MYLES KENNEDY: Why Now Is Right Time For ALTER BRIDGE To Release Self-Titled Album

In a new interview with MyGlobalMind magazine, ALTER BRIDGE guitarist/vocalist Myles Kennedy spoke about the band's upcoming self-titled eighth studio album, which will arrive on January 9, 2026 via Napalm Records. Regarding why it took ALTER BRIDGE more than 20 years to release a self-titled effort, Myles responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we just felt laziness, as far as trying to come up with a fancy name. But I think the other part of it was it just felt like we really touched on the kind of the essence of what this band has always been, a certain thing, and we didn't really veer off into too many new territories, like arrangement-wise or texture-wise; there's no keyboards or anything like that, like we've experimented on other records. And it was just, like, 'Well, this is kind of the essence of the band.' So we all felt like a self-titled approach was appropriate."

On the topic of how the songwriting approach for "Alter Bridge" was different from that for 2022's "Pawns & Kings" album, Myles said: "To me, it was similar. I think we kind of took the same approach that we took on 'Pawns & Kings'. Even with the production as well, where it's very stripped down. It's funny because I've been rehearsing for the upcoming tour, and so I put together this playlist of what the songs are gonna be. I can't tell you; it's top secret. So I've been in rehearsing a couple of hours a day. But it's fascinating when you're playing along with the records, playing along with the songs, and that's when you juxtapose everything and put it together like that, you really hear the difference in each of the recordings sonically. And you hear kind of where we were and where the producer was and the engineer. And so, yeah, with some of the records, there's a lot of information, like, there's a lot of textures, and it's almost like a smear thing. And it's not always a bad thing, but it's just different, where the newer recordings, with this recording and where 'Pawns & Kings' are, is you can kind of pick out every detail. When I'm trying to relearn a part and I can't remember exactly what I did, it's pretty easy to discern what it is, because it's right there. It's pretty much just stereo guitars, left and right, and not a lot of extra stuff. So I think that it's a similarity between the 'Pawns & Kings' record and this record. And I think that it'll be interesting moving forward, whenever that day comes, how that would be, if we're gonna stay on that approach. 'Cause it seems like fans are gravitating towards that. When we talk to people, they're, like, 'Man, we really like the way these records sound.' There's something about, when they're recorded that way, you could turn 'em up louder. It's funny how that works. They just work well in a loud environment."

"Alter Bridge" is comprised of 12 all-new tracks once again helmed by the band's longtime collaborator and producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette. The effort was recorded over two months this past spring at the legendary 5150 studio in California and Elvis's recording studio in Florida.

ALTER BRIDGE will be touring in support of the release. The band is heading out on the "What Lies Within" tour. The 31-date European leg of the trek will kick off on January 15 in Germany and will wrap on March 5 in Nottingham, U.K. Support on the tour will come from DAUGHTRY and SEVENDUST. The band also announced a headline U.S. tour featuring FILTER or SEVENDUST and Tim Montana as support in select markets. The tour kicks off on April 25 in Orlando, Florida and runs through May 24 where it wraps in Tampa, Florida.

Back in 2004, four lifelong musicians got together down in Florida. Even though they had traveled separate paths, similar lessons learned, wisdom earned and dues paid united these gentlemen — Myles Kennedy (vocals, guitar),Mark Tremonti (guitar, vocals),Brian Marshall (bass) and Scott Phillips (drums) — as ALTER BRIDGE. Over the ensuing two decades, the band endured countless trials and tribulations, defied every odd, and rose to the head of the pack as a hard rock juggernaut, cementing a singular legacy by selling out arenas, gathering nearly one billion streams, inciting international acclaim, and quietly attracting a diehard audience. Beginning with the Top 5 entry of 2004's gold-certified "One Day Remains", the band has scored six consecutive Top 20 debuts on the Billboard 200. Among a myriad of highlights, Guitarist magazine applauded "Blackbird" for the "Greatest Guitar Solo Of All Time," the "ABIII" single "Isolation" vaulted to No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, 2013's "Fortress" received rare perfect scores from Kerrang! and Total Guitar, and "Walk The Sky" shook the Top Rock Albums chart at No. 1. Beyond packing O2 Arena and Royal Albert Hall, Classic Rock hailed 2022's "Pawns & Kings" as "the Rolls-Royce of ALTER BRIDGE records" in a 4.5-out-of-5-star review. Plus, the latter LP garnered praise from American Songwriter, Guitar World and Loudwire, while Billboard christened them "one of America's premiere hard rock quartets." Channeling the same hunger, the band continue to push themselves on their self-titled eighth full-length offering, "Alter Bridge". It embodies everything they're known for such as the precise riffs, towering hooks, and solos that practically break guitar strings as they burst through the clouds.