Review: Alter Bridge - Fortress (2013)

Artist: Alter Bridge

Album: Fortress

Genre: Heavy/Progressive/Alternative Metal

Released: September 2013

Album length: 62:52/12 tracks

Background

Alter Bridge was formed in Florida 2004 after their previous band Creed became inactive. The band consists of Myles Kennedy (vocals), Mark Tremonti (lead guitar), Brian Marshall (bass) and Scott Phillips (drums/percussion). Fortress is Alter Bridge's fourth studio album and received widespread critical acclaim.

The track breakdown

On repeat: Cry of Achilles, Addicted to Pain, Waters Rising

Skip it: Lover, The Uninvited, Peace is Broken

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Cry of Achilles is a song that is about as close to perfect as you can get. This is probably my favourite Alter Bridge song of all time, which is saying something! The intro is amazing and the perfect start to the album.

The dip in the bridge which showcases Kennedy's voice is gorgeous, as is the build up to the incredibly catchy chorus. The solos by Kennedy and Tremonti are delightful and some of my favourite guitar work on this album. The whole of Cry of Achilles is really fun and I love it.

Addicted to Pain has an awesome pounding drumbeat to start, and Kennedy's voice is powerful from the off. The solo is perfect for the song. The lyrics are thought-provoking and a song I really enjoy from the album.

Bleed It Dry has an almost thrash-like intro, which sounds like it would fit quite nicely with Tremonti's solo project. It has some really heavy lyrics which are likely about environmental destruction, and it definitely creates some strong imagery. The solo on this track is absolutely superb.

Lover is my least favourite from Fortress. Again, there's thought-provoking lyrics which are well-written, but the intro in particular doesn't fit the album. It picks up really nicely into some lovely little riffs here and there, and Kennedy's voice brings some serious passion later in the song, but it's too late for me. It's also really repetitive. I wish the intro was different as I'd probably like it much more then.

The Uninvited is another one I'm not a fan of. Tremonti said in an interview that it almost didn't make the album, and I wish it had been switched out for something more interesting. It just doesn't jump out at me. It's not terrible, but it's repetitive and pretty dull.

Peace Is Broken is another one I'm not a fan of. They slapped my three least favourite songs in a row and into the middle of this album it seems! Again, it's not terrible, and there are some good bits, including Tremonti's guitar work, but it's lyrically repetitive, which makes it boring.

See the blood running through our hearts

No different from the blood we've come to hate

When I close my eyes, I dream that we are colourblind

Calm the Fire is awesome. It starts with Kennedy singing so high, before breaking into metal. it takes almost 2 minutes to get properly started, but that's not a complaint. It's really nicely constructed and the riffs in this song are super cool. I love the vocals and lyrics throughout as well; the bridge and chorus are catchy. The solo comes very early in the song, and I wish they'd managed to fit another one in towards the end of the song as it's over 6 minutes long.

Waters Rising is one of my favourites. Tremonti debuts lead vocals on this track and it works perfectly. Kennedy harmonises beautifully. The solo is gorgeous and it's a really good track on the whole. Kennedy and Tremonti separately wrote Bleed It Dry and Waters Rising respectively, and both ended up being about apocalyptic scenarios!

Farther Than the Sun is a great track. It sounds like the heaviest on this album because it's tuned so low, and Kennedy's vocals contrast with the guitar. Tremonti harmonises well. The solo is amazing. I don't listen to this song often enough, so it's definitely going on my playlist.

Cry A River is another hard-hitting track with impressive drumming throughout, Kennedy's powerful, emotional vocals and as usual, incredible guitar. There's nice little riffs and an awesome solo.

All Ends Well is a beautiful track, but one I usually skip as it's a bit of a tearjerker; I think I've managed to listen to it twice in 7 years without at least tearing up. The lyrics are magical and they really tried to create a hopeful, happier song for this album.

In Kennedy's stunning lockdown performance, he explained the song was from his mother's perspective. Lyrics including: "if you believe in nothing else, just keep believing in yourself" were values she instilled in him. As someone who didn't have that kind of background, whilst it's beautiful, it's a hard thing to hear, hence the skips. As usual, the music in this song is gorgeous. Definitely worth a listen.

Fortress can be described with a simple "wow". It's lyrically and vocally depressing, don't get me wrong, but it's worth the journey. The solo is in four parts, with Tremonti and Kennedy alternating, like an awesome guitar battle. I love the way the solo picks up the song and introduces some happiness. Kennedy comes back in with emotional vocals, and it's a real beauty. Definitely worth the listen, even if just for the solos!

In summary

Fortress is a solid album, it's just a shame my three least favourite songs are all together in the middle, as that does jade my overall view of the album. Other than the intro of Lover, those tracks do fit the album well and are fine within a play through of the whole album, but they're not ones I'd choose to listen to individually. I zone out when listening to the album when those songs come on!

There are some real highlights on this album though. Lots of passionate vocals and hard-hitting lyrics about love, betrayal, very real threats to our existence and everything in between. There's superb guitar throughout, as can be expected from Kennedy and Tremonti as extremely talented guitarists. The drumming throughout is excellent too.

I'd totally recommend listening to Cry of Achilles simply because it's amazing, Calm the Fire because it's really well-constructed and Fortress because who doesn't want to listen to a depressing, heartfelt song that's over seven minutes long with a guitar battle in the middle?

Album rating: 7.5/10