Alter Bridge, ‘Walk the Sky’ Review: New Album Brings Powerful, Emotive Rock
Alter Bridge, “Walk the Sky” album art – Review by Anne Erickson
Album review: Alter Bridge triumphantly returns with their new album “Walk the Sky,” featuring a mix of skillful instrumentals and emotive vocals
Alter Bridge is one of those special bands that has both technical skills and the ability to present music with incredible emotion. From their 2004 debut, “One Day Remains,” to this month’s “Walk the Sky,” the group has displayed a gift for crafting anthemic rock songs with soaring vocals and meaty riffs.
On “Walk the Sky,” out Friday (Oct. 18), Alter Bridge triumphantly returns with 14 tracks of variety-packed hard rock. Beginning with a short introduction track “One Life,” Myles Kennedy starts the album off with hushed, building vocals that set this listener up for the drama that’s ahead.
“Wouldn’t You Rather,” the second track on the album and the record’s first single, is a grand, chugging rocker that shows off Mark Tremonti’s impeccable guitar playing and Kennedy’s powerful vocals, as well as the tight rhythms of bass player Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. The song mixes memorable melodies and hard-charging, in-your-face riffing.
As “Walk the Sky” continues, each track presents different shades, sounds and styles. “In the Deep” starts with metal guitars and then takes things back a few notches for a soft bridge featuring Kennedy’s thick vocals, then crashes into a huge chorus.
One of the most unique tracks on the album is “Indoctrination.” The song has a deep, slugging groove throughout, offering a different vibe for Alter Bridge– dare I say, it’s almost a Black Sabbath vibe. Kennedy’s vocals rule the chorus, as he sings, “I’m in your head, you can’t deny it / You’re hanging on my every word!”
Another standout, “Godspeed,” Tremonti tells Audio Ink is about the experience he had losing a loved one last year and wishing him well on his journey in the next life. “You have changed all our lives,” Kennedy sings in the chorus. “Godspeed” goes into “Native Son,” the latter track starting with eerie guitars and picking up into a straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll track.
“Dying Light,” which closes the album, is a special song that really highlights Kennedy’s strong vocals, with its soft bridge and head-bopping chorus. “In the dying light / We can begin to live again / We wake up to eternal light,” Kennedy pleas, as Tremonti kicks in with a shredding guitar solo.
On “Walk the Sky,” Alter Bridge display the kind of technical chops that only veteran musicians process, combined with an earnest, hopeful spirit that is all their own. It’s the kind of music you want to crank at ultimate volume and listen to over and over. With an album like “Walk the Sky,” it’s obvious why Alter Bridge remain such a success in the modern rock world and continue to grow. Ink rating: 9/10.
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