of the more creative solos on the record. Cool bass work during the bridge. Interesting scratchy/palm mutey guitar part at the end – whatever that is.
Other thoughts: My wife and I both had the same reaction that it reminds us of a Coheed and Cambria song or something out of The Nightmare Before Christmas. I may play this one by my front door during Halloween this year.

"Dead Among the Living"
Overall: another strong melody, reminiscent but just different enough (and in my opinion, far superior to) "Writing on the Wall"
Things I liked: the layered guitars during the verses, solid drum work throughout, and the pulled-back outro
Other thoughts: the main riff reminds me of "Torn" by The Fallen State, for those familiar – which is hopefully a compliment to both!

"Silver Tongue"
Overall: solid rock tune, and the obvious choice for a single
Things I liked: nasty opening riff – reminds me of "Poison in Your Veins". Amazing how Myles dances between octaves throughout the song, and LOVE his defiant delivery of the bridge. Relevant/poignant lyrics.
Other thoughts: can't decide whether chorus would've been better without double time drums as the default, but they definitely work

"Sin After Sin"
Overall: great combination of melody and instrumentation that I don't think would quite work as a single, but I could see becoming considered a fan favorite deep cut. The idea of any AB song being a "deep cut" is kind of funny among groups like this who know the band's entire discography, and I'm not sure I would call this one now given it was highlighted as a pre-release track, but I could see it developing that reputation over time.
Things I liked: such a cool sultry intro drums & bass – looking forward to hear this live. The main riff is among AB's top, IMO. Happy to hear Myles singing in his lower register, and very pleased Mark & Myles harmonies during bridge and back & forth at end

"Stay"
Overall: doesn't stick out to me at the moment, so I wouldn't call it one of AB's top ballads but I'm sure it will grow on me
Things I liked: as in "Waters Rising", the addition of Myles's harmonies over Mark's lead vocals really elevates the chorus, and I like how they swap lead and harmony positions in the bridge.
Other thoughts: I feel like Mark could have plausibly brought this to any of his three bands, so I'm curious how it ended up with AB!

"Holiday"
Overall: decent mid-album track; not quite single material. Not the heaviest but sonically relentless.
Things I liked: what is that descending riff?? Sounds like a nuclear alarm going off. Great drum work as well.
Other thoughts: this could totally work as an MK song (obviously with a much different arrangement and some of the riffier parts changed around)

"Fable of the Silent Son"
Overall: upon even seeing the track length this one is the obvious epic. A well crafted work that I could never even dream of composing.
Things I liked: when the heavy part drops a couple minutes in, that's totally the feeling you live for with Alter Bridge. Credit to Flip for tracking the time signatures here.
Other thoughts: some moments of the melody are a bit too close to "Year of the Tiger", which kind of kills it for me since it takes me out of the song

"Season of Promise"
Overall: looking forward to hearing this one live as well – should be a great singalong and a nice upbeat contrast to some of their darker work
Things I liked: another unique riff – I like how it keeps coming back during verse. Nice bass work in bridge! And I get a kick out of the sudden ending – almost sounds unfinished.

"Last Man Standing"
Overall: One of the more impressive compositions on P&K – hopefully this doesn't get overshadowed by the title track and "Fable"
Things I liked: Flip!! Also, neat integration of delay effects on the guitar – don't hear that too much from AB. And love the bluesy lead work.

"Pawns & Kings"
Overall: the title track brings everything you want from an AB epic, perhaps even elevated beyond their prior work. Perfect way to close the album.
Things I liked: possibly the standout chorus on the album – a total earworm without being a bland/typical melody. The riff during the breakdown could have been written by Gojira.
Other thoughts: the bridge melody is somewhat reminiscent of "Cradle to the Grave"

Overall
I think this will shape up to be one of AB's strongest works to date. The compositions are really best-in-class. Somehow, as always, they are able to elevate the intricacy of the instrumentation and arrangements without compromising the strength of the songs' melodies. Flip in particular has really stepped up his game (willingly or not!) on many of the tracks. I think the production is very well-rounded – the instruments are captured well and nothing struck me as being muddy. I always worry we'll get a repeat of Flip's AB III snare sound but his kit sounds great.

On the critical side, I think they need to lay off the constant layered vocal harmonies. The problem is the harmonies are so tight (a compliment!) that it's sometimes difficult to decipher which vocal line is the lead melody. On the guitar side, Mark does have some creative moments, but also leans on a lot of his standard techniques.

Interestingly, I almost expected the whole thing to be even a bit proggier, given all the hype about it taking that direction. They've definitely taken a step in that direction, but I'm almost glad they didn't go full prog. Either way, I applaud them for the restraint of sticking with 10 songs. It makes the album really concise and it never feels like it drags.

