Review by Richard Henry for MPM
It’s been a long-time, 2017 when these guys came and played the Ulster Hall twice in six months and sold it out, then we never seen them again for 9 long years, well, here we are, different venue tonight but packed out, on support of the self-titled album, I’m looking forward to seeing them again having seen Tremonti solo more often, let’s go!
We had Overgrown from the UK up tonight as a support act, being honest I hadn’t heard them at all before, my first thought was there was a band called Whatever with an album Sugerbuzz, and they so reminded me of them, how would you describe them, if you took Alice in Chains, The Cure, Nirvana and maybe a bit of Deftones, that’s these guys, sort of groove laden, with good guitar hooks (that’s the cure part) like clean melody parts, big choruses, good energy, have to say great openers and I am definitely going to check them out, you should do the same!!
Alter Bridge
Silent Divide – First track from the new album to kick it all off tonight, as the guys amble onto the stage to a roar from the Belfast crowd, that’s a dirty dirgy riff to come in with, real slow dragging feel to this one, maybe not what you would expect as an opener, I love that, little stop part in the second verse, when you hit that really chuggy middle section though, then its Myles who takes the solo on this one nice and melodic, before coming back into that intro riff again and back to the chorus, interesting choice for an opener!
Addicted to Pain – Straight into the “Fortress” album for this one, now for me I would have swapped the two and had this as the opener, it’s a good up-tempo rocker of a track, it’s up there in range vocally and you can hear Myles has altered some of the patters so he isn’t up so high all the time, now that is quite a noise the crowd is making tonight, singing that chorus back to the guys on stage who are beaming away, I love that middle riff, that’s a vicious breakdown, Mark up for this solo with it pretty much being exactly what’s on the album, great tone as well with the wah pedal on it, now that’s a banger of a track!
Cry of Achilles – Staying with the same album, tracks one and two, just reverse order, always loved that clean guitar intro, Myles asking, do you know what it is yet after strumming the first couple of notes, before the band kick into it, it’s a proper headbanger this one, also great light show, it’s a sparse stage but great production, time for a bit of audience participation on the second chorus of this one and the crowd in here certainly obliges them with a full roar back, that little bass and drum groove in the middle is class, then back into the chorus and a bit more crowd singing, completely forgot it was Myles solo on this, manhandling his signature PRS guitar back into the chorus again,
Fortress – Alrighty then, we have three in a row from the “Fortress” album, a quick count in on the drums and we have that rolling almost acoustic intro being underpinned by the bass notes, it’s one of those wave you hand left to right moments and again everyone follows Myles directions from the stage, I love the double vocal on this one, just fills out that so much, Mark in the lower register and Myles soaring up there, that middle riff has always had a stoner rock vibe to me or Sabbath or something, its rips live to be fair, Mark takes rip at the first solo with a barrage of notes then the groove half times and Myles comes in with his solo, it’s an epic alright, always good to hear this one live!
Disregarded – Right back to the new album, Myles kicking this one off with that bendy little riff at the start, I love that lumbering off kilter groove in this one as well, it almost has like a nu metal feel, especially with that textural guitar part playing along with the riff as well, it’s a snappy quick chorus on this one before the “no way” and it goes back into that slippy riff, that half time breakdown in the middle is as heavy as anything, love the solos over that thrashier groove before it busts back into the chorus again!
Burn it Down – Heading back to the first album “One Day Remains”, this one feature’s Mark on the vocals for it, it’s interesting because his stuff is so aggressive so it’s always nice to hear him on slower songs like this, really full voice, I really love Myles little guitar fill there after the vocal, I don’t think he gets enough love as a guitar player, obviously overshadowed by his vocals but he sure can play, asking for a bit of audience participation on the chorus vocal, massive noise back yet again, in fact a lot of us have been singing the whole song back at Mark, who is all smiles, great solo at the end from Myles yet again, it’s such a good song!
Open Your Eyes – A one two punch from the debut album, this one has such a happy vibe as well, we have the audience clapping in time from the instructions of Myles up there, again that double vocal is just so good live, that chorus is massive and there is a lot of sing a long from the crowd here tonight to this one, and the song breaks, for us all to do the woo ooh woo ooh part, yet again this is the loudest I have heard a crowd in here, Belfast certainly doing its part tonight, soaring melodic solo up from Mark next, nice bit of shredding in there as well, it’s always good to hear this track!
