Review by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
After a huge selling arena tour with their ‘other’ band Creed, Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall and Scott Philips have reunited with Myles Kennedy to carry on the always upwards trajectory of Alter Bridge, reconvening for this, their eighth full length opus.
Self-titled albums are often seen as relaunches of bands and maybe there’s a little of that here, the need to separate themselves from Creed as an entity by stating that they’re here once more, but more so, this is a display of all that made the world fall in love with Alter Bridge upon the release of ‘One Day Remains’ in 2004.
Taking the firepower and gold standard songwriting, this new release brings together the talents of all four members and focuses on the unshakeable chemistry they have, regular producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette pushing them to even greater highs.
As well as the titanic rhythm section of Marshall and Philips, one of the keys to Alter Bridge’s dominance over most of their peers is the interchangeable and equal skills of Tremonti and Kennedy, both possessing not just fine voices but also the ability to bring huge riffs and subtle touches out of their guitars.
This shared heft between the quartet certainly brings muscle and melody but there’s also a rare emotional intelligence here that means that the whole is so much more than crushing weight, adding a very human soul to all they do. In many ways, AB echo the legendary outfits of the 1970’s like Led Zeppelin, Queen and Bad Company in their grasp of dynamics and heart but supercharge this all with a heaviness that’s more akin to Metallica, taking the whole and streamlining it.
The raw riff that kicks off opener ‘Silent Divide’ has a very stripped back to basics and visceral feel, the song and sound suddenly opening up into something much more widescreen.
Alter Bridge can certainly do subtle and nuanced but something huge was required here and that’s exactly what they give, Kennedy’s distinct voice and the massive guitars underpinned by drums and bass that hit like a wrecking ball. Next up, ‘Rue The Day’ takes a bit of a different tack, the multiple layers and clever guitar patterns bringing something distinctly different before ‘Power Down’ brings a full-pelt intensity that could destroy worlds.
Kennedy and Tremonti switching verse and chorus vocals on ‘Trust In Me’ and ‘Tested And Able’ brings another colour to the sonic palette and a constantly twisting ‘What Lies Beneath’ pulls all sorts of sonic loops before the outstanding semi-balladry of ‘Hang By A Thread’ breaks hearts. Everything reaches a crescendo in the epic and lengthy ‘Slave To Master’, its nine-minute run time and ambitious scope certain to be a showstopping feature of future live sets as everything comes together in something that stays the right side of bombast but isn’t afraid to finish big.
With the quartet and Baskette bringing their own brand of magic here, ‘Alter Bridge’ is the first contender for album of the year and stands as the band’s best yet, a lofty achievement considering all that came before it. The kings of modern metal are back and taking no prisoners.
Pre-Order Alter Bridge HERE
“What Lies Within” Tour With Dates in Europe and North America Starts January 15, 2026 | Ticket Info Available at www.alterbridge.com
European What Lies Within Tour 2026:
Jan 15 – HAMBURG, GERMANY – Sporthalle
Jan 17 – OSLO, NORWAY – Sentrum Scene
Jan 18 – OSLO, NORWAY – Sentrum Scene
Jan 20 – STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – Annexet
Jan 22 – HELSINKI, FINLAND – Ice Hall Black Box
Jan 24 – COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – KB Hallen
Jan 25 – BERLIN, GERMANY – Columbiahalle
Jan 27 – GLIWICE, POLAND – Prezero Arena Gliwice
Jan 28 – BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – Barba Negra
Jan 30 – VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Gasometer
Jan 31 – ZAGREB, CROATIA – Bocarski Dom
Feb 02 – ROME, ITALY – Atlantico
Feb 03 – BERGAMO, ITALY – ChorusLive Arena
Feb 05 – ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – The Hall
Feb 06 – LYON, FRANCE – Halle Tony Garnier
Feb 08 – BARCELONA, SPAIN – Razzmatazz 1
Feb 10 – LISBON, PORTUGAL – Sagres Campo Pequeno
Feb 12 – MADRID, SPAIN – Palacio Vistalegre
Feb 13 – BORDEAUX, FRANCE – Arkea Arena
Feb 15 – LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG – Rockhal
Feb 17 – OBERHAUSEN, GERMANY – Oberhausen Turbinenhalle
Feb 18 – PARIS, FRANCE – Zenith
Feb 20 – MUNICH, GERMANY – Zenith
Feb 22 – AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – Ziggo Dome
Feb 23 – BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – Ancienne Belgique
Feb 25 – NEWCASTLE, UNITED KINGDOM – Utilita Arena
Feb 26 – MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM – AO Arena
Feb 28 – DUBLIN, IRELAND – 3Arena
Mar 02 – GLASGOW, UNITED KINGDOM – OVO Hydro
Mar 04 – LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – The O2
Mar 05 – NOTTINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM – Motorpoint Arena
Jun 27 – CARDIFF, WALES – Blackbird Festival @ Cardiff Castle
What Lies Within U.S. Tour
Apr 25 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues – TM
Apr 26 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy – 7D/TM
Apr 28 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center – F/TM
Apr 29 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom – F/TM
May 1 – Tulsa, OK – Osage Casino Hotel, Skyline Event Center – F/TM
May 2 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha – F/TM
May 5 – Green Bay, WI – EPIC Event Center – F/TM
May 6 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed – F/TM
May 9 – Atlantic City, NJ – Event Center at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa – F
May 10 – Boston, MA – Citizen House of Blues Boston – F/TM
May 12 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount – F/TM
May 13 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater – F/TM
May 18 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Roxian Theatre – F/TM
May 19 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit – F/TM
May 21 – Nashville, TN – The Pinnacle – 7D/TM
May 22 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company – F/TM
May 24 – Tampa, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Event Center – F/TM
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