Blackberry Smoke's 'Like an Arrow' - Album Review

While southern rock is a genre that never really progressed beyond it's 1970s heyday, Atlanta's Blackberry Smoke have been a shining light for the genre over recent years. The UK, and Europe in general, was a bit late to the party when it comes to Blackberry Smoke. The band's third album, 2012's The Whippoorwill, was finally officially distributed over here in 2014 when Earache Records, a label that found it's fame with extreme metal bands in the late 1980s and early 1990s, picked them up. While I think their first two albums are still not officially available in stores in the UK, the country really seemed to embrace Blackberry Smoke. Sales of The Whippoorwill were strong, and a UK tour later on in 2014 saw big crowds flocking to see the band up and down the country. The band's first two albums are easy enough to get hold of online, and fans readily purchased them. The first three Blackberry Smoke albums are modern southern rock classics, packed full of heartfelt songwriting that brings to mind a less-heavy version of Lynyrd Skynyrd and more refined version of the Allman Brothers Band. The band's perfect mix of hard-hitting rock and more gentle country influences made the band standout, and allowed them to appeal to a wide range of people. Wanting to capitalise on this more global success, the band's fourth album Holding all the Roses (which I reviewed here) was released early last year. It was a commercial success, reaching the Top 20 on the Official UK Album Chart, but it was musically less interesting than what came before. It was an enjoyable album, but I find myself returning to less and less as time passes. The big-name producer (Brendan O'Brien) did little to improve their sound, and I felt the more streamlined approach on Holding all the Roses actually damaged the impact of the material. After all, southern rock is meant to be a little raw and dirty-sounding! Just over 18 months later and the band are back again with their fifth album, Like an Arrow, which has been self-produced by the band this time. I thought that this might mean a return to the band's harder rocking roots, but to my disappointment the country element of their sound has been amplified further here. We in the UK will never realise just how big and popular country music is in America, as it has never had the same success here, so in some respects I can understand Blackberry Smoke's decision to push themselves more in that direction, but I have a feeling this is alienate a lot of their newer European fans. Like an Arrow is not a terrible album, and there are some really good songs to be found here, but it is definitely the band's weakest album so far and has quite a few moments are just plain bland. It has been a commercial success however, reaching number 8 in the UK album charts, but I wonder how many of those people who bought it have ended up having similar views to me?

The album starts off well with Waiting for the Thunder, a hard rock number that is worthy of their early albums. Charlie Starr's southern twang sounds as good as ever, and Brandon Still's hammond organ gives the song a great retro rock vibe. The song is a mid-paced rocker, with Starr and Paul Jackson's guitars mixing together well to play the driving, chunky riff. Still shines further with a great organ solo midway through the song, something which he has never had many opportunities to do previously, and it really helps to lift the song to the next level. A simple, but memorable chorus, is the icing on the cake. This is as rocking as the album gets however, with many of the rest of the songs emphasising the band's country side. That being said, Let it Burn is still a really solid tune. Still swaps his organ for boogie piano this time, which drives the song with jaunty melodies and rhythms. In fairness, Starr's voice is probably better suited to songs like this than the hard rockers, and he turns in a great performance here, while his fingers churn out country-infused blues guitar licks over Jackson's solid riffing. His solos is great too, and shows that country rock can still be exciting. For a country ballad, The Good Life is pretty enjoyable. Starr plays some pedal steel guitar here, which helps to amplify the band's country side, but the verses are largely uninspired. They plod along without any real attitude, but the chorus helps to rescue the song somewhat with some gorgeous vocal harmonies and pedal steel swells. The band have done this sort of song much better before however, and overall it feels somewhat flat. What Comes Naturally is a decent country blues stomp, with a suitably raw sound all held together by Still's laid back bar room piano playing. The Turner brothers, the band's rhythm section, switch to an upright bass and percussion for the song, which helps to the sparse and raw feel. Slide guitarist Benji Shanks guests on the song for some tasteful slide playing, which certainly adds a lot to song. The main problem with this song however is it sounds almost exactly the same Ain't Got the Blues from The Whippoorwill. The vocal melodies and rhythms are almost identical, and the vibe is the same. Running Through Time is bland. It is one of those songs you can hear over and over again and not be able to hum a single part of it as soon as it is over. Nothing about this song sticks, as the melodies are so generic and lazy. Some of the keyboard work is good however, with both piano and organ used throughout to good effect. The extended jammed instrumental outro fails to deliver to, with the guitar playing sadly not standout out at all. The title track is up next, and we hear a crunchy rock guitar for the first time since the opening song. The raw bluesy intro riff is strong, and the song definitely packs much more of the punch the previous few. The verses are fairly low key, with swirling keyboards and a prominent bassline, but the choruses really soar with driving hammond organ and strong harmony vocals. Like an Arrow comes in as a real breath of fresh air after three songs that fail to really excite, and shows what the band is like when they choose to rock. The sloppy, southern rock feel here is excellent, and really hits home what a great band they can be.

Picking up where the strong title track left off, Ought to Know is another enjoyable song that channels country rock legends the Eagles somewhat. The guitar work is subtly intricate, with lots of little riffs and melodies playing off each other well, and the chorus has a great smooth feel with great harmony vocals and washes of organ. The song is not a high energy number, but is just very well written and contains lots of singable melodies. The guitar solo is excellent too, and ends with Starr and Jackson harmonising well with lots of strong bluesy licks. Sunrise in Texas is the only song on the album credited as being written by the full band (Starr pretty much has the monopoly on songwriting for Blackberry Smoke these days), so I would have expected more of a hard rocker. Instead what we get is another fairly bland country ballad. I do like the way it slowly builds up however, starting with acoustic guitar chords, and slowly moving towards a more 'rock' arrangement with lots of retro organ sounds and warm electric guitars. The chorus is actually quite good, but again you just get the feeling that the band have done this before, and done it much better. Ain't Gonna Wait is an acoustic-led number, but it is one of the more interesting songs on the album. Starr plays mandolin and Still plays accordion, which helps to add some different sound into the mix, and the overall acoustic shuffle of the song is memorable. There are some great bursts of bluesy electric guitar, with a fairly lengthy solo in the middle that is packed full of feeling. Songs like this show that the band do not always have to rock to be at their best, but that creative songwriting and feeling is much more important. Workin' for a Workin' Man is the last of the album three proper rocker songs (yes, only three) and shows the band at something close to their best. It reminds me quite a lot of a modern Lynyrd Skynyrd song, with a simple big guitar riff and a good mix of rock piano and bluesy organ. The chorus is really upbeat, and shows the band firing on all cylinders with a great vocal display from Starr and some tight guitar riffing. A short, but sweet, solo adds a lot to song and it just makes you wish there were more songs like this on the album. Believe You Me is actually a fairly decent tune, but does not sound much like Blackberry Smoke! It opens with a funky-sounding riff, that owes quite a lot to bands like Chicago, and this vibe is carried on throughout. Bassist Richard Turner is the star of this song, with lots of intricate basslines to sink his teeth into, and his instrument is prominently placed in the mix to really bring the grooves out. The album's closing number, Free on the Wing, is a really nice ballad. Co-written by Still, the song is understandably keyboard driven with a bluesy piano riff driving everything. Genre legend Gregg Allman is featured here on vocals along with Starr. The pair duet on the verses and harmonise nicely on the choruses. This is easily the best ballad on the album, and manages to rank up there with some of their efforts from the past. It ensures the album ends on a high, and helps to wipe away the memories of some of the bland moments. Overall, Like an Arrow is an album that fails to live up to the high standards Blackberry Smoke have set themselves on previous works. While there are enough good songs here to make it worth owning, it lacks the spark and heart of their earlier works. I hope their next album is an improvement.

