ALTER BRIDGE – Pawns & Kings (2022)

American modern hard rockers ALTER BRIDGE are ready to release of their seventh album ”Pawns & Kings” – the name of which isn’t a huge surprise, given it’s also what the band’s upcoming tour with Halestorm and Mammoth WVH is called.
Produced by longtime collaborator Michael ‘Elvis’ Baskette, on ”Pawns & Kings” ALTER BRIDGE carry on doing what they do best; groovy hard rock. The 10 tracks run the gamut with callbacks to different points in the life of Alter Bridge – from unrelenting rockers and midtempo melodic power ballads to expansive and technically demanding progressive songs.
This is a band who know what they do, know how to do it well, and seem content to deliver another big, fat, satisfying slice of it every few years. Those who crave creative sonic exploration from their artists may scoff at Alter Bridge for snugly remaining in their corner of the music world, but really the joke is on them, because there is nothing unworthy about a consistent ability to write effective, instantaneous, colossal rock anthems.

The album’s opening track is a dramatic rocker, with vocalist Myles Kennedy’s signature upper register immediately making its presence felt. The well-crafted chorus is focused and driven, with a clear message of non-compromise. The melody-heavy track “Dead Among the Living” struts along as Myles honey-coated voice delivers a hook that buries into your brain.
Guitarist Mark Tremonti remains one of hard rock’s MVPs on six strings. Tremonti’s fingerprints are all over the album, from the churning riffs to the complex and blistering solos; even adding lead vocals on mid-tempo rocker “Stay.”
Tremonti’s guitar work blasts down the doors on brooding rocker “Silver Tongue.” Drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall hold down the rhythm section as Kennedy’s big vocals carry the urgency of the track.

Clocking in at nearly seven minutes, “Sin After Sin” digs more into the band’s progressive hard rock tendencies. Building from explosive riff-driven rock to more melodic mid-tempo vocals, Tremonti and Kennedy play off of each other’s impressive guitar work.
Tremonti’s “Stay” has more of an upbeat anthemic rock sound, with a pinch of classic rock. Kennedy’s upper register blends particularly well with Tremonti’s lower register, making for some memorable harmonies.
The heaviness returns on “Holiday.” For as aggressive as this song is, the vocals sound like a blues cut; at least a bit. They put emphasis on the melodies.

It seems that Tremonti focused some of his more complex and expressive guitar work into the handful progressive tracks. The exquisite “Fable of the Silent Son” may be one of the most impressive songs Alter Bridge has ever written. The eight-minute track strikes a divine balance between heaviness, complexity, melody and anthemic qualities. It’s each of the band members operating at the peak of his abilities.
The band follows it up with more melodic hard rocker “Season of Promise,” again showcasing the interplay between the two vocalists. The group takes things home on aggressive and progressive footing, with a pair of tracks that eclipse five minutes: “Last Man Standing” and the title track.

”Pawns & Kings” feels much more in-character for a band that took on a more diverse, throwback sound on prior effort ‘Walk the Sky’. Here, Alter Bridge feels at its most comfortable, delivering compelling and musically thrilling tracks that span the hard rock spectrum.
It’s nothing new by this band’s standards, but these types of songs are incredibly difficult to get right, and if that’s hard to believe then check out many of Alter Bridge’s lumpen and forgettable peers. That they’re able to keep the listener interested and engaged this deep into their career without ever really deviating from their core sound is proof of their calibre.
”Pawns & Kings” might be exactly what everyone expects from Alter Bridge, but it’s also exactly what any true fan would want from them: quality and consistency personified.
Highly Recommended

01 – This is War
02 – Dead Among the Living
03 – Silver Tongue
04 – Sin After Sin
05 – Stay
06 – Holiday
07 – Fable of the Silent Son
08 – Season of Promise
09 – Last Man Standing
10 – Pawns & Kings

Myles Kennedy – vocals
Mark Tremonti – guitars, vocals
Scott Phillips – drums
Brian Marshall – bass

Pre order:
www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/alter-bridge-pawns-kings-digisleeve-cd-pre-order-release-date-10-14-22.html