Alter Bridge - Pawns & Kings
On October 14, 2022, "Alter Bridge" released "Pawns & Kings", their seventh studio album.
From the very first riff, it is clear that this quartet has returned hungry. The guitars cut deep, the drums drive forward, and Myles Kennedy's voice rises above all that weight without losing the vulnerability that made us fall in love with it in the first place. After the electronic colors of "Walk the Sky", this album restores the direct connection between strings, amplifiers, and the hands playing them. The result is one of the band's most convincing marriages of melodic hard rock, metallic weight, and songwriting willing to venture beyond familiar territory.
In our reviews of "Blackbird" and "Fortress", we followed the way Myles and Mark Tremonti evolved from two gifted musicians into a true creative partnership. Here, their roles have become increasingly difficult to separate. Anyone assuming that the heavy riffs always come from our "Texas Chainsaw" and that Myles handles the softer moments is in for a surprise: both the aggressive opener and the title track grew from Myles' ideas. Part of the band's power comes from their ability to keep surprising one another after so many years together.
The road to this album passed through the enforced pause of the pandemic, which cut short the "Walk the Sky" touring cycle. The band's two main songwriters, however, hardly sat at home waiting. Myles released "The Ides of March", while "Tremonti" delivered "Marching In Time". In our review of the latter, we emphasized how much Mark had developed as a singer, and how naturally he was combining tough riffs with affecting melodies. Here, we can hear that experience feeding back into the band and enriching its music.
In the spring of 2022, the members gathered at "Studio Barbarosa" in Florida with their longtime producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette. The key decision was to reduce the weight of layered production and make sure the songs could stand on their riffs, melodies, and arrangements. The sound remains big and polished, but there is more room to feel the bite of the guitars and the rhythm work of bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. Mark explained that they arrived with 16 songs, arranged 14, and recorded 12, with ten making the final cut. Across roughly 54 minutes, the album leaves room for direct, immediate songs as well as three tracks exceeding six minutes.
"This Is War" kicks the door open. Its dramatic introduction gives way to a dense rhythmic assault, with guitars surrounding the vocals from every direction. Despite the combative title, Myles described an internal struggle with self-doubt and anxiety, inspired by a dream. The chorus gives that struggle a sense of resolve. We hear someone gathering strength to face the enemy within. It is an opening that immediately sets the standard for both power and emotion.
"Dead Among the Living" follows with a bouncing riff and a broad chorus, reminding us how effectively the band can offer encouragement without softening its music. Mark wanted to recapture the energy of "Come to Life" from "Blackbird", while Myles directed the lyrics toward someone who had already given up on themselves. We especially love the way the rhythm pulls forward as the vocals seem to reach out a hand to the listener. It is a push to break free of inertia, wrapped in guitars that refuse to stand still.
On "Silver Tongue", the words and the playing lock together. The jagged riff and sharp stops set up an addictive chorus, while Myles inhabits a charismatic manipulator capable of convincing others to act on his behalf and take the fall. The temptation is embedded in the music itself. The chorus sounds so inviting that we can get drawn in before noticing the venom in the speaker's words. It is one of the album's strongest singles, and the animated video gives that threat a fitting visual form.
With "Sin After Sin", the band moves deeper into the shadows. Its heavy riff rides an insistent pulse, and the spaces between the blows allow the tension to accumulate. Myles addresses hypocrisy and someone hiding their darker nature behind a virtuous facade. We feel that the song earns its length. It gives suspicion and anger time to seep in before the melody opens up above the weight of the guitars.
Then comes "Stay", with Mark stepping up to the microphone. Anyone who has read our review of "Marching In Time" already knows how much we love this voice, and here it gives the album a warm, accessible moment. His delivery has a directness that brings home the message of making the most of the time we share with someone we love, while Myles joins in and broadens the picture. We appreciate the restraint here. The song relies on its chord progression and melody, without needing a solo to steal the spotlight.
"Holiday" brings a smiling groove and a sense of release. Myles linked its inspiration partly to the Great Resignation after the pandemic, and to the question of whether life offers more than endless work. There is something amusing about a group of workaholics singing about the need to slow down. Within an album filled with struggles, this breather feels welcome before what comes next.
On "Fable of the Silent Son", we get a journey lasting more than eight minutes, which, at the time of the album's release, was the longest song the band had recorded, even surpassing the title track of "Blackbird". The gentle opening invites us closer, before the heavy guitars transform the entire space. The shifts between quiet vulnerability and eruption, the exchanges between the guitars, and the central instrumental passage create a drama with a clear sense of direction. We can hear the musicians pushing one another, with drums and bass giving each change a tangible weight.
The lyrics of "Fable of the Silent Son" concern passing on lessons learned through mistakes and pain, in the hope that someone else can avoid the same path. That makes the return to quieter moments feel essential. After all the turmoil, a human voice remains, trying to reach another person. For us, this is the heart of the album, where the ambition associated with "Fortress" meets the emotional depth we love so much in this band. Give this piece time. Its power grows as it becomes more familiar.
After that peak, "Season of Promise" offers a brighter melody and a touch of '90s rock, with a message about passing wisdom between generations. The transition is a little abrupt, but it allows us to catch our breath before "Last Man Standing". Here, the rhythmic twists and guitar parts bring back the tension, while the lyrics examine the cost of material ambition. The question left hanging is what reaching the summit is worth if, along the way, we have abandoned everything that made us human.
The closing title track, "Pawns & Kings", which was also the first single, draws all the threads together. It is an anthem for the underdog, built around a David-and-Goliath idea, yet its music refuses to settle for a predictable formula. It builds, changes direction, opens into a towering chorus, and leaves room for the playing to expand the story. After an album exploring influence, hypocrisy, inner conflict, and the cost of success, this ending leaves us feeling that something on the board can still be moved...
The artwork by Daniel Tremonti also brings light and shadow together, with a bridge, a snake, and a chess piece crowned with a skull. To us, it fits the album's world. Temptation and power on one side, the possibility of change on the other. We can also see it as a reminder of the band's identity, returning here to the foundations of its sound and continuing to build upon them.
Released through "Napalm Records", the album reached number six on the UK Albums Chart. It strengthened the band's position as a group capable of keeping its loyal audience while giving it fresh reasons to be excited. For us, "Pawns & Kings" stands out for its balance between the immediate pleasure of the shorter songs and the depth of the longer pieces. Not every chorus is equally surprising, but when this quartet stretches its boundaries, it reminds us exactly why we keep following it.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
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