The album was released on 14th October 2016 via Earache Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Sunrise in Texas.

Eden's Curse - London Review

November 2016 I shall remember for a long time! I have not had a single weekend at home at all, as I pursued my hobby of catching as many excellent bands live as I could. I have been rather tired all month as a result, and my bank account has inevitably taken a hit, but it has all been worth it. Closing out this November marathon was Eden's Curse, a multinational melodic rock/metal band based in the UK who I have really taken to over the past couple of years. I saw the band in 2014, at the Underworld in Camden, and since then have listened to them regularly. Their fifth album Cardinal was released last month, and a short UK tour was announced to promote it which wound up in London, again at the Underworld. I got tickets for this as soon as it was announced, as they are not a band that plays live that regularly so opportunities are there to be taken! The added bonus of Sheffield-based hard rockers COP UK as one of the support bands made the decision to travel up to London for this gig an easy one. Camden's Underworld is one of my least favourite venues, and always venture there under duress. That being said, the whole venue seemed much cleaner this time around, and the toilets seem to have been totally renovated. They were truly disgusting before, and that change has really helped this place seem much better. When I return to the venue in February to catch Firewind I will not be filled with quite as much dread! Size-wise however, it is perfect for a band like Eden's Curse. The turnout for the show was not great, with probably no more than 100 people in the venue at any one time. This was a shame, but Sirenia playing in Islington probably had an affect on the crowd size, but the atmosphere was still great throughout as everyone in attendance were die-hard Eden's Curse fans.

Before Eden's Curse and COP UK's sets, the crowd was treated to a good set from progressive metal act Evolve. When the Swiss rockers hit the stage, there was barely anyone in the venue, but they gave it their all and made the most of their 30 minute stage time. Sound-wise, I found them to be similar to Jørn Lande's solo work, but with more keyboards and more progressive arrangements. The heavy mid-paced riffing and the low-register powerful vocals were present though, and the band impressed somewhat with their solid material. While lots of individual parts of their songs stood out, I did feel that the overall melodies and impact were not as strong as the band's suggests. Their is certainly a lot of potential in this band, with their vocalist and keyboard player especially standing out a great musicians, but some tighter arrangements and a greater focus on melody will certainly help them to reach the next level.

COP UK are a band I have paid for to see them as a headline act. Their excellent show in Sheffield in January got my gigging year off to a great start, and the album they launched that night, No Place for Heaven, will probably end up in my Albums of the Year list come next month. This was my fifth time seeing the band in total, and despite the short set they managed to whip up a real storm with their melodic hard rock sound that just gets better and better. Opening with The Core from the new album really sets the tone for their set, as it contains one of their best choruses yet and frontman Dale Radcliffe really gets into live. He managed to whip up quite a lot of excitement with the now-larger crowd and I am sure the band made a few new fans with this performance. Now seemingly back to a five-piece, without rhythm guitarist Andrew Mewse, this allowed Henning Wanner's (keyboards/vocals) to become more prominent in the mix. I think I actually prefer this configuration of the band, and the material benefits from a smoother overall feel as a result. Charles Staton (guitar/vocals) is more than capable of handling all of the guitar duties too, with plenty of excellent riffs and solos coming from his fingers throughout their set. My Blood, also from the new album, was the highlight of the set; before the ballad-like Love Is to Die For from the band's previous album provided some light in a set dominated with hard rocking shade. When the Edguy-like Stranger Than Fiction was played I assumed that was to be the end of the set, but they had time for one more. Journey's Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) might not have been the most obvious choice of songs for a band like COP UK to cover, but they owned it and turned it into a heavier rocker than the original, although Wanner's keyboards still dominated with that iconic intro riff! This was a triumphant set from a band that have had probably their best year to date, and I look forward to what they come up with next. The setlist was:

The Core
Body and Soul
My Blood
Love Is to Die For
Catch Me if You Can
Stranger Than Fiction
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) [Journey cover]

A few bands would have had trouble following COP UK, but Eden's Curse are no slouches and came roaring out of the blocks and played for well over 90 minutes delivering a classy and powerful performance. Cardinal is a hard-hitting album, and Prophets of Doom proved to be an excellent opening number with Thorsten Koehne's (guitar) slightly thrashy riff and John Clelland's propelling drum pattern. Frontman Nikola Mijić has really grown into his role since the show over two years ago, and he now commands the stage. His English is much improved too, and his interactions with the crowd are on another level to the previous time. With five albums now under their belt, this show felt like a best of set, with the five songs played from the new album being given as much of a warm welcome as the old favourites. Masquerade Ball, which has one of the band's best choruses, was the highlight of the early part of the set with the heavy new number The Great Pretender coming a close second. Christian 'Chrism' Pulkkinen (keyboards/vocals) drives the song with a playful keyboard riff, and the whole song just has a great Dio vibe throughout. Being the last night of the tour, the whole evening had a great party atmosphere, with the members of the support bands often joining the crowd to sing along and enjoy the show. COP UK's Radcliffe seemed to be particularly into the set, but I am not sure where the 'I want to do a poo at Paul's house' joke came from? I assume this must be a tour in-joke, and Radcliffe seemed intent on shouting this loudly and often at the amusement of the band and crowd. 'Paul' of course is Eden's Curse founder Paul Logue (bass guitar/vocals) who led his band through a great set on what has seemed to be a very successful UK tour. There was not a bad song played all evening, with Unconditional from the new album seeing Mijić duetting with a lady called Helen Hurd who had a powerful voice to match the material given to her. Jericho, which is one of my favourites from the new album, came across really well live, with the powerful chorus really hitting home live. The main set came to an end with Unbreakable and Evil & Divine, both from the last album, and the crowd were baying for more as the band left the stage. It was not long before the band were back however, with the progressive metal of Symphony of Sin getting things back underway, before the party really stepped up a gear. A cover of AC/DC's Highway to Hell was played, with members of COP UK and Evolve joining the band on stage for a great ensemble performance. COP UK's Kev Tonge took over from Clelland on the drums towards the end, which allowed Clelland to come to the front of the stage and throw his drumsticks into the crowd. I caught one, something which I have not done for ages! With the madness of this stage invasion over, there was time for the band's classic track Angels & Demons to get an airing which ensured the show ended on a really strong note. Hurd again duetted with Mijić, and the whole band rocked to the very end. The setlist was:

