01. Silent Divide
02. Rue The Day
03. Power Down
04. Trust In Me
05. Disregarded
06. Tested And Able
07. What Lies Within
08. Hang By A Thread
09. Scales Are Falling
10. Playing Aces
11. What Are You Waiting For
12. Slave To Master

A Bridge over not so troubled water.

A mid-career self-titled album? A bold move usually reserved for when bands believe their latest record is their definitive work, or for  reinventions in sound & style: in this case, it's the former, as the long-anticipated 'Alter Bridge goes funk rock' album has yet to materialise. Alter Bridge is a shot in the arm for a band who largely settle into a comfort zone on the majority of their albums where proceedings are enjoyable, but rarely enticing enough to return to frequently; while not a record to scream from the rooftops about, you won't be turning down your car speakers in heavy traffic in case the car next to you overhears either.

Alter Bridge are an oddity of a band, one with evident and abundant talent amongst its ranks, yet one that often produces results less than the sum of its parts. From the strong and emotive vocals of Myles Kennedy to his interplay with Mark Tremonti on guitars, it's not surprising the band have been compared with some of the all-time hard rock greats. What has often seperated them from the pantheon of greats has been their inability to regularly match this talent with solid, catchy songwriting, a vessel to fill with their talent.

Well, Alter Bridge sees a consistent step up in songwriting quality that provides a clear shop window for the band to advertise their talents. The opening "Silent Divide" ushers in an album packed with solid riffs, guitar interplay and emotive twists and turns to turn your head. "Rue The Day" is an early highlight that makes you realise there is a reason the band made this a self-titled effort, while the likes of "What Lies Within" & "Playing Aces" rank amongst their best output.

While the album does falter somewhat in the middle, it compensates for this by picking up momentum and ending on a hell of a high note, with the final four tracks being some of the band's best work period, before culminating with "Slave To Master", a slow, brooding epic that ends with a euphoric guitar solo that, despite its simplicity, has enough emotional heft that it will break down even the most skeptical of listeners.

What hinders Alter Bridge is that the band dance on the line of good & great, occasionally straying close to classic territory, but lack that extra something to get them over the line. While "Disregarded" & "Trust In Me" are a clear step below the rest of the album, the majority of the record, such as "Tested And Able" & "Power Down", just feels like it needs a little extra of something to push it that bit further.

Not since Fortress has Alter Bridge sounded as vital on a consistent basis; the gamble to make this a self-titled effort is one that pays off for the band, as it ranks amongst the band's best output. Now, I hope they produce that funk rock record soon: one can but hope.

Performance:	8
Songwriting:	7
Originality:	4
Production:	8