ALTER BRIDGE's "Alter Bridge (2026)" Is ALTER BRIDGE As ALTER BRIDGE Cosplaying ALTER BRIDGE... ALTER BRIDGE

“…continues the band’s streak of delivering solid, blues-tinged hard rock with enough heft to keep metalheads at least mildly interested…”

Listen, yeah I’m fully aware that I’m out on a limb here as a metal music critic. I can already see the comments rolling in telling me Alter Bridge isn’t a metal band and that I’m a poser or some shit, idk.

As far as I’m concerned, the metal label is debatable with this band. They fall more under the hard rock label, but they’re way heavier than most hard rock you would hear on the radio nowadays—a point I discovered in 2016 when I discovered them opening for Disturbed at the Molson Amphitheatre—I mean Molson Canadian Amphitheatre—wait, sorry I meant Budweiser Stage—Nope, wrong again… RBC Amphitheatre (Jesus guys, pick a fucking name already)

But since then, I’ve sort of fallen off the Alter Bridge train—though not intentionally. I just hadn’t picked up any of their albums following The Last Hero (2016). But I did check out their last album Pawns & Kings (2022) in anticipation for this self-titled release and was still happy to hear the four-piece has still got it!

Can I say the same thing here? Well, absolutely I can!

Where the self-titled really shines is in its weight. This album knows when to put the boot down and when to just get bluesy. The heavier moments hit exactly when they need to, never feeling forced or tacked on for “metal cred,” but instead baked directly into the DNA of the songs.

Mark Tremonti remains one of the most underrated groove guitarists in the game. He’s always known how to write riffs that move, and here he leans into thick, low-end crunch with full confidence. Alter Bridge has always felt like the logical evolution of what happens when you take those post-grunge bones (and the entire instrumental section of Creed) and inject them with a bluesy, metal-leaning singer—and that formula is still paying dividends.

Tracks like “Power Down” and “Silent Divide” really showcase that alternative metal density filtered through a hard rock lens. “Power Down” in particular feels like the album finally steps on the gas, giving the record some much-needed momentum without abandoning its groove-first philosophy.

What I also appreciate is how these songs don’t feel shackled to rock radio songwriting rules. Sure, there are big hooks and memorable choruses, but the band isn’t married to a rigid verse-chorus-verse structure. Each track follows its own internal logic, which probably explains why the metal label keeps sneaking into conversations about this band whether people like it or not.

Myles Kennedy, unsurprisingly, sounds fantastic throughout. His vocal chops are still absurdly good, and his ability to write choruses that stick in your brain without feeling sugary or overproduced deserves credit. The hooks here feel earned.

It’s also genuinely cool to hear Mark Tremonti step up on co-vocals on tracks like “Trust in Me” and “Tested and Able.” As far as I know, he usually saves that side of himself for his solo work, so hearing him co-lead with Myles adds a fresh dynamic to the album without pulling focus away from what works. It feels like a band comfortable enough to stretch without snapping.

The rhythm section deserves its flowers too. Brian Marshall’s bass tone is chunky as hell, reinforcing those low-end riffs and giving the album even more girth than it already had.

Scott Phillips, while not exactly reinventing the drum kit here, does his job well. His playing keeps everything tight and cohesive, and honestly, that restraint probably works in the band’s favor. If he suddenly decided to go full Portnoy-meets-Peart on this thing, Wikipedia might actually have a stronger case for calling Alter Bridge progressive metal—but as it stands, the drums do exactly what they need to do: keep the machine running smoothly.

Now… the downside—and it’s the same downside Alter Bridge has always wrestled with—is that this album is chonky. For a hard rock/alternative metal record, a 12-track, one-hour runtime is asking a lot. Don’t get me wrong—there isn’t really a bad song here, but the album absolutely feels its length in spots.

Even the excellent closer “Slave to Master”—while awesome—didn’t need to be nine-mother-fucking-minutes long. This is less a quality issue and more a pacing one, but it’s noticeable if you’re listening front to back in one sitting.

That all said, Alter Bridge (2026) continues the band’s streak of delivering solid, blues-tinged hard rock with enough heft to keep metalheads at least mildly interested. It’s a big album—maybe bigger than it needs to be—but there’s no real filler hiding in the corners. Think of it like a 20-pound Angus burger with all the fixings. Does it need to be bigger than a baby’s head? Absolutely not. Am I still going to bite down and enjoy the hell out of it? You bet your ass I am.

Overall, if you’ve been curious about where Alter Bridge is at these days, or you’ve somehow never given them a proper shot, the self-titled is an easy recommendation.