Prophets of Doom
Masquerade Ball
Black Widow
The Great Pretender
Fly Away
Find My Way
Break the Silence
Unconditional [w/ Helen Hurd]
No Holy Man
Judgement Day
Jericho
Sell Your Soul
Unbreakable
Evil & Divine
-
Symphony of Sin
Highway to Hell [AC/DC cover w/ members of COP UK and Evolve]
Angels & Demons [w/ Helen Hurd]

Overall, this was a stunning gig from a band that more people really need to hear. Nothing beats a great show in a small venue where you can get right to the front with ease and where the atmosphere is as good as it was at this show. The band came out to the merchandise desk as soon as they left the stage too, so I got my copy of Cardinal signed which was a great bonus to the evening. This was one of the best small gigs I have been to in a good while, and it is shows like this that remind me why I often travel many miles to see bands play live.

Alter Bridge - Nottingham Review

As far as modern hard rock goes, there is no bigger band out there at the moment it seems than Alter Bridge. They are a band that has well and truly put the effort in, with lots of touring throughout their career, and they have released a solid discography to back this up. The band's fifth album, The Last Hero, which was released last month seems to be a culmination of everything the band have done up until this point. The more upbeat rock anthems of their early days and their darker modern material have been fused together well, to create a complete and interesting hard rock album. I first saw the band back in 2010 at the Hammersmith Apollo when they were on tour supporting AB III. Since then, the band have become an arena-filling act, and this current UK run is their third arena tour of the UK. I last saw the band in 2013, also in Nottingham, supporting the Fortress album. The Motorpoint Arena, or Capital FM Arena as it was then, was pretty full with a good few thousand people in attendance. I would say that the crowd was even bigger this time, with very few of the sections of seating curtained off, and the crowd on the floor was plentiful. It is great that a band like Alter Bridge can become an arena-filling these days, and goes against the commonly-held view in the mainstream that rock is dead. As with the vast majority of arena tours these days, Alter Bridge topped a rather extensive bill. The variety of acts on display was good, and it is the diversity of bills like this that help get people through the door.

Opening up the show was New Zealand's Like a Storm, a band who's music mostly fitted into the tried and tested post-grunge formula. They were only on stage for about half an hour, but they managed to impress me with an energetic show, despite their music being fairly generic. The songwriting was tight however, with plenty of strong vocal melodies throughout for frontman Chris Brooks to belt out for the growing crowd to enjoy. While most of the set was guitar-based, some sections of the songs used a didgeridoo which helped to showcase the band's cultural heritage and add a different vibe to a well-established rock sound. The tribal instrument added a certain dark, rumbling atmosphere to some of the songs and helped the band to stand out from the crowd. A weak and unnecessary cover of AC/DC's TNT was the low-point of the set, with their own original material sounding much more inspired and energetic. Overall, Like a Storm went down well and I imagine we will be hearing more from them in the future.

The French progressive death metal band Gojira have been on my radar for nearly ten years now, as I first saw them supporting Trivium back in 2007. They are a band I have never really got into though, as I struggle with the whole 'tech metal' scene and have always failed to find much melody in their music. I own a couple of their albums, and caught a few songs of their set at Bloodstock earlier in the year, but for various reasons the band has just never struck a chord. Things might be about to change however, as this short support set in Nottingham was fantastic! It helped that the sound for their set was pretty much perfect, with the instruments all standing out perfectly, along with Joe Duplantier's (vocals/guitar) voice. This time the band's immense riffs really stood out, as did Mario Duplantier's drumming. Bands like this need to have a great live sound, and I think that really helped me to enjoy their set. There seemed to be lots of Gojira fans in the crowd too, with lots of t-shirts around and plenty of people near me seemed to know their songs. This is clearly another band that is on the rise, and are here to stay in a big way. They really stuck out like a sore thumb on this bill however, and I wonder how Alter Bridge's more conservative fans found them? I shall have to dig out the albums of theirs that I own and listen to them again, as I might be finally starting to 'get' Gojira.

Volbeat on the other hand were fairly dull. They seem to be quite a big band these days, but I have to say that I really do not get the hype. Bills like this are a good opportunity to see bands that you would not go and see otherwise, and I went into Volbeat's set with an open mind and hoped to be impressed. While I think some of the band's riffing is excellent, I find Michael Poulsen's (vocals/guitar) voice to be quite weak and his vocal melodies very unmemorable. Their songs never seem to really amount to anything, with choruses that just do not pack a punch and very little true energy despite quite a few faster songs. They were on stage for about an hour too, so by the end of their set things were starting to drag quite a lot. I must be in a minority however, as there were plenty of people around me enjoying their set and singing along with passion. Volbeat are just not for me it would appear.

When the lights went down for Alter Bridge's set, the venue erupted. Arena shows are always great for big crowd reactions, and there was plenty of that throughout Alter Bridge's 90 minute plus show. Opening with The Writing on the Wall from the new album worked well, as it has a great sing-a-long chorus that was the first of many throughout the evening. Despite this being the The Last Hero tour, all of the band's five albums were well-represented throughout, although I am surprised that not more from the new album were played. It is hard to to argue with the choice of songs played however, as chorus after chorus and riff after riff filled the large Nottingham venue. The only song that I felt failed to excite was the clunky Farther Than the Sun, which has never been a favourite of mine. Addicted to Pain and Ghosts of Days Gone By soon erased all memories of that song away however, before the heavy Island of Fools from the new album saw quite a lot of headbanging. Alter Bridge are a very professional band, with little time in their set for crowd interaction. Myles Kennedy (vocals/guitar) took a few opportunities to talk, but they mostly let the quality of the songs fuel their performance. Guitarist Mark Tremonti stepped up to the microphone to sing the excellent Waters Rising, which also features a great guitar solo from him. I felt a bit sorry for Tremonti throughout the set however, as many of the songs chosen were ones that Kennedy takes the solo in. It did feel strange seeing one of the best modern rock guitarists relegated to a glorified rhythm player for large chunks of the set, but when he did solo he really let rip! Crows on a Wire, one of the best songs from the new album, went down really well; before Kennedy's acoustic rendition of the ballad Watch Over You saw the biggest crowd sing-a-long of the night. This generation's Free Bird, Blackbird, also really impressed with the two guitarists both having ample chance to solo. This is probably the band's defining song, and it is always a joy to hear it live. A couple of old-school songs from the band's debut album finished things off, with Open Your Eyes proving to be a strong closing statement. There was time for more of course, and the anthemic Show me a Leader from the new album went down a storm. Predictably, Rise Today was the closing number and gave everyone a last opportunity to sing and jump along with Alter Bridge. The set ended on a high, and the large crowd sounded their appreciation as the band left the stage. The setlist was:

The Writing on the Wall
Come to Life
Farther Than the Sun
Addicted to Pain
Ghosts of Days Gone By
Cry of Achilles
Island of Fools
Ties That Bind
Waters Rising
Crows on a Wire
Watch Over You
Isolation
Blackbird
Metalingus
Open Your Eyes
-
Show me a Leader
Rise Today

Overall, this was a masterful display of stadium rock from one of the modern masters of the genre. Alter Bridge continue to go from strength to strength and have the potential to become real legends of the genre. They are the classic rock band of the future, and performances like this will only help to cement this status.

