Alter Bridge

Alter Bridge biography

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Alter Bridge is an American rock band that was formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four and the frontman of Slash's current solo project, joined shortly after the band's formation. Tremonti named the group after an actual bridge that used to be located in Detroit, Michigan near his former home on Alter Road.

Despite Creed's multi-platinum success, Alter Bridge arose with only gold status with their first studio album, One Day Remains, which was released on Wind-up Records in August 2004 to generally mixed reviews. After the band's first tour, they dropped their contract with Wind-up Records in 2006 and signed with Universal Republic, releasing their sophomore album, Blackbird, which was positively received by critics, in October 2007. Alter Bridge spent the next two years touring and working on other projects before reconvening in 2010 to work on their third album, AB III. The album received critical acclaim and was released in October 2010 on Roadrunner Records, and later on the band's own label via EMI in North America in November 2010. In January 2011, Alter Bridge's first live album and concert film, Live from Amsterdam, was released. Originally released exclusively on Amazon.com in August 2009, it was met with two years of delays before finally being released in stores. A second concert film, Live at Wembley, is scheduled for release on March 26, 2012.

Early on, Alter Bridge was criticized by some for perceived similarities to Creed in their music. However, the band has since made several critical and commercial achievements and has received general praise in recent years, despite relatively low mainstream success and label support for the majority of its career. Alter Bridge has become known for their frequent and extensive touring and for their loyal fanbase. The individual members of Alter Bridge are also involved with various other projects, including solo and session work, Creed, and Kennedy's collaborations with Slash and former members of Led Zeppelin. In 2009, Ultimate Guitar Archive named Alter Bridge the 36th greatest band of the decade.

History

Formation and One Day Remains (2003-2006)

Alter Bridge lead guitarist and founder Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips were members of Creed with lead vocalist Scott Stapp since 1997. After releasing two successful albums, Marshall left the band in 2000, followed by the release of their third album in 2001. The band went inactive in 2003 following the conclusion of a controversial tour. That year, Tremonti began writing new material with plans of forming a new band with Phillips and Marshall. Being fans of Myles Kennedy's former band, The Mayfield Four, they invited him to join as their new lead vocalist. They named the new band Alter Bridge, after an actual bridge near Tremonti's home on Alter Road in Detroit, and subsequently began recording their debut album.

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