Alter Bridge has sound totally unlike Creed’s
The group’s recent album is very different from its debut.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Starting over.
That’s something the members of Alter Bridge have become quite familiar with over the past few years. At first, former Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti, drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall attempted to move on from the Scott Stapp-led band that dominated the rock charts in the late ’90s.
However, what the outfit — which also includes former Mayfield 4 singer Myles Kennedy — didn’t expect was the idea of having to dream up a new Alter Bridge sound and style so early in its career. We are talking about a band that first got together in 2004 with the release of “One Day Remains.”
“The first record we played a little safer,” said Tremonti, calling from Costa Mesa, Calif. “We wanted it to sound different from our past, but we didn’t want to alienate all of the people who were fans of the style of music we put out. So after we put out the record, the critiques we received were people saying it was ‘Creed Pt. 2.’”
This leads us to the recent release of Alter Bridge’s sophomore effort “Blackbird,” which from top to bottom sounds very different from the group’s debut.
“On the new record, the only thing we had in our minds when we were writing it was to not sound anything like our past,” Tremonti said. “This is the first time I think we’ve done a record where we had some kind of an agenda — to not sound like our past and to push it in a different direction.
“I think the record came out just a little bit more aggressive, and it’s a fun record to play. We’re really happy with it.”
Songs that find Alter Bridge truly spreading its wings include the lead single “Rise Today,” “Ties That Bind” and the nearly eight-minute-long “Blackbird.” Considering the band’s debut was gold in America and triple platinum around the world, and the new disc has so far been well received, these should be good times for Tremonti and Co.
But this is not the case as Tremonti speaks with a chip on his shoulder about the band’s first record label Wind-up Records, which was also home to Creed. It seems as though the label may have had an ulterior motive for signing Alter Bridge.
“I guess we just weren’t the big Creed breadwinner,” Tremonti said. “We had heard rumors though that that’s what they had wanted back. And Alter Bridge was kind of a side project before the next Creed record. So we had to buy out of our contract. It’s one thing to have somebody waste three of your years, but it’s another thing to have to pay for it handsomely.”
Hence the more aggressive sounding “Blackbird,” which Alter Bridge is now supporting on tour. You can see the group’s return to Northeast Ohio on Tuesday at The Wedge in Austintown. Tremonti said though fans attending the show can expect plenty of Alter Bridge tunes and a cover or two (Led Zeppelin and AC/DC often make the cut), there won’t be any “With Arms Wide Open” walks down memory lane. Which brings up the question: When will Tremonti feel comfortable introducing a Creed song or two at an Alter Bridge show?
“Never,” Tremonti said. “Alter Bridge will never play a Creed song. Who knows what happens 15 years from now when somebody makes a ridiculous offer for Creed to go out and do a batch of shows, but that will never happen until Alter Bridge has run its course.”