ALTER BRIDGE's single "Playing Aces" continues its impressive climb up rock radio charts ahead of the self-titled eighth album, due January 9 via Napalm Records. The track, which follows lead single "Scales Are Falling" and additional preview "Silent Divide" as the third taste of the new record, represents the band at a creative crossroads — heavier, darker, and more urgent than anything in their catalog.
The 12-track album was recorded over two months at two storied locations: Eddie Van Halen's legendary 5150 Studio in California and producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette's recording facility in Florida. Baskette, who has produced every ALTER BRIDGE album since 2010's "AB III," has described the self-titled record as "the album they've been building toward for 20 years." The decision to record at 5150 — a studio synonymous with some of rock's greatest recordings — seems to have inspired the band to reach for new heights.
Myles Kennedy's soaring vocals continue to be one of rock's most remarkable instruments, capable of shifting from delicate whisper to full-throated power within a single phrase. His chemistry with guitarist Mark Tremonti — who simultaneously juggles a successful solo career and his role in CREED's ongoing reunion — remains the band's creative engine. The rhythm section of bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips provides the thunderous foundation that allows Kennedy and Tremonti to push their interplay into increasingly ambitious territory.
The album's tracklist — "Silent Divide," "Rue the Day," "Power Down," "Trust in Me," "Disregarded," "Tested and Able," "What Lies Within," "Hang by a Thread," "Scales Are Falling," "Playing Aces," "What Are You Waiting For," and "Slave to Master" — reads like a statement of purpose from a band refusing to coast on past achievements. The self-titled nature of the release suggests ALTER BRIDGE view this as a definitive artistic statement.
With the album just over a week away, fan anticipation is high. A Napalm Records Deluxe Vinylbox Edition, limited to 300 copies worldwide, sold out almost immediately upon announcement.