Eden's Curse's 'Cardinal' - Album Review

I was pretty late to the party when it comes to Eden's Curse. It was not until around 2014 that I got into the UK-based multinational band, despite being familiar with their name for a while. The band's fourth album Symphony of Sin had been released the previous year and had heralded a new dawn for the band. The band's namesake and frontman Michael Eden left the band in 2011 after the release of the excellent Trinity album and, despite a brief flirtation with Italian singer Marco Sandron which produced the Time to Breathe single, was eventually replaced in 2013 by Serbian Nikola Mijić. Mijić made his debut with Eden's Curse on Symphony of Sin, which was less heavy than the band's previous three albums and showed more of an 1980s melodic rock/AOR influence than before. Founding members guitarist Thorsten Koehne, bassist Paul Logue, and drummer Pete Newdeck - along with newcomers Mijić and keyboardist Steve Williams - found Symphony of Sin to be a hit with the band's fanbase, and the excellent UK tour in 2014 featured a lot of it in the setlists. Eden's Curse have always been a hard band to classify. They almost perfectly straddle the line between hard rock and heavy metal without clearly being either. They are a big melting pot of influences, with elements of classic rock, AOR, power metal, and even sometimes progressive metal all thrown together to create a classy and melodic songs. Melodies are always key with Eden's Curse, with the vocals always taking prominence, and instrumental showboating kept to a minimum. That being said, Koehne always has plenty of opportunities to solo but his playing is always for the song and never outstays it's welcome. Three years on from Symphony of Sin the band have released their fifth album. Cardinal. The AOR elements that dominated Symphony of Sin remain, but combined more with some of the heavier elements the band was originally known for. As seem to be customary for the band now, this album sees some line-up changes. Newdeck left the band not long after the release of Symphony of Sin and was replaced by John Clelland (Code of Silence). He makes his debut on an Eden's Curse studio album (although his playing can be heard on the live album Live with the Curse which was recorded in 2014) along with new keyboardist Christian 'Chrism' Pulkkinen (Epicrenel; Adamantra; Simulacrum) who replaced Williams earlier this year when the latter left the band to resurrect his power metal band Power Quest (who released an EP called Face the Raven earlier this year). Both of the band's new recruits add to the band's overall sound, with Chrism standing out the most with plenty of fluid keyboard solos throughout. The keyboards generally seem much more prominent, with more noticeable leads and solos than on any other Eden's Curse album. Despite leaving the band, Newdeck, who has a great songwriting chemistry with Logue, has co-written the vast majority of the songs here as well as providing some backing vocals. This ensures that the band's core songwriting team has remained on board which means the high quality of the material here is ensured.

While Symphony of Sin opened with a lengthy piece showing the band's slightly progressive side, Cardinal opens with the power metal of Prophets of Doom, which is more reminiscent of how the band's older albums began. Koehne's tight guitar riff drives the song, while new drummer Clelland immediately makes his mark with some double bass drumming to match. Fans of the band's older sound will love this, with Mijić adding a little more bite to his vocals which make him sound a little more similar to his predecessor. Mijić sounds fantastic throughout this album, and has grown more into his role since last time. His showcases more range here, and this song is a perfect example of that with a lower register employed during the crunchy verses, before letting rip in the chorus in a call-and-response style with the choral backing vocals. Those who enjoyed the overall lighter tone of Symphony of Sin will enjoy Sell Your Soul, which has a video that can be seen below. The upbeat AOR vibe of the song is ridiculously infectious, with a bouncy guitar/keyboard riff that continues to resurface throughout, and prominent keyboards throughout providing pomp flourishes. The song's chorus is the first real sing-a-long moment of the album. A tougher mid-section provides some weight, before an instrumental workout ensues that sees Koehne and Chrism trading solo sections perfectly. The two already have a great chemisty, and the latter proves to be a great foil for the founding guitarist. With a sledgehammer of a main riff that would not have been out of place on a late-era Dio album, The Great Pretender packs a real punch as it moves along at a solid pace. Logue's bass is nice and high in the mix here, and really helps to anchor the main riff, as Chrism's main keyboard riff dances over the top (think Rainbow in the Dark but less cheesy - the Dio comparisons continue!). Another great chorus dominates the song, with Mijić's expressive vocals really shining here. This is a song that perfectly mixes the band's heavier early sound with the more overtly melodic path forged on Symphony of Sin, and shows that this mix of styles really benefits the band's sound overall. Those who want something a little heavier need look no further than Messiah Complex, which has a fast, modern Helloween sound with a slightly thrashier riff and plenty of double bass drumming. The tight verses are excellent, with Mijić's vocals (on a song he has co-written) having some real venom to them. As is with most Eden's Curse songs however, the chorus still manages to soar, with a tinkling keyboard riff that works as a great contrast to the darker guitars. The mid-song solo section is one of the album's best too, with Koehne and Chrism playing off each other perfectly with speedy and flashy lead runs. Find my Way is much more keyboard-dominated, with lots of electronics in the song's intro, before piano takes over for the verses. The song is a bit of a power ballad, but some sections of heavier riffing stop it from becoming too twee. The chorus is very theatrical, with a hint of Tobias Sammet's writing style for Avantasia, with lots of backing vocals and a good helping of melodrama. It provides a good contrast to the heavier material that has come before it, and shows a different side of the band's writing. Kingdom of Solitude is a song that definitely shows the band's love of all things Dream Theater. The riffing here is very technical, and the mix of sections that are pasted together works really well. Chrism's keyboards have plenty of chances to shine here too, with lots of stand-out riffs. This is easily the most progressive song on the album, and it packs a lot into a short space of time. While Chrism owns the main parts of the song with his glue-like keyboard playing, Koehne solos alone this time which gives him more chance to breath and stretch his wings with lots of excellent licks.

