Alter Bridge’s Self-Titled Album: What Are Critics Saying?

Alter Bridge’s new album issued on January 9^th is getting a lot of feedback from the web.  People on social media, websites, forums, and YouTube all are tossing in their thoughts about Alter Bridge in general and their latest album.  While critics' reviews mean less than they have in a long time considering we have a lot of the music available to listen for ourselves anyway, sometimes it's informative to see why others like or dislike an album and maybe we learn some detail we didn't think of ourselves along the way.

Here are some excerpts from 10 websites reviewing ‘Alter Bridge’. 

Ramzine - "What a great start to the new year. Nine days in and a new album has emerged into our lives! Known for their memorable riffs, infectious vocal melodies, and duelling guitar attack, Alter Bridge show no signs of slowing down. And of course that’s a good thing."

Moshville – “Whilst you could never accuse this of being a “by the numbers” album, everything that distinguishes Alter Bridge is present and correct. Drums with enough force to shake the foundation of whatever building you’re listening to the album in? Absolutely. Rumbling bass which is equally measured and a ferocious beast? Yup. Duelling guitars which weave around each other effortlessly, both with their own sense of identity and having space to breathe? Damn right. Honeyed and soaring vocals? Obviously.”  

New Noise (4.5-5) –“Whether it be in their lyrics, performances, or production, Alter Bridge is ultimately defined by their fidelity. To use words like “titans” and “mammoth” almost doesn’t do them justice. Through each release, they’ve cemented themselves as undefeated metal leviathans. Their self-titled record stands as a culmination of their integrity and identity.”

Metaltalk.net – “It does not reinvent the wheel or the band, but instead reinforces what has made Alter Bridge great for all these years.”

Rock Sins – 8/10 -  “The bands’ sound is incredibly well established at this point, and they aren’t likely to deviate too far from that. With that said, broadly within the confines of what you might expect one of their albums to sound like, there’s a good range of things going on here.”

Given to Rock – “The overall quality. These guys have been together for many, many years and still make very good music, with fantastic guitar solos (Slave to Master, to name one), riffs, catchy vocal melodies and a massive production. The album is really solid and apart from some "heard before" (see below) moments, there are lots of new ideas and generally, I find the album very inspired. It's a very solid album.”

Kerrang – (4/5) "As relevant after all these years as they are musically brilliant, Alter Bridge’s return continues to make most mainstream acts look amateur."

Stereoboard – (3/5) "Their eighth LP is an attempt to underline the potency of their previous work while also taking inspiration from iconic groups such as Led Zeppelin and Bad Company. Produced by long-standing collaborator Michael Baskette, that combination could have been transformative at this stage in their career but ‘Alter Bridge’ doesn’t perfect the mix." 

Louder – (4/5) "It might all be down to their everyman persona, but the greatest trick Alter Bridge have ever pulled off is how easy they make all this look and sound, even though their timeless take on classic rock is often as complex, technically, as it gets. It takes a lot of skill and talent to make it seem so effortless. And it remains true on this new record – the blood, sweat and tears that undoubtedly went into it have vanished under the sheen of a collection of songs that sound like they’ve always been there."

Ethereal Metalzine – (4/5) "What makes Alter Bridge remarkable isn’t reinvention, but refinement. This is a band fully aware of its legacy, choosing not to fix what isn’t broken but to sharpen it to perfection. The riffs remain massive, the hooks still soar, and the solos can still send chills down your spine, but there’s a new level of precision and depth here, a patience that lets the music breathe and the emotion resonate."