Alter Bridge
One Day Remains

I've been away for a while, it's actually been about six months since I last reviewed albums on a daily basis and this is my first review in 2014. Since I've been away for so long, I decided to get my game back by reviewing a classic album and since it's been ten years since this particular album introduced the world to Alter Bridge I decided to finally review it as when it was released it fell into the gap between when we did the magazine and went over to the web. And it's an album that started something great - it started the career of Alter Bridge.

Originally released in August 2004, 'One Day Remains' generated three singles. Open Your Eyes was released before the album and Find The Real and Broken Wings came afterwards. The reviews were mixed with most people complaining about similarities between Alter Bridge and Creed, from where most of the band had emerged, with score in the middle of the scale. I on the other hand were introduced to the band a couple of years later when my ex-girlfriend forced them on me, something I'm very grateful for as I still listen to the band seven years later. They've managed to do three albums afterwards which most people agree with me is better, like last years 'Fortress', but it was with this it all begun and a fifth place on the Billboard charts makes it clear that I wasn't the only one to like this album.

So what is it you get when you play this debut? Well, if you've heard any of the later albums you know what it is, just slightly less polished and slightly rougher in the edges. The production isn't as good as they've managed on the later albums and some of the songs leaves some to improve on but at the same time they also have these songs that are among the best they've ever done. Of course, this means nothing to you if you haven't heard the later albums either but the fact is that there aren't any given way to describe Alter Bridge. They play some sort of grungy American rock, like really heavy rock or soft heavy metal, and they do it in a sort of post-punk fashion. Most songs are melodic with strong choruses and heavy guitars, with a cherry on top in the shape of Myles Kennedy and his rock star voice - this gives such a nice mix between metal, rock and radio-friendliness that makes Alter bridge sound pretty unique. This first album already sounds like something finished and refined, all though they've later managed to make it even better with a slightly heavier sound and better production.

Some songs on this album, though, are definitely heavier than what you first fool yourself in to belive as they trick you with the catchy choruses and both acoustic and ballad-ish songs or parts. You only need to play the first single to understand what I'm talking about - it's not a soft song but it has some proper calm bits in it mixed with heavy choruses but then they get about half way through and enters the humming bit. Now that's something I know for a fact is great at live shows but who would have expected it to pull this single all the way to a second place on the Billboards? Sure, it's a great bit but I never thought it to be that mainstream. Another thing that surprised me is the fan-favorite In Loving Memory that the band always does live. That really isn't the kind of ballad that normally strikes big among the fans as it really hasn't any clear direction with both a melancholic and desperate as well as slightly positive vibe. Just shows what I know about music.

'One Day Remains' is an album that not only gives you the soft and calm, neatly tuned music (like Burn It Down) but also really hard and heavy metal (like the following song to Burn it Down, Metalingus). The best thing about it is that they manage to make it all work. Sure, as I've said, it's a bit rough in the edges compared to what followed from the band, it's not perfect on the production side but overall it's a really, really good album! It definitively deserves to be played again in 2014 if you haven't played it for a while and if you haven't heard it at all yet… well, it's ten years late but I guess better late than never!

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