Alter Bridge Profile

Alter Bridge share a certain musical similarity to Creed for obvious reasons – three of the band’s members were formerly in that popular late-‘90s group. Soldiering on as Alter Bridge, they were able to distance themselves slightly from their old band with the addition of new singer Myles Kennedy, whose vocals were less tortured and emphatic than Scott Stapp’s. Alter Bridge have managed to generate some commercial interest but nothing close to the levels enjoyed by Creed during that band’s heyday.

After Creed broke up in 2004, drummer Scott Phillips and guitarist Mark Tremonti decided to continue working together. They then recruited onetime Creed bassist Brian Marshall, who had split with the group around the turn of the century. Looking for a new vocalist, they added Myles Kennedy, formerly of a band called the Mayfield Four.

Signing with Wind-Up Records (the label that released their old band’s albums), Alter Bridge launched their debut, One Day Remains, just a few months after Creed’s dissolution. Written principally by Tremonti, One Day Remains lacked some of the pomposity of Creed, but the commitment to meat-and-potatoes hard rock remained intact. Kennedy proved to be a more conventional singer than Stapp, occasionally calling to mind the soul-searching quality of Chris Cornell’s vocals. One Day Remains enjoyed gold sales, a far cry from the multi-platinum plaques Creed commanded.

For Alter Bridge’s follow-up, 2007’s Blackbird, the band left Wind-Up for Universal Republic. Boasting a more cohesive sound, Blackbird distanced itself somewhat from the Creed sonic template, but there were still plenty of grunge-heavy guitar songs for the faithful. “Rise Today” was one of the band’s biggest singles, but Alter Bridge were stuck at a crossroads – they were six years removed from Creed’s last studio album, but they had yet to form a compelling new band identity that could entice old and new fans. Consequently, Blackbird didn’t match the sales figures of One Day Remains, leaving their future in doubt.

Alter Bridge returned in 2010 to record their third album, appropriately titled AB III. The album hit stores November 9, with a tour expected the following year.

Myles Kennedy - vocals, guitar
Brian Marshall - bass
Scott Phillips - drums
Mark Tremonti - guitar

Key Alter Bridge Songs:

"Open Your Eyes" (Purchase/Download)
"Find the Real" (Purchase/Download)
"Metalingus" (Purchase/Download)
"Rise Today" (Purchase/Download)
"Watch Over You" (Purchase/Download)

Alter Bridge Discography:

One Day Remains (2004)
Blackbird (2007)
AB III (2010)

Alter Bridge Quotes:

Brian Marshall, on his reasons for leaving Creed.
"Me and Scott [Stapp] are two totally different people, and from day one I never considered him a friend. It was just a relationship I had to deal with and it was inevitable that [my leaving] would come around because he and I clashed so much … I couldn't have gone on in that environment any more - it was just unhealthy." (musicOMH, January 2005)

Mark Tremonti, on the heavy sound of One Day Remains.
"If it was up to me, it would be twice as heavy as it is." (musicOMH, January 2005)

Mark Tremonti, on the band's reasons for leaving Wind-Up Records during the making of Blackbird.
"It was us against the world. In this day and age, you need a record label to support you. We had little or no support through the whole project." (UltimateGuitar.com, January 2008)

Mark Tremonti, on how his and Myles Kennedy's guitar styles complement one another.
"The good thing about Myles is that guitar-wise we come from different schools. He's more of a jazz-based player. He likes all of the heavy classic-rock stuff, too, but his take on things is different than mine. I've got more of the metal approach to it. So we don't step on each other's toes." (UltimateGuitar.com, January 2008)

Alter Bridge Trivia:

• Mark Tremonti started playing guitar when he was 11.
• The band's song "Metalingus" is used as the theme music for WWE wrestler Edge.
• Mark Tremonti is a big Boston Red Sox fan and writes a blog on Major League Baseball's website.