The Last Hero (album)
| The Last Hero | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Alter Bridge | ||||||||||
| Released | October 7, 2016 | |||||||||
| Recorded |
January–April 2016 Studio Barbarosa Orlando, Florida | |||||||||
| Genre | ||||||||||
| Length | 66:42 | |||||||||
| Label | Caroline, Napalm | |||||||||
| Producer | Michael "Elvis" Baskette | |||||||||
| Alter Bridge chronology | ||||||||||
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The Last Hero is the fifth studio album by the rock band Alter Bridge, released on October 7, 2016, by Napalm Records worldwide except in North America, where it was released on the band's own vanity label. It was produced by longtime collaborator Michael "Elvis" Baskette. The album's first single, "Show Me a Leader", was released digitally and to rock radio on July 26, 2016.[1]
Background
The Last Hero was written during the winter of 2015 while both singer Myles Kennedy and guitarist Mark Tremonti were on tour with their respective projects, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators and Tremonti, with the recording process being finished during the spring of 2016. Regarding the sound of the album, Tremonti stated it to be similar to Fortress and Blackbird but they were planning on darker sound. The album name comes from the subject of being a hero in society and people's feelings of disillusionment with their current leaders. It also marks a departure from the band's previous visual style, with the grungy aesthetic of previous albums replaced with a more streamlined logo.[2]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 74/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [4] |
| Classic Rock | [5] |
| The Guardian | [6] |
| Rock Sound | 7/10[7] |
The Last Hero has received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its lyrical themes. It currently has a score of 74 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[3] Dom Lawson from The Guardian gave the album a mixed review with a rating of three out of five stars. He praised the album's heavy sound, but said he felt that nearly "every last second of The Last Hero is purposefully, relentlessly bombastic" and that listening to the album from start to finish is an "exhausting" exercise. He concluded by saying that he felt the band was "trying too hard".[6] Timothy Monger from AllMusic felt that the album stays within the band's "tried and true" sound and does not stray far from what listeners will expect, but overall liked the album, praising Tremonti's guitar playing and Kennedy's vocal performance. He gave it three and a half stars out of five.[4] TeamRock's Grant Moon gave the album four stars out of five and highly praised its lyrical themes, but he panned Baskette's production, saying he "produces this all to within an inch of its life". He concluded by calling the album "a bold, bombastic rock album that really chimes with our troubled times".[5]
Track listing
All tracks written by Alter Bridge.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Show Me a Leader" | 5:05 |
| 2. | "The Writing on the Wall" | 4:28 |
| 3. | "The Other Side" | 5:55 |
| 4. | "My Champion" | 4:41 |
| 5. | "Poison in Your Veins" | 4:19 |
| 6. | "Cradle to the Grave" | 5:41 |
| 7. | "Losing Patience" | 4:10 |
| 8. | "This Side of Fate" | 6:48 |
| 9. | "You Will Be Remembered" | 4:42 |
| 10. | "Crows on a Wire" | 4:27 |
| 11. | "Twilight" | 4:15 |
| 12. | "Island of Fools" | 5:01 |
| 13. | "The Last Hero" | 6:42 |
Total length: |
66:04 | |
| Limited edition | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 14. | "Last of Our Kind" | 5:34 |
Total length: |
71:38 | |
| Best Buy exclusive edition | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 14. | "Last of Our Kind" | 5:34 |
| 15. | "Breathe" | 4:17 |
Total length: |
75:55 | |
Personnel
- Alter Bridge
- Myles Kennedy – lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitar
- Mark Tremonti – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Brian Marshall – bass guitar
- Scott Phillips – drums, percussion
- Production
- Michael "Elvis" Baskette – production, mixing, string arrangements, keyboards
- Jef Moll – engineering, digital editing
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Daniel Tremonti – cover art
- Ben Grosse – production, mixing on "Breathe"
- Tom Baker – mastering on "Breathe"
Charts
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[8] | 6 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[9] | 6 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10] | 19 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[11] | 30 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[12] | 15 |
| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[13] | 10 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[14] | 44 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[15] | 82 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] | 5 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[17] | 24 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[18] | 30 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[19] | 8 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)[20] | 1 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[21] | 2 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[22] | 93 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[23] | 33 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] | 5 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[25] | 3 |
| US Billboard 200[26] | 8 |
References
- ↑ "Listen To New ALTER BRIDGE Song 'Show Me A Leader'". July 25, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ "ALTER BRIDGE: The Last Hero Album Artwork Unveiled". July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- 1 2 "The Last Hero by Alter Bridge". Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- 1 2 "The Last Hero - Alter Bridge - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- 1 2 "Alter Bridge - The Last Hero album review". September 27, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- 1 2 Lawson, Dom (October 6, 2016). "Alter Bridge: The Last Hero review – exhausting bombast from arena-metal tryhards". Retrieved October 15, 2016 – via The Guardian.
- ↑ "Alter Bridge - 'The Last Hero' - Reviews - Rock Sound Magazine". Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Alter Bridge – The Last Hero". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Alter Bridge – The Last Hero" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Alter Bridge – The Last Hero" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Alter Bridge – The Last Hero" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Alter Bridge – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Alter Bridge. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Alter Bridge – The Last Hero" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Alter Bridge: The Last Hero" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
- ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes - SNEP (Week 41, 2016)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Alter Bridge – The Last Hero" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – 2016. 40. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 41, 2016". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 41 (dal 2016-10-07 al 2016-10-13)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 17, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ "TOP 100 ALBUMES — SEMANA 41: del 07.10.2016 al 13.10.2016" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Alter Bridge – The Last Hero". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Alter Bridge – The Last Hero". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Alter Bridge | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Alter Bridge – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Alter Bridge. Retrieved October 17, 2016.