When a band opts for releasing an eponymous album as their eighth studio album, you know shit is about to get real. Then, realizing that the band in question is none other than ALTER BRIDGE, the shit is very likely to get a good notch realer than real. Released on January 9th, 2026, via Napalm Records, this hard-rock quartet’s new album is yet another unwavering testament to the band’s inexhaustible knack for writing timeless bangers album after another. Yeah, sure, we’ve heard this all before, but it’s nigh impossible to mind, because the somewhat samey-sounding riffs and hooks are of impeccable quality, once again. I mean, blues-tinged hard rock hasn’t sounded this damn good since the heyday of LED ZEPPELIN, and as a bonus, this bunch throws in a good pinch of metal flourishes to justify using the metal label with confidence. In this day and age, the only competition worth mentioning that ALTER BRIDGE may face, in terms of quality grooves that tiptoe the fine line between hard rock and metal, comes from the solo project of their guitarist, Mark Tremonti. So, that says a lot. I also read that the making of this mammoth record marked the first time a non-Van Halen artist was ever granted access to record in the famous 5150 studio, founded by Eddie Van Halen. This album sure makes good on that privilege.
The opener, ”Silent Divide,” sets things rolling with heavy riffs that many a metal band would be willing to die for. On the first spin, I could not entirely avoid the feeling that I must have heard this riff before somewhere – and then it hit me: one of the guitar licks sounds as though paraphrasing a vocal line from STONE SOUR‘s “Absolute Zero.” Nice. Experimentalism is not what this band is about, but rather the adage regarding what it takes to become a timeless classic: you need something old and something new, something borrowed and something blue. ALTER BRIDGE is one of those bands whose songs, even the newest ones that you’ve never heard before, have a habit of sounding like they’ve always been around. Then again, it sure helps that the songs are straight-up earworms. The opener has already garnered more than 2 million streams on Spotify. Sure, it was released as a single already in September, but I’d say that is no small feat, regardless.
While this new selection is characteristically all about ALTER BRIDGE cosplaying itself, there are a few tracks that nicely throw in some different flavors as well. For example, the elastic riffs in “Disregard” take off on a slightly nu-metal-esque tangent before the chorus steers back to familiar hard-rock waters. The verses could easily have Jonathan Davis of KORN featuring on vocals, and no one would bat an eye. Then, “What Are You Waiting For” flirts with the grunge aesthetic in its verses, and “Hang By A Thread” is a country-tinged breather, the only track that I’m not so enthusiastic about since country is not exactly my cup of tea. As luck would have it, the album is otherwise mostly about those adrenaline-fueled riffs and soaring choruses, so this minor side-step is no biggie, really. While the band need not worry about the vocals since Myles Kennedy is such a powerhouse vocalist, on this album, Tremonti steps up, offering some backup in the vocal department on “Trust Me” and “Tested and Able,” which adds a fresh, new dynamic to the whole affair. Not only is he one of the most underrated guitar-slingers around, but as he has already proved beyond a doubt on his solo albums, he can also drop some killer vocals.
The 9-minute closer, “Slave to Master,” already seems to have sparked a lot of mixed reactions, with some hailing it as a masterpiece and some snubbing their nose at its admittedly chonky length. I’m still torn between these two factions. The song indeed feels like overstaying its welcome a bit – it’s not exactly an epic in the good old prog-rock fashion – but it’s not a filler track either. Maybe it just doesn’t have what a proper closer should have in order to bring things to a close on a high note. That said, with the album boasting killer tracks with a proportion of ten out of twelve, my verdict of this affair is a remarkably favorable one. You could say that the band has outperformed themselves, with this eponymous endeavor showcasing ALTER BRIDGE at its most ALTER BRIDGE to date.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Silent Divide
- Rue the Day
- Power Down
- Trust in Me
- Disregard
- Tested and Able
- What Lies Within
- Hang By A Thread
- Scales Are Falling
- Playing Aces
- What Are You Waiting For
- Slave to Master
Lineup
Myles Kennedy – vocals
Mark Tremonti – guitars
Brian Marshall – bass
Scott Phillips – drums
Label
Napalm Records
