User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info

The Last Hero
by
The Last Hero Image
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 32 Ratings

  • Summary: The fifth full-length release for the Florida rock band that includes former members of Creed and Myles Kennedy was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette.
Buy Now
Buy on

Top Track

My Champion
May this be your victory song A song for you when I am gone Reminding you of what you're meant to be A gift to bring you clarity To show you that... See the rest of the song lyrics
See Full Track List »
Powered by

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Kerrang!
    Oct 12, 2016
    80
    When an album imbued with the spirit of heroism, the opening track has to boldly throw down the gauntlet. Job done. [15 Oct 2016, p.51]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Classic Rock Magazine
    Oct 6, 2016
    80
    It’s a bold, bombastic rock album that really chimes with our troubled times. Alter Bridge got issues, and that’s a good thing.
  3. Mojo
    Oct 6, 2016
    80
    The Last Hero captures them approaching the peak of their powers. [Nov 2016, p.94]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. Rock Sound
    Oct 6, 2016
    70
    Everything’s here from a band that still pack arenas, whilst there’s enough progression to ensure they’re ahead of their peers.
  5. AllMusic
    Oct 7, 2016
    70
    They aren't necessarily breaking new barriers here, but that's not really what Alter Bridge are looking for. For longtime fans, there's enough heft and craft here to satisfy, while new listeners will find a solid entry point into the band's growing canon.
  6. The Guardian
    Oct 6, 2016
    60
    66 minutes of this kind of overwrought caterwauling is a little exhausting. That said, there are great songs here.
  7. Q Magazine
    Oct 19, 2016
    60
    The Last Hero won't make them any new friends, but those they have won't be disappointed. [Dec 2016, p.105]
    All this publication's reviews

See all 8 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. DarkKnight12
    Oct 7, 2016
    10
    Simply the best album i've ever heard.

    AB's my favorite band of all time, their music is complex, melodic, epic, technical, various style    Simply the best album i've ever heard.

    AB's my favorite band of all time, their music is complex, melodic, epic, technical, various style etc...
    Fortress was in my opinion the best album of all time and i didn't think the last hero could be better but i was wrong. It took me numerous listen to fully appreciate every song of the album (beside one..) so don't judge it to quickly.

    As far as the album is concerned :

    First of all, it has a unique sound and style, as usual, alter bridge delivers an album that doesnt sound like the previous ones. It has also a true cohesivness inbetween the songs. They are not repetitive but it