No matter what the decade or what age you are in it, there's a musical high that cuts through all the noise, hype and clutter of life and remains as pure and potent as ever: that electricity which shoots through head and heart on hearing a band come up with their best work.
On their fourth album, Alter Bridge have unleashed the megawatts.
From berzerkers to ballads, Fortress finds a home for them all, hard rock meeting heavy metal on a record that will become a haven for those who need their tenacity and optimism supercharged.
The chemistry and intensity between singer-guitarist Myles Kennedy, guitarist Marc Tremonti, drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall is worthy of Maiden and Metallica at their in-studio best; the anthem ante is continuously upped and the desire to be your 16-year-old self once again is all-consuming. Those days may be long gone, but there'll be many good ones ahead listening to this.
The lyric "This is the season we tear our rivals down" is just telling it like it is. And how.
Harry Guerin