Co-written by ex-keyboardist Williams, it is unsurprising that Utopian Dreams is extremely keyboard heavy. Chrism takes this in his stride, and nails the opening riff with ease and provides a synthy halo for the rest of the song. Comparisons can be drawn to Power Quest's melodic style, Williams' songwriting style is quite recognisable, but the song has more of a grounding in hard rock than that band. The chorus is fantastic as always, with Mijić's vocals really standing out and proving what a find he was for Eden's Curse. Those who want a bit of a throwback to Symphony of Sin will love This is Our Moment. It is much lighter in tone than much of the material here, with a bouncy main riff and a subtle symphonic keyboard backing which adds real depth. It is certainly one of the album's least interesting songs however, with a chorus that never really gets going and fewer standout melodies. That being said, Chrism's lengthy keyboard solo is excellent and shows what an asset keyboards can be to rock and metal bands. Even many bands who use keyboards quite liberally rarely allow their keyboardist to solo, and this is something I would like to see more of in the genre. Rome's on Fire restores the album's quality with a great heavier song with a crunchy riff and some excellent drumming. Koehne really owns this song however, with lots of short bursts of shredding lead guitar throughout, and a fantastic little verse lick that really makes this part of the song stand out. Not to be outdone, Chrism performs something similar during the choruses which creates a link between the two parts of the song perfectly. Koehne shreds during the short solo too, with a great neo-classical theme throughout. Unconditional, which features the angelic voice of Liv Kristine (Theatre of Tragedy; Leaves' Eyes) duetting with Mijić, is the album's true ballad. Kristine's voice is so distinctive, and she joins the impressive list of vocalists to guest on an Eden's Curse album. The two voices compliment each other perfectly, and the call-and-response style brings out the best in each of them without one person dominating. Kristine tends to take centre stage in the song's chorus though, and lets her shimmering vocals just wash over the listener. Koehne's spacey guitar solo has something of John Sykes' on Whitesnake's Still of the Night about it, which fits perfectly for this more atmospheric song. Two heavier songs bring the album to a close, with Saints & Sinners up first. The lightning-fast keyboard intro again has a strong power metal vibe, but the song overall is much tougher than that with a crunching guitar line that dominates the verses, and this mood carries on throughout. Clelland's drumming is pretty heavy here too, and little bursts of double bass drumming really propel the song along. The chorus is strong too, with a great use of backing vocals to create a big sound. The album's closing number Jericho is great, and sounds a bit different to everything else on the album with a bigger symphonic feeling with orchestral keyboards throughout that overshadow everything else. Mijić's voice is smooth here, which shows another side to his singing, and the dramatic chorus is boosted by the soaring vocal ending. Overall, Cardinal is an album that showcases everything that has made Eden's Curse great in the past packaged into one album. It is probably the band's most consistent work so far, and contains some truly excellent songs. This is a band that deserves to be heard by more people, so anyone who is into good quality melodic hard rock and metal need to give this quintet a go.

The album was released on 14th October 2016 via AFM Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Sell Your Soul.

Opeth - London Review

Sometimes something that is initially a disappointment can turn out to be for the best. The doomed Glenn Hughes/Living Colour co-headline tour is one of those things. I had booked to catch that tour in Cambridge, and then when it was cancelled under a cloud of accusations and bad blood I was scrabbling around to try not to waste my planned weekend away. I then remembered that Opeth were playing a one-off UK show at London's prestigious Wembley Arena on the same day, and I was delighted to find some cheap tickets still available. I could use the train tickets to Cambridge that I had already booked, as they went via London anyway, so all I needed to do was book some accommodation. This was not too difficult, and I found myself in my semi-regular haunt of Cricklewood in North London which is quite close to Wembley. While I had seen Opeth live a couple of times in the past, both of these shows had been at Festivals. Their sets at High Voltage in 2010 and Bloodstock in 2015 were great, but only ever really tasters of what a real Opeth show would be like. The band are currently out promoting their twelfth studio album Sorceress, but this London show promised to be more special than your average Opeth show. Four gigs on this tour, with London being one of them, are dubbed An Evening of Sorcery, Damnation and Deliverance which sees the band perform a career-spanning setlist that clocks in at the best part of two and a half hours. An added bonus at this London show was the addition of special guests Anathema to open the show. It was exactly two weeks to the day that I saw the band play a small Cardiff venue and play one of the gigs of the year so far. Anathema were just as much of a draw for me as Opeth, and the combination of the two bands made it more than worth the ticket price. A band of Opeth's stature can not sell out the full-sized Wembley Arena, so a temporary stage was constructed about two-thirds of the way back, which gave the impression of a Roman amphitheatre, with seating tightly packed around three of the sides and a smaller floor space for standing. Despite this strange arrangement, there were still a good few thousand people in attendance, and the crowd was vocal throughout creating a good atmosphere.

Hot off the back of a successful tour previewing some new material, Anathema mostly stuck to crowd favourites for their 50 minute special guest slot. A doomy, apocalyptic intro tape heralded their arrival and they immediately launched into Thin Air as Daniel Cavanagh's (guitar/keyboards/vocals) chiming guitar intro brought a decent-sized cheer from the crowd. There were clearly quite a few Anathema fans in attendance, and they were well-received throughout. The spine-tingling Untouchable - Part 1 followed, with Vincent Cavanagh (vocals/guitar/percussion) and Lee Douglas (vocals) teaming up well to sing one of the band's best songs. Unfortunately Untouchable - Part 2 was not played which felt a bit strange, and it was as if you were only hearing half of the song! There was little time for chatting, and the band rattled through seven songs with little pausing for breath. One that really stood out this time around was Distant Satellites which has a great electronica vibe and some fantastically moody vocals from Vincent and Lee. The ending section is fantastic live, with Vincent, John Douglas (drums/percussion) and Daniel Cardoso (keyboards/drums) all pounding away on floor toms while Daniel's dark piano line swirls around. This is one of the few moments that benefits from having original drummer John as a stand-alone percussionist on a lot of the songs now. I must say, I am not 100% sure why the band want to sacrifice having a full-time keyboardist (as Cardoso was) to have John mostly focus on percussion. Daniel and Cardoso (and Vincent, but not at this show) still play keyboards on certain songs, with John sometimes taking up his old drumming job again, but there are moments in the set that rely on obvious pre-recorded keyboards (the end of A Simple Mistake for example). I am not sure the percussion adds that much to the band's live sound, and I would rather have a full-time keyboardist instead. That little oddity aside, which I have mused over for a while, Anathema are a fantastic live band. The ending section was easily the best, as Lee's showcase number A Natural Disaster saw the whole venue lit up with mobile phone lights which was beautiful to see. The oldie Fragile Dreams actually saw some headbanging from the metalheads in the crowd, before the stunning new number Springfield finished the evening off. This song was easily the best of the four new songs I saw them play in Cardiff, with the vocal interplay between Vincent and Lee having a perfect haunting quality, and I predict this will be a future classic for the band. The setlist was:

