Alter Bridge: Live at the 02 Arena + Rarities – Napalm Records.
With five studio records and three live releases, Alter Bridge had the potential to be a really solid Creed cover band when forming in 2004 (the group features three of four members from the “With Arms Wide Open” hit makers) but have instead proven themselves to be the quiet achievers in the rock world, slowly creeping their way up festival lineups and venue capacities the good old-fashioned way – by consistently writing great material and delivering live. Alter Bridge: Live at the 02 Arena + Rarities was recorded during their November 24th appearance at the prestigious venue, and presents a varied set list from their catalogue, leaning most heavily on their most recent studio release, The Last Hero.
The set opens with a trio of heavy hitters, in the form of Writing on the Wall, Come to Life, and Addicted to Pain, each hailing from separate albums, however equally feeling at home together, a testament to the strength of the band’s quality of writing. The pace rises and falls throughout the set, though it is evident that the group, featuring Slash vocalist Myles Kennedy, guitarist Mark Tremonti, Bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, is far heavier than they were at the beginning of their career, and have come into their own and found the Alter Bridge sound. Groove can be found in abundance during the set, with notable selections including mid tempo rocker Farther than the Sun. From there, fan favourite Ties That Bind is well received with roars of audience participation, and Waters Rising allows guitarist Mark Tremonti a chance to front the band, with fuller, rougher vocal style contrasting against Myles Kennedy’s high tenor range.
Kennedy offers the audience a break from the onslaught of drop tuned guitars with his solo acoustic performance of Watch Over You, from second record Blackbird. There is something hauntingly beautiful about what Myles does that is so far removed from the heaviness of the group, which is apparent with his ability to hold the arena in the palm of his hands with his voice and an acoustic guitar.
It’s this juxtaposition that allows Alter Bridge to stand out from its peers, though, as Kennedy’s vocals soar above the dynamically thick and compressed sound of the band, creating a sound all their own. The group roars back to life with Isolation, and a cheeky ode to the Beatles is snuck in before the epic Blackbird takes the show to a whole new level. The show continues with classics from the first two records, before the lead single from the most recent, Show Me A Leader, and an incredibly strong finish in Rise Today leaves fans completely satisfied, having been on a music journey through the history of a band who’s clearly got the best yet to come.
The record finishes with two bonus live tracks, recorded at Manchester Arena the night before, Poison in Your Veins, and My Champion, from their latest release. The rarities side of the record features 9 tracks previously only available as bonus tracks on various releases, and two never-before-heard songs from the One Day Remains sessions, before Myles began playing guitar with the band.
Alter Bridge: Live at the 02 Arena + Rarities is released September 8th, 2017 via Napalm Records.
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