Review Summary: "Can you hear the marching, beating of the drums?"
Although Mark Tremonti's recent solo material has done a great job of holding fans over since
Fortress,
The Last Hero is a reminder that there's still no replacement for an Alter Bridge album that fires on all cylinders. It's a huge, sprawling, epic album that successfully continues the trend started on
Fortress toward more ambitious songwriting. It's also an album that recognizes the time that it's releasing in, giving voice to the frustration felt in the current political climate in a way that works seamlessly within the band's established formula.
'Show Me A Leader' is a fitting opener for such a charged album, as its lengthy instrumental intro builds into a captivating hard rock anthem. The band's simple, to-the-point lyrical style is at its most effective here, calling for an effective leader amidst political division. Much like the themes of questioning and losing faith added to the darker atmosphere of
AB III, the political elements on
The Last Hero give it a greater sense of urgency. 'Twilight', for instance, features a call to unity that feels especially poignant now:
“Divided by differences, now everything is torn apart
Tomorrow is contingent on the tolerance of every heart”
It may be simple, but that's still a damn good sentiment to hear reflected in Alter Bridge's music right now, and Myles' melodic delivery on this track really helps to sell the message.
Of course, none of the thematic underpinning would make much of an impact if it wasn't backed by the band's accomplished musicianship, which is delivered in spades. The aforementioned urgency goes hand in hand with the dynamic metal riffs on signature heavy tracks such as 'The Writing on The Wall' and 'Crows on a Wire'. Things take a darker turn with the grunge-metal aesthetics of 'The Other Side', which features one of Myles' best and most haunting vocal performances alongside a sludgy riff. 'Island of Fools', meanwhile, combines the band's heaviest thrash riffs with soaring vocal hooks to create one of the most fun straight-ahead rockers they've ever done. The soloing from both Mark and Myles is also on point throughout the album, as Myles continues to step up his game with longer and more technical solos that show that his chops are right up there with Tremonti's.
With the musicianship remaining as strong as it is, it's no surprise that the highlights on
The Last Hero are generally its longest, most expansive tracks. 'Cradle to the Grave' is evocative of
Blackbird's title track with its somber mood and emotional lyrical content, and it's a worthy successor to that classic song. 'This Side of Fate' is a grandiose, 7-minute prog-rock epic that combines an impassioned performance from Myles with a musical array that includes gentle acoustic guitars, Iron Maiden-esque guitar harmonies, and two of the band's best solos. It's the highlight of the album and one of the best songs of the band's career. The title track is almost equally impressive, eschewing the buildup normally found in their epics for a dramatic, riff-heavy rocker that asserts itself immediately and never loses focus.
The weakest material of the album undoubtedly comes from its more radio-friendly side, but thankfully, there's nothing momentum-killing here. The 80's-style stadium rock of 'My Champion', the lighter-in-the-air anthem 'You Will Be Remembered', and the more straightforward riffing of 'Poison in Your Veins' still keep things moving at a reasonable pace, and it doesn't hurt that Tremonti keeps the guitar solos coming during these tracks as well. What's more problematic is the album's production, which occasionally works against the album's brilliant musicianship by muddying up some of the album's busier moments.
Nonetheless, although it may not quite reach the heights of
Fortress, mainly due to those production issues,
The Last Hero comes admirably close. The niche that Alter Bridge fills in modern rock with their technical, yet accessible songwriting is still desperately needed, and the band does not disappoint on that front. Combined with a resonant message that feels timely in its release yet still relevant after the craziness of the political cycle ends,
The Last Hero goes down as another successful album that demonstrates that the band's creative energy is far from exhausted.