Thin Air
Untouchable - Part 1
A Simple Mistake
Distant Satellites
A Natural Disaster
Fragile Dreams
Springfield

While Opeth will never be a particular favourite band of mine, they are a band I continue to be impressed by and admire. They are a band I have to be in the mood for, but as I have been enjoying Sorceress quite a bit recently, this show came at the right time. I have always wanted to catch them at their own show, and this mammoth outing was certainly an impressive experience. While the sound for Anathema was not perfect, it was crystal clear for Opeth and that allowed the band's trademark dynamics to shine. The jazz/rock/prog fusion Sorceress got everything off to a great start, with Joakim Svalberg's (keyboards/percussion/vocals) keyboard intro blowing everyone away. The first half of the show (the Sorcery aspect) was a bit of an Opeth 'best of'. Favourites from throughout their career were played, with the heavy Ghost of Perdition getting a huge reaction from the large crowd. The set was probably a Opeth die-hard's wet dream, with a good mix of the heavier and lighter material throughout. I was surprised that only two songs from Sorceress, the title track and the excellent The Wilde Flowers, were played however as it is easily the most well-received album for some time. That being said, the material played was so strong that is seems like a pointless complaint. Mikael Åkerfeldt (vocals/guitar) was in fine form throughout, his dry sense of humour shining through, and his vocals powered over the heavy instrumentation. His harsh vocals are still as good as anyone else's despite them featuring less and less these days, and his gorgeous clean vocals make the lighter, more progressive songs shine. The dark Face of Melinda was one of those, which is heavy in spirit but light musically. The gloomy guitar interplay between Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson (guitar/vocals) really brought the song to life, and it was one of the highlights of the first part of the set for me. Another highlight was Heir Apparent from 2008's Watershed, which is probably my favourite Opeth album. The song is crushingly heavy, but also features lots of the band's best progressive arrangements, with Martin Axenrot (drums) holding everything together with his fantastic drumming display. The best of set finished with The Grand Conjuration, another crowd favourite, which ensured this portion of the set finished on a high. By this point, the band had been on stage for 90 minutes, which is about the average length of a normal headline show for most bands! After a minute or so off stage while some doomy music played over the speakers, Opeth came back and played for another hour. All the songs in this second part of the set were taken from the Damnation and Deliverance albums, and allowed for some rarely played songs to get an airing. 'Side 1' of Damnation was up first. Only Windowpane of these songs is a set regular, but it was the fantastic In My Time of Need that was the highlight here. This is one Opeth song that is a true earworm, and a great display of melodic songwriting in a set filled with lengthy prog epics. Three heavy numbers from Deliverance brought the show to a close. By the Pain I See in Others was played live for only the third time, and then the album's crushingly heavy title track brought an excellent show to a close. The setlist was:

Sorceress
Ghost of Perdition
Demon of the Fall
The Wilde Flowers
Face of Melinda
Cusp of Eternity
The Drapery Falls
Heir Apparent
The Grand Conjuration
Windowpane
Death Whispered a Lullaby
In My Time of Need
Closure
Master's Apprentices
By the Pain I See in Others
Deliverance

Overall, this was a masterful display of live music from one of the best modern prog bands out there. While I do not claim to be a huge fan of everything Opeth have released, or even a particularly regular listener to their albums, I enjoyed this show a lot. There is no band out there that is quite like Opeth, and they are deserving to be held in the high regard that they are.

Tyketto's 'Reach' - Album Review

As far as American AOR goes, Tyketto are a bit of a cult band. They were formed in 1987, and their debut album Don't Come Easy was released in 1990, so they missed the boat somewhat. The 1980s was a time where melodic music dominated the rock and metal worlds. Hair metal and AOR ruled the waves, and there were plenty of bands coming out towards the end of the decade, or in the early part of the 1990s, who would have been bigger and more successful if they had been around a few years earlier. Tyketto are one of those bands, and the big backlash against 1980s music with the grunge movement certainly scuppered any change they had for success. Their record label at the time, Geffen, would not release their second album (no loyalty in the music industry, just an attempt to stay 'on trend') and it was eventually released in 1994 as Strength in Numbers via another label. Frontman Danny Vaughn left the band the following year, and Tyketto eventually came to an end in 1996. Various reunions happened throughout the early 2000s, but it was not until 2008 that Tyketto was back together properly as a touring unit. By 2012, when all four of the band's original members were back in tow, it was time for new music. The band's fourth album, Dig in Deep, was released in that year, and it felt like no time had passed since Strength in Numbers (the band's third album, 1995's Shine that featured future Journey frontman Steve Augeri, had a bluesier, rawer sound). Vaughn's voice had not changed at all, and the band's melodic hard rock sound sounded as fresh as ever. The band has been on tour fairly regularly ever since and are probably as popular as they ever have been. Four years on from Dig in Deep, the world is ready for another Tyketto album. Reach has been in the work for a while, and sees Tyketto sounding as good as ever. The band has been in transition somewhat over the past few years, with guitarist Chris Green (Furyon; Pride) replacing original member Brooke St. James in 2014. Bassist Chris Childs (Thunder; The Union) filled in for Jimi Kennedy for a few shows when the latter had some family problems to deal with, and has since become a permanent member of the band. He plays with Vaughn in an Eagles tribute band too, so there is existing chemistry between the two. Keyboardist Ged Rylands (Ten) who, despite having played live with the band for a few years, makes his debut on a Tyketto recording too, and therefore marks the band's recorded debut as a five-piece. Green, Childs, and Rylands join Vaughn and founding drummer Michael Clayton in what could be the most explosive Tyketto line-up yet. Green in particular has been a revelation since joining the band two years ago, and has already formed a productive songwriting team with Vaughn and Clayton. Tyketto have not taken any big risks with this album, but the strong production and catchy songwriting makes this another excellent entry in their discography.