Broken Wings – Wow, ok, I was not expecting three in a row from the debut, Mark coming in with this one, playing chords and lead figures on the guitar, Myles ala guitar on this and just on the mic, somber mood for this one, lets you have a break from the last song, before that absolutely massive chorus comes in, lots of singing to this one from the crowd as well, it’s one of those tracks isn’t it, it’s just an uplifting number, you can’t help but smile when its playing
Watch Over You – Onto album number two, “Blackbird” for this one, acoustic guitar time, we all know this one, always good to have something like this in the set, it brings the atmosphere right down and immediately makes the gig feel more intimate in a way, I mean it’s a delicate song and you just really hear Myles vocal prowess on this one, from the soft verse to the head voice falsetto in the chorus, then the band comes in after that first chorus, I think from the start of this track until the end the crowd has sang every single vocal line along with Myles, and we sounded class, what a beautiful track!
Come to Life – Fun fact, they opened with this in 2017 in the Ulster Hall, back to Blackbird again and we are tuned right down for this one, it has lost none of its impact with that sledgehammer of a riff laying it down and then in the verse with Myles up there, but it’s when it hits the chorus that yet again the Telegraph Building comes to life and raises the roof on the chorus, spitting it back at the band again, something that’s so under looked is that little harmony guitar section right before Marks solo, I love that part, before Mark tears it up with his solo, absolute monster of a track, I was so glad they played this one!
Tested and Able – Dipping back into the new album again, it’s almost like a surf guitar riff that intro part, for anyone remembers Dick Dale, for some reason, that’s what I am thinking, now my biggest question is, what guitar is that Mark is playing, baritone but not one of his, I love the trade off with Mark doing the vocals and then Myles coming in on the chorus, love the little textural guitar thing over that chorus as well, great solo from Myles and then we kick back into the chorus again, going to be honest it’s not my favorite track on the album, but damn, it’s a different beast live, seems way heavier, i actually really enjoyed that one!
Rise Today – Another comes at us from the “Blackbird” album, as soon as that intro hits you know this is going to raise the roof, that chorus is huge and we are all getting in on the action, hands in the air for after the first chorus before the verse comes slamming in again, class, full on audience participation with just the kick drum and quieter guitar, I think we did pretty well right there, the crowd have been singing everything back at these guys all night, let’s not make it so long next time guys, Belfast loves you,
Metalingus – Back to the first album again, a lot of tracks played off it tonight, this is a proper headbanger, right from that drum part to Mark hitting note off the trem on the guitar to that sledgehammer of a riff comes in, I often wonder how many people first heard it as Edges intro in the WWE and then came to the band, regardless, this was definitely the first song I heard from these guys post Creed, we have Myles introducing the band during Flip’s drum intro, it’s a banging chorus, I tell you my favorite part though, that middle, Myles absolutely hits the stratosphere on that right before it comes right back into the chorus again, absolute and utter banger!!!!
Blackbird – If a band has one track that it should be defined by, for me, this is it, every time I hear it live it gives me goosebumps, it starts off so delicate, a few people clapping along and keeping time during the verse before Myles volume swells in those notes, then band, in comes that massive riff and you’re into the chorus where the vocal just soars of the top, its after that second chorus when it breaks down again after heavy part, it just takes you on a journey, and your back down to a whisper again before we hit the solos that I think if I remember rightly won best solo in Total Guitar, Myles kicks it off, full of grit and feel, absolutely beautiful phrasing, before it builds to Marks solo, which has loads of feel and grit, but he unleashes the fury right at the end of it, this song is special, and that is it for the set, we end on this one.
Isolation was on the set list for an ender, but they closed on this one!
Let’s not make it 9 years again lads, that was an incredible set, as expected to be fair, just makes you realize how much you miss seeing these guys live, only the Blackbird Fest left in Cardiff on this run of dates, it is sold out so for you guys going, have a great time, the band in on fire!