I won't give it a rating/10 yet, but it's very, very good.

Edit: golly, this ended up being a lot more text than I expected!
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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by abw1987 »

Mr. Slash wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 11:42 amHoliday kinda reminds me of Halestorm, but in a good way. :D
I could totally see that!

Andy92 wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 11:57 amI think having 10 songs really makes this album stand out as a strong one. It’s able to have multiple longer songs on it without feeling like the runtime drags out, and I wouldn’t consider any of the songs to be filler (although Holiday is probably my least favorite). Love that it’s an album where I’m not compelled to skip over anything.
Couldn't agree more.

Dan Dando wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 12:55 pmSilver Tongue
”FEAR, SPITE, LIE TO DIVIDE US”, Myles is incredible here. If he puts the same energy into this part when it’s played live it’s gonna bring the sodding house down.
Yes!! He certainly hit the notes here, although perhaps not with quite the gusto I'd like, but granted it was an acoustic performance so I'm willing to bet he'll kick it up a notch at a proper show.
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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by Dolo »

Mr. Slash wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 11:42 am The amount of fresh and creative ideas on this album is ridiculous.
I would love you to elaborate on that.
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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by gbruin »

When you're the last man standing
But the first to sell your soul
The truth can be so damning
You will face the world alone

that third line in the chorus should have been
The truth is too demanding

Come on, Myles, just give me a call. We'll get through these things ;)
Last edited by gbruin on Fri Oct 14, 2022 7:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by Ubik »

After a few more listens

Great
Pawns & Kings - Was great on the first listen, on the many times since and still after the full release. That chorus hits. Stop releasing the best songs on the album as instant grat tracks for all of your bands please.
Fable of the Silent Son - Agree with the others that the early harmonies are unnecessary, otherwise banging. I haven't even listened to the solos properly yet because I'm too into the riff behind them.
Sin After Sin - Doomy Mark is the best Mark.
This is War - Appreciated this much more on the second listen, the riff change in the chorus is just on point.
Season of Promise - Kev was right when he mentioned Outright/Never Say Die as a comparison, but the common link to me is the very Ian Thornley verses, which are great. I don't always like AB doing the anthemic thing, but the chorus here slaps enough to do it for me.

Good
Last Man Standing - Probably deserves a spot between this lot and Great, but this'll do for now. Reminds me a bit of Cry a River not in how it sounds, but in how the chorus feels a lot safer than the rest (but not to as large and distracting a degree as with Cry a River.)
Silver Tongue - Typical catchy, heavy Myles track.
Dead Among the Living - Typical catchy, heavy Mark track.
Holiday - I mean yeah it's a Slash track, but one of the better ones at least.

Fair
Stay - I completely get why a lot of people love this one, it's just a strand of Mark's songwriting that I've never clicked with (I keep thinking Sympathy is starting) dialled up to 11. His voice, as usual these days, sounding absolutely great though.
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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by scarecrow »

Third listen (ratings inherently personal and bound to change):

This Is War - 7/10 (new to me, I like it, but feels a bit underdeveloped)
Dead Among The Living - 6.5/10 (not something I'd skip but it hasn't captured me yet)
Silver Tongue - 8.5/10 (hadn't listened in over a month but this thing still slaps, riff is such a monster and that BRIDGE)
Sin After Sin - 6/10 (another one I didn't hear until last night - appropriately moody but not a standout for me and could've benefitted from some synth I think)
Stay - 6.5/10 (love this one in theory, verses are gloriously corny and quite pretty, but the chorus just kind of... sits there for me, although the vocal interplay between Mark and Myles is great and I hope we get more of that in the future)
Holiday - 5/10 (Slash And The Conspirators comparisons are well deserved - this one's not for me)
Fable Of The Silent Son - 8/10 (despite some rote lyrics it's inspired and a little unconventional which is right up my alley - running time breezes by, but I'm a huge Tool fan so 8 minutes is nothing lmao)
Season Of Promise - 7.5/10 (into it, undeniably an earworm and the bridge rules, very cathartic)
Last Man Standing - 7/10 (admittedly completely unsure about this one yet - has a lot of the ingredients I'm looking for but I need more time with it)
Pawns & Kings - 9/10 (one of the great AB choruses full-stop, and in a lot of ways what I think what The Last Hero - song and album - *wanted* to be)

Considering how much I adore Marching In Time, it feels weird that I prefer the Myles-driven tracks here. But I'm okay with it!

Overall probably a middle of the pack AB record for me. Scores above average 7.1/10. Got a little too excited about the first two tracks released. The rest doesn't really live up to those on a personal level and WTS has significantly higher highs in my humble opinion. But it's still early.

An admirable effort all the same.

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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by AHart96 »

This Is War: Best album opener since Achilles. The choir of Myles adds something that, to me, wouldn’t work in any other spot on the album. Love the chorus, and this has the best solo on the album. Favorite of the singles, and my early favorite from the album. 9/10

Dead Among The Living: This song perfectly fits what I believe the “Alter Bridge sound” has been since Blackbird more than any other on the record. I hear a nice blend of a few different songs here - Come to Life and a bit of I Know it Hurts, specifically. Really enjoy the guitar work, and one of my favorite bridges on the record. Fits nicely somewhere in my top 5. 8/10

Silver Tongue: The bridge is by far the best part of the song, shout-out to Myles’ vocals specifically in that section. It’s probably the best he’s sounded since Fortress-era. The double-time chorus isn’t necessarily my favorite, but not bad. The vocals over the intro/outro riff is becoming a Alter Bridge cliché that I could do without. Fine song, can’t grade it any higher than “good”. 7.5/10

Sin After Sin: I’ve had a weird relationship with this song. I initially really enjoyed the slow, moody, atmospheric element this song brings. It occupies the same space on the record as The Other Side and Indoctrination in albums past. Love the riff, but I don’t think the rest holds up as well and isn’t as good as those other songs I mentioned. Another “fine” song, but not much more than that. 7/10

Stay: Still not sure what to make of this one. I love any time Mark sings in AB, and I love the “poppier” songs like All Ends Well and My Champion, so this should be a match made in heaven for me. While I still enjoy parts of the song a good bit, it’s not quite everything I hoped it would be. The pre-chorus and first half of the bridge are VERY Godspeed. Love the second half of the bridge, that’s my favorite part of the song. Overall, I like this song more than the last two, but I wish I LOVED it. 7.5/10

Holiday: I was worried when I heard this felt like it was ripped from a Slash album. Thankfully, it wasn’t nearly to the level I expected. I really enjoy the instrumentation of this song, but the lyrics don’t really do it for me. Average song, not bad, but probably in my bottom 3 of the record. 6.5/10

Fable of the Silent Son: My favorite of their “epics” since the Fortress album. While not quite reaching those heights, it’s still a fantastic song. I agree the harmonies in that first section are unnecessary and as a whole, that opening third is just okay….however, from 2:45-ish on, WOW. Once the isolated guitar section started, I had the biggest grin on my face. I don’t think this song was too complex or complex just for the sake of it, everything fit very well together in my opinion. Great performances all around, I love the story told by the lyrics, and the instrumental/solo section was amazing. Favorite of the unreleased tracks and some of their best work in years. 9/10

Season of Promise: It’s VERY much in the same vein of Tear Us Apart and Twilight, which are my two least favorite songs in their catalogue, however it is slightly better than those two songs. I love uplifting AB songs, but this one just isn’t executed to my liking. Good bridge though. Overall, least favorite on the album. 6/10

Last Man Standing: The intro reminds me a ton of New Way to Live. Really enjoy a lot about this song, but the pre-chorus and chorus hold it back a bit for me. Bottom third of the record, but not a bad song at all. 6.5/10

Pawns & Kings: I initially did not like this song AT ALL. And while it’s still not my favorite, it works much better for me in context of the whole album. There are some sections I LOVE (specifically the breakdown/vocal bridge immediately after) and there are parts I equally dislike (post-chorus two). Myles’ delivery in that section and parts of the chorus just don’t do it for me. The outro reminds me a ton of Dying Light. A good song to close the record that I think could’ve been truly great with some changes. Fits somewhere in the middle of my album rankings. 7.5/10

Overall: I’m not sure where to place this album. While I think it’s more consistently “good” than TLH and WTS, it’s not much more than that. To me, it doesn’t have the quantity or quality of “highs” as those other records did. I only consider This is War and Fable as truly great songs, with Season of Promise being the only truly below average song. The rest is just standard, good, solid, old-reliable Alter Bridge but nothing that blows my socks off. With where my expectations were going into the album, I’d consider it a win. If I had to place it somewhere, I’d put it above WTS and just below TLH. But really, I imagine those three will end up swapping places depending on the day and the mood I’m in. Looking forward to seeing them on the US tour and hope nothing but continued success for them, they deserve it. Onto Tremonti 6. 7.4/10

Song Rankings:
This is War
Fable of the Silent Son
Dead Among the Living
Stay
Silver Tongue
Pawns & Kings
Sin After Sin
Last Man Standing
Holiday
Season of Promise

Album Rankings:
Fortress
Blackbird
AB III
ODR
TLH
P&K
WTS
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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by abw1987 »

AHart96 wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 10:06 pmFable of the Silent Son:
….however, from 2:45-ish on, WOW. Once the isolated guitar section started, I had the biggest grin on my face.
Same here!! As soon as that part picks up, it's like "YES... this is why I'm an AB fan."
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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by Schulzy »

These threads make me proud to be an Alter Bridge fan. Thoughtful, well composed, personal assessments of the songs that explore lyrical content and standout musical moments. The individual song ratings and album rankings provide another level of insight into how this band impacts each listener. My expanded review/reactions:

This is War - continues to rise in my book. I explained my admiration for the song in another thread but in summary - choral punches are wonderful, the splashes of guitar lines throughout provide great texture, Myles' voice in certain parts "do not play the fool" is very Slip to the Voidesque, and the guitar solo is easily my favorite on the album. Brian's best bass zooms. My favorite lyric "don't compromise who you are". Went from 6/10 to 7.5/10

Dead Among The Living - awesome drum intro from Flip. I agree that it has Blackbird era vibes. The opening really messes with my head though where I can't seem to track with the guitar line and drumbeat. It's growing on me every time I listen and was the first song after my first full album listen that I returned to. I like how Myles says, "I can't take this any mowah!" Too much shrill harmonizing though. 7/10

Silver Tongue - I like this as a straightforward, riff driven, song. I especially like the throwback to The Uninvited in the bridge with the "fear, spite" section. Now I'm almost convinced Mark sings "criiiiime" in the chorus echo rather than Myles. Remains in my top 5 songs - 7/10

Sin After Sin - I've given this song every opportunity to change my mind and sadly it hasn't. In a word - dreary. 2/10

Stay - the guitar intro on this is painful to listen to. Forgive me Mark, but hearing you sing "hold your hands up high and wave them in the air" just rubs me the wrong way. I do like the blending of Myles and Mark in the "Don't wait" parts. Otherwise my least favorite song on the album. 1/10

Holiday - What more can be said about this song than what has already been said. I appreciate the message of realizing there's more to life than work. That resonated with me. Unfortunately like the recent Slash album it's completely forgettable for me. 2/10

Fable of The Silent Son - I really like the ebb and flow of this song. The guitar intro is absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to read the full lyrics while listening to it. "I've learned from my mistakes......times have changed" - spine tingling! The change of pace flows well and isn't jarring. I like the underlying riff that emphasizes "like a phoenix rising from the dust I've come to lift you up". Myles' whisper singing is soooo good on this and the section around 6:30 where he is totally stripped down with no vocal effects and just simple guitar strumming is breathtaking! The dueling guitars solos reminds me of the old concerts where the guys would take a break and just go back and forth for a while. Fun! 7.5/10

Season of Promise - it just makes me feel good like Clear Horizon which was my favorite song from WTS. I think Kev said it reminds him of Outright from Fortress and that's a good comparison. Even some of the guitar bits remind me of Take The Crown. Mark's background "aahs" in the chorus and vocals in the second verse make me want to cry with joy!
Soooooooo gooooooood! I was like yes, yes, YES! God, the soaring vocals around 3:10-30 just yearn for a sing a long without going insanely high pitched. This was the first song I started humming at the end of the day yesterday. My second favorite guitar solo on the album. I think it will probably end up in my top 5. 8/10.

Last Man Standing - the instant standout track of the entire album for me. Love the guitar intro and muted sound throughout. When the full guitars kick in it just sounds great! The bass groove from Brian just makes me do the chicken neck. "the sweet taste of victory is fragile and fleeting" line is a highlight. Myles singing "I hope it's worth it all in the end, you know it's hard for me to pretend" is breathtaking. Followed by him and Mark together is sublime. My third favorite solo - does Myles play this? I know it's Mark at the end of the song. High repeat value. 8.5/10.

Pawns & Kings - i still fail to connect with this song on the whole. I think it's overly long but really like the final third. It falls below The Last Hero and Fortress by comparison. 4/10

All in all a 6/10 album. It has three great opening songs, lags for the next three, and picks it up nicely on 7, 8, and 9. I feel like it's a return to quality over quantity and is sonically nowhere near as harsh as The Last Hero or even parts of Walk The Sky. My album rankings

1A and B. Fortress and Blackbird
2. One Day Remains
3. ABIII
4. Pawns & Kings
5A and B. Walk The Sky and The Last Hero
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_^:Tangled in your trance and I'm certain:^_

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scarecrow
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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by scarecrow »

I could totally hear "This Is War" on the new Muse album. And I'm unsure if that's a compliment or not because I like that record but it's arguably Muse at their most self-parodic. (Which is my favorite version of Muse, but I'm not sure it works as the lead track here. I think "Silver Tongue" into "This Is War" would be much more interesting but I absolutely understand separating those tracks as to not directly link them. That would be... stirring the pot, haha.)

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scarecrow
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Re: Pawns & Kings – post release reactions & user reviews

Post by scarecrow »

Okay helllllllll yeah I'm getting into "Last Man Standing."

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