The album opens in a flurry of keyboards as the anthemic title track gets underway. Green makes his mark instantly with a soaring guitar lead, that has more than a hint of John Petrucci's phrasing about it, and plenty of bluesy bursts throughout. This song is all about Vaughn however, and is driven by his strong vocal melodies. His voice does not sound aged at all, and his very slight country twang, that brings to mind the late Glenn Frey at times, is infectious. His acoustic guitar playing helps to bulk out many of the songs on this album too, and Reach emphasises this during the verses, while Green plays more a supporting role with subtle leads. The chorus is simple, but the strong vocal harmonies help to make it stand out while Vaughn's heartfelt lyrics and performance dominates. The song is classic Tyketto, and shows the new line-up has already bedded in well together. Big Money is more in-your-face, with a great bouncy guitar riff that sits above a great groove laid down by the rhythm section. The verses are bass-heavy, with Childs' bassline ringing out strongly, before the strident chorus comes in with more than a hint of hair metal. It sounds like something Mötley Crüe might have come up with for one of their more melodic albums. This is exemplified with a slightly sleazy guitar riff and some well-placed gang vocals which really help the song to hit home. Kick Like a Mule is another rawer piece of rock 'n' roll, that opens with a rolling drum beat and a strong riff to match. Again the verses have very dominant basslines, but it is Clayton's drums that really drive the song. They are high in the mix, and the variation in beats and styles help to keep the song interesting. The song's solo is also very explosive, and shows what Green brings to the band. He is more of a shredder than St. James ever was, and brings some fresh energy to these more rocky numbers. After a couple of harder rock numbers, Circle the Wagons comes along and calms everything down. The song is a classy power ballad, with layers of retro keyboard sounds, plenty of Vaughn's acoustic guitar, and some great understated lead guitar playing. The chorus is easily the best of the album's so far, with Vaughn's melodies really standing out as Rylands creates an almost orchestral backing with is keyboards. There is a strong instrumental section part-way through too, which starts off as a slow guitar solo, before Rylands takes over with some retro organ fills, before Green completes things with another solo that speeds up to a fast crescendo. Those who want something akin to the band's debut album need to look no further than I Need it Now, which has a fantastic soaring guitar opening before a hard rocking verse kicks in with a great riff and a confident vocal performance. Childs plays excellent throughout, with lots of cheeky bass leads that cut through occasionally and provide a great contrast to Green's guitar playing. The chorus is also very catchy, with Vaughn sounding grittier than usual, with plenty of harmony vocals to back him up. Even the piano-led bridge section with the gospel-like backing vocals has some bite to it, and helps the song to become one of the album's most memorable. Tearing Down the Sky has a bit of a Sammy Hagar-era Van Halen vibe throughout, with some excellent guitar riffing and plenty of explosive leads. The verses are a bit calmer, with chiming rhythm guitars, but the choruses are strong with expressive vocals and excellent riffs. The song's guitar solo is fantastic too, with virtuoso guitar playing.  

Letting Go is another strong ballad, dominated by Vaughn's beautiful singing and acoustic guitar playing. AOR and melodic rock bands are usually known for writing a lot of ballads, and Tyketto have always written good ones. Vaughn's time with his Eagles tribute band has probably helped him hone his ballad-singing skills, and they show here with an excellent vocal performance throughout. There is little other instrumentation here, although Green does add a few distorted guitar chords occasionally to add a bit of atmosphere, and he also plays an emotional solo backed only by the acoustic guitar chords. The final chorus sees the whole band join in however, which helps the song to end strongly and provides a great contrast to the more mellow first part. With a slightly sleazy, bluesy hard rock riff, that sounds a bit like Buckcherry, The Fastest Man Alive is packed full of energy. It is not a particularly fast song, but the groove created by the song's riff is infectious and the chorus is one that is made to be heard. The verses are great too, with some heavy country-esque guitar patterns underpinned by a great bassline. This is one of my favourite songs on the album because of the strong 1980s hard rock vibe throughout, and the great neo-classic shredded solo. You cannot help but sing along with the chorus too, and this is sure to be an earworm for many who hear this album. Despite opening with a slightly dark-sounding clean guitar melody, Remember My Name is another strong upbeat piece of hard rock. The song has a bit more of a modern vibe this time however, with more bullish guitar riffing and less of a 'sheen' on the chorus. The way the opening darker guitar section keeps getting repeated helps to reinforce that more modern vibe throughout, and definitely makes the song stand out from the rest. The darker sounds actually suits Tyketto quite well, and shows a bit of a different side to the band's songwriting. Sparks Will Fly actually sounds like it would have fitted perfectly on Strength in Numbers back in 1994. That album had a tougher overall sound than Don't Come Easy, and this song is extremely guitar-focused with some excellent riffing from Green and less of Rylands' keyboard layers. That being said, the chorus is still a melodic feast with plenty of vocal harmonies and Vaughn's acoustic guitar chords cutting through the mix for extra warmth. Some of Green's best riffing on this album are found in this song, and he has already cemented himself as a vital member of the band. Scream is the album's final ballad, and is a showcase for Rylands' playing. Keyboards have never been a big part of Tyketto's music, usually providing a background supporting role, but here they dominate. His big piano melodies form the song's backbone, and are the perfect backing for Vaughn's vocals. The rest of the band do help out on the choruses, which help to bulk them out, but Rylands' playing is still the focus. Only an excellent guitar solo can change the listener's focus! The final song The Run that mixes acoustic sections with harder rock to create a great closing number. The song is constantly upbeat, from Vaughn's aggressive acoustic guitar playing early on, to Green's chunky power chord riffing later on. Like the album's opening song, The Run is classic Tyketto and contains everything that makes the band so great and ends the album on a high. Overall, Reach is a great album from one of the most underrated bands in the melodic rock world. There are no real weak links on here, with each song having something memorable about it.

The album was released on 14th October 2016 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Reach.

Alter Bridge's 'The Last Hero' - Album Review

I do not think it is exaggerating to say that, at least over here in Europe, that Alter Bridge are one of the biggest rock bands around at the moment. While in their native America the band are still slogging it out on the modest sized club/theatre circuit, over here they can fill arenas. That fact that a band like Alter Bridge can get so big proves that rock is alive and well in the modern world, and it could be argued that they are my generation's Led Zeppelin. What makes their super-stardom a surprise is that they are in no way a watered down hard rock act for the masses. Their music is dark, often heavy, and often progressive; and some of their material can be subtly quite challenging. There is always a lot going on, and they have come a long way since their post-grunge roots since forming in 2004. Since wrapping up the touring cycle for their fourth album, the dark and mammoth Fortress (which I reviewed here), in 2014 Alter Bridge had been fairly quiet. Both of the band's heavy hitters, vocalist and guitarist Myles Kennedy and guitarist Mark Tremonti, took the opportunity to record with side-projects and tour fairly extensively outside of the Alter Bridge machine. Kennedy's work with Slash has made him a household name in the classic rock world, and Tremonti's solo project has explored the heavier side of his songwriting and gained him a lot more kudos in the world of metal. Another Alter Bridge album was always on the cards however, and at the beginning of this year the band went into the studio to record their fifth album The Last Hero. In a surprise move, the band decided to release this new album via the independent Austrian label Napalm Records, instead of the bigger Roadrunner Records which the band has been associated with for a number of years. Roadrunner have lost both Alter Bridge and Opeth recently, two of the biggest rock/metal acts around currently, which makes you wonder why these bands have looked elsewhere. This album will be a big payday for Napalm however, who are more used to dealing with smaller European metal acts, as The Last Hero has, as predicted, been a big seller. It reached Number 3 on the UK album charts, which is a fantastic achievement for a band of Alter Bridge's persuasion. Sound-wise, The Last Hero could be described as a bit of a cross between Fortress and 2007's fan-favourite Blackbird, but in truth this new album definitely feels like a culmination of everything the band have done up to this point. The majority of the songs here are pretty anthemic, with stadium-sized choruses which definitely draws comparisons to Blackbird. The darker, more progressive elements introduced on Fortress, and to a less extent 2010's AB III, are still present however, but are more subtly mixed in with the strong melodies and the concise songwriting style. Production-wise, the album sounds good, although it is a little harsh at times. Long-time producer Michael 'Elvis' Baskette once again sat in the producer's chair and created a loud, modern, and in-your-face hard rock album - although maybe a little too loud at times as some of the nuances are often buried in the fat walls of guitar.

