AB III BIO
EMI Label Services are delighted to announce the release of rock band ALTER BRIDGE’S
third album, AB III, on November 9, 2010. The acclaimed band, fronted by Myles Kennedy
also includes Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall and Scott Philips, will follow up the release
with a US tour in December.
Alter Bridge’s career to date -formed in 2004 by Tremonti and Phillips after a cooling of
their relationship with the Creed singer (Creed has since reconciled and reunited), the new
band hooked up with then ex-Creed bassist Marshall and former Mayfield Four frontman
Kennedy (who recently performed and co-wrote 2 songs on Slash’s solo record and fronts
his touring band).
In 2004 the band recorded their debut album, One Day Remains. It went gold in the United
States and spawned three singles as well as the track “Metalingus,” which was adopted by
the WWE’s Superstar Edge as his theme song later that year. In 2007 the band released the
critically acclaimed second album, Blackbird, which included the hit singles “Rise Today”
and “Watch Over You.” The latter became a top 10 video as well as the featured song on VH1’s Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew. The band took to the road to promote their sophomore
release, gaining more fans across the globe with their intense and powerful live show.
Lyrically, the first two albums are based on themes immersed in hope and perseverance in
the face of adversity. On AB III, however, the theme has shifted. Kennedy states, “This record
is definitely a departure from the last two albums in terms of its subject matter. It touches
on the thoughts and emotions of someone who has come to question everything that was
once regarded as an absolute truth. It’s the realization that everything you once believed in
might not exist.”
This journey is set into motion by the album’s opening track, “Slip to the Void.” The song’s
sparse and moody intro set’s up the narrative as Kennedy’s vocal and lyrics emerge.
Tremonti adds, “’Slip To The Void,’ has one of my favorite vocal performances ever by
Myles, the song is really creepy and lets the listener know the vibe of the record. It’s pretty
dark, the intro really sucks you in.”
The album then shifts gears into the metallic first single, “Isolation,” showcasing Alter
Bridge’s ability to play and write aggressively while maintaining their signature melodic
component. Tremonti states, “Melody is still the most important thing for us. There’s no
point in being heavy just for the sake of being heavy.”
From the bombastic riffs of “Still Remains” to the brooding band favorite “Show Me A Sign,”
the album plays like a concept record whose main character is someone desperately
struggling to find their place in a world steeped in doubt and emptiness. The track, “Words
Darker Than Their Wings,” is the final chapter of this tale. Kennedy says, “The lyric was
inspired by a conversation I had with a good friend a while ago. It was the catalyst for the
idea of having both Mark and I trade off on the lead vocal. I thought it would be a good way
of making the differing points of view in the ‘conversation’ be more effective. More
importantly, I thought Mark sounded great singing it!”
While AB III is a record with a consistent theme, there are songs both musically and
thematically that break away and touch on different human emotions. One of those
moments is found in “Wonderful Life,” a song that Kennedy claims was “An extremely
emotional song to put together, it took a long time.” He then adds, “The lyric was inspired by
the idea that there will come a day when we all must say goodbye to the ones we love and
hold dear in our hearts. Basically, I asked myself what would I want to say in that final
moment, that last goodbye?”
The band enlisted Producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Iggy Pop, Incubus), to capture the
vision the band had for AB III. Baskette, described by Tremonti as “like a fifth bandmember,” was also at the helm for the recording of Blackbird. Kennedy says,” Over the
years we have definitely established a bond with Elvis. We trust his instincts, he knows how
to bring out the best in us sonically and creatively.”
AB III is an incredibly intense and dynamic album proving Alter Bridge continues to grow
and evolve with each recording. “We went into the process of putting the record together
with a lot of confidence,” Tremonti reveals, “but we didn’t go into it looking to be
commercial, or to have radio singles. We just wanted this to be an album that pleased us
artistically, through and through.”