Alter Bridge: Show The Devil What You Are

“Have I told you about the time I saw a spaceship?” Mark Tremonti asks when he spots us across the mezzanine at Kensington’s Royal Garden Hotel. To his delight we look at him rather quizzically. Before Mark can once again regale us with his storytelling, we are ushered away to speak to the other man of our hour. Myles Kennedy shoots us a shy smile as he pours himself over a small cup of coffee. We meet the day after Myles and Mark hosted an intimate performance where material from Pawns & Kings, the newest offering from ALTER BRIDGE, had their acoustic transatlantic debut. A slight respite in the whirlwind of a press day, extended by our swapping of stories about our furry companions. Including a very well framed photo of Myles’ dog Mozart sat with a glass of wine out on the terrace. Coffee partly consumed; the enigmatic frontman leads the deep dive into Pawns & Kings.

“We tried to make a record that was a little more refined sonically,” Myles comments. Previous ALTER BRIDGE records Walk The Sky (2019) and The Last Hero (2016) explored larger sonic soundscapes. Songs such as Clear Horizon from the former or the latter’s Cradle To The Grave becoming expansive and textured listens. While that is still present within Silver Tongue or Dead Among The Living, epic soundscapes weren’t the priority. Addressing the concept of less is more, Myles tells us, “it seemed appropriate at this point. You could argue it would be predictable if we went down that route again,” An unrepressed grin lines his face. “Maybe next time we’ll do a very over-produced polka record.”

As the idea of ALTER BRIDGE goes polka steeps, we circle back to the change in production approach. Pawns & Kings sees ALTER BRIDGE’s heavier riffs coming from Myles himself rather than the riff powerhouse that is Mark Tremonti. This shift from perhaps singer-songwriter territory into guitar focused realms ushered in the resurgence of a sound akin to 2013’s Fortress. Sharp, precise, refined to borrow Myles’ word. “Being a songwriter, for me, was always about making sure the melody and chord progression was interesting and the lyric was doing a certain thing,” Myles starts. “With this record though, I abandoned that. I had plenty of those ideas, but I didn’t want to dive into them and I enjoyed that.”

With a cumulative 18 studio albums now under his belt, no one would be blamed for thinking the novelty of making an album had partially worn off for Myles. They would be wrong. “I’m always on the hunt for the next fix of goosebumps,” Myles smiles as he cracks the door into his world open a little more. “Tom Petty once said song writing’s like fishing; you gotta keep casting your line. A lot of times you’re not going to catch anything but when you start reeling something big in. There are very few things in live that match that high for me.” Like moths to the flame we find ourselves asking more about Myles’ highs to see if they match ours as a listener. We’re drawn to Fable Of The Silent Son – the pinnacle of Pawns & Kings. Besting monolithic Blackbird at eight and a half minutes, the tale of a soul’s redemption plays our heartstrings like a violin. “Something just happened with that song,” he muses. “I always look for two things in my songs: goosebumps or tears. That gave me both. I’m such a softie really,” comes with a hearty laugh.

In terms of ALTER BRIDGE, both come in abundance. Their seven albums become masterclasses in evocation. As with all creative personalities, Myles’ catharsis often comes with a healthy dose of trepidation. “I have to ask myself if I really want to open up the door to that part of my heart and put myself out there again,” he pauses for a moment, perhaps to ask himself that very question. “When I was younger, I didn’t have that much of a problem doing it because I didn’t know how many people cared at the time. As time’s gone on, I’ve started to realise there are a lot of people who do so the question becomes: do you feel comfortable letting this cat out the bag?”

That shift resulted in allegory driven lyrics as opposed to raw directness. Sin After Sin is dressed in ambiguity. Does Myles have experience with the manipulation on display? Is the burnout with Holiday autobiographical? Is the Tremonti-led Stay an ode to his wife of twenty years? This room for interpretation is an amazing breeding ground for duality. It allows us as listeners to connect through our own pain or woe but also serves as a barrier for those like Myles to heal parts of themselves without public intervention.

It’s this interpretation which allows us to learn from each other. Perception is a very powerful thing. Myles tells us of an earlier interview where the titular Pawns & Kings could be a testament to the division between the haves and have nots. As we dive further into the album, it isn’t just singular songs which can be discussed but the entire track list. Silver Tongue’s master of manipulation followed by Sin After Sin’s ‘you want so much more than we should ever have to give’ is a beautiful depiction of two sides of the coin, had it been intentional. “I love that!” Myles interjects excitedly, “I love it when people teach me things about the songs I wrote. It’s so interesting to me how people see the world of ALTER BRIDGE.”

One thing which is crystal clear in ALTER BRIDGE’s universe is its thematic empowerment. Whatever feeling of dejection or hopelessness we may feel, there is an ALTER BRIDGE song to salve our wounds. Myles gives us an unexpected answer when we broach the subject. “The person you’re talking to right now is always in need of a new mantra to help him deal with his own shit.” Where ALTER BRIDGE has been cited as a source of strength for their legions of fans across the globe, those in need of it the most have been the four men producing the music. In becoming a pillar of strength though, ALTER BRIDGE tread the fine line of becoming preachy, something Myles is keen to avoid. “It’s a delicate dance but we don’t want to be the motivational speakers of rock n’ roll.”

While ALTER BRIDGE’s identity is somewhat established, Myles has no qualms telling us he is still a constant work in progress. Racking up almost three decades in the music industry has taught him you never really stop learning. “I always fear the well of inspiration will dry up one day,” comes quietly. The din of the room around us dissipates, as if an unseen entity is hanging on Myles’ words of wisdom which follow. “Once you let go of fear and doubt, allow yourself to dive into what you love, you might just surprise yourself.”

Pawns And Kings is out now via Napalm Records.

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