Despite the chiming clean guitar intro, the album opener Show me a Leader starts things off in a heavy fashion. A crunching riff and some tremolo-picked guitar leads herald the arrival of the song proper, before the band launch into a soaring guitar solo and a fast-paced verse. The verse is fairly typical fare for the band, and fans will be familiar with the style. Kennedy's vocals sound as great as ever, and his direct approach to the melodies adds to the overall urgency of the piece. The chorus is simple, and not up to the band's usual anthemic standards. This fits the vibe well however, and sees Kennedy unleash some pretty high notes and some catchy wordless vocals. There is a blistering guitar solo partway through that really gets the blood pumping. Unfortunately the album's booklet does not tell you who performs each solo, but the song's video confirms that this particular one is Tremonti's handiwork. While not the soaring Alter Bridge anthem that many fans might have expected as an album opener, this song provides a different purpose and is gives the album a real kick into action. The Writing on the Wall maintains the same heavy feel as the previous number but packaged into a more openly accessible format. The riffing is toned down somewhat, and the focus is on Kennedy's vocals. The chorus is more what you would expect from an Alter Bridge song. Kennedy delivers once again, and the vocal melodies are extremely memorable. Songs of this nature were all over AB III which was definitely the band's transition album into the heavier territory they now occupy. After two faster songs, The Other Side comes in with some doomy clean guitar notes and sledgehammer riffing that grinds along at a much slower pace. Arguably the heaviest song on the album yet, it shows that Alter Bridge are happy to be a metal band as well as a hard rock one. That being said, the song is still pretty memorable with a strong chorus and riffs that stick in your head. There are lots of spacey guitar effects used in the choruses too, which adds a slightly chaotic feel. My Champion is the album's most obvious 'single' choice, and definitely harks back to the Blackbird era in terms of accessibility. While the band are darker and heavier now, they can still throw together a catchy anthem, and this is sure to become a live favourite for years to come. The playful opening guitar riff is excellent, and the laid back verses see Kennedy taking it easy with the vocals, not pushing himself as he has done so far on the album. The chorus is easily the album's most instant, with some of the catchiest melodies yet and a heartfelt delivery from Kennedy. The feel-good, self-help lyrics that characterised the band's early work return too, and this really feels like a throwback to simpler times for Alter Bridge. Poison in Your Veins brings things crashing back down to earth however, with a dark main riff and a bass-heavy verse which showcases Brian Marshall's playing. He is often buried in the mix, but the verses here are one of the rare occasions where he stands out a little more. The choruses are very in your face here, with a drum beat that really storms out of your speakers and sees Kennedy's snarl employed to fine effect. Cradle to the Grave, while not a proper ballad, is definitely less heavy than anything else on the album to this point. Clean guitars dominate the verses, with some acoustic guitars even cutting through the mix at times, and it takes on a sombre feel. Things do ramp up during the choruses however, and there is an excellent bridge section with some crazy guitar leads twiddling away under Kennedy's mournful croon. This then explodes into a guitar solo, which is easily the song's best moment.

Losing Patience continues on this mournful vibe, at least initially. A murky verse dominates the early part of the song, but the song slowly, and subtly, grows in stature until it hits the strident chorus. This part of the song has real classic rock swagger to it, with guitar leads to back up Kennedy's vocals and a fantastic overall attitude. A slightly proggy breakdown also stands out, with a chugging riff and a flashy guitar lead playing off each other in a call-and-response style. It is one of the few parts on the album where the drums are well-defined too. Scott Phillips is often the victim of the album's loud production, and his playing is less clear than on the band's previous works. Here though his double bass drumming is clear, and just makes me wish he was clear throughout! This Side of Fate has the feeling of a mini-epic about it, with acoustic-led verses and slightly symphonic choruses mixing well together create a dynamic song that makes a strong impression. There is lots of bluesy guitar playing throughout too, presumably from Tremonti, which adds a little touch of class. I like the use of subtle string elements to the song too, something which again is often buried on this album. It stands out here however, and improves the song. You Will be Remembered is the album's only real true ballad, and is as heartfelt as the band's previous efforts. While more 'rock' than previous ballads, song is still a great lighters-in-the-air moment. Kennedy has always been great at delivery ballads. While his lyrics, and his delivery, can sometimes be a little on the earnest side, you can tell that he always means it. He sings from the heart, and that is what makes this type of songs work well. After two song that have had lighter elements, Crows on a Wire is another great in-your-face rocker. This is one of my favourite songs on the album, and contains all of the band's best traits in a condensed package. The song is based around a strong chorus, which has some strange cold keyboard effects that actually work really well, and a strong vocal from Kennedy. The rest of the song is built of a riff that sounds like something Zakk Wylde would have written for Ozzy Osbourne, and is sure to get heads banging when the band play live. This is the band at their most metal, and is a far cry from their post-grunge origins. The shredded guitar solo and the anthemic middle 8 are also excellent, and are just some of the reasons this song is so good. Twilight is another old-school sounding song, and sounds like a beefier version of some of the songs found on Blackbird. The rolling drums with the cleaner sounding riffs earlier on definitely harks back to that era, and the soaring chorus is extremely simple. The guitar solo here is very expressive too, and a world away from the shred-fests that dominate the rest of the album. If you want a real heads down rocker, than Island of Fools is the song for you. The song's main riff is a real bulldozer, and the energy rarely lets up throughout. The song's chorus is slower, but this actually makes it have more of an effect as the rest of the song is relentless. Faster songs have been written, but the riff just roars out of the speakers to great effect. This is one song that actually benefits from the loud production, and helps it have more of an impact. The album comes to an end with the title track, which is another mini-epic. While it does not have the impact that This Side of Fate had earlier in the album, it has a triumphant feel to it that works well as an album-closer. The natural swing feel in the chorus is great and some of the riffing is up there with the band's best. This a song that definitely feels like a culmination off all of the themes and sounds explored on the album, which makes it a perfect closing number. Overall, The Last Hero is an album that shows that Alter Bridge are here to stay. They are my generation's stadium rock band, and they continue to go from strength to strength.

The album was released on 7th October 2016 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Show me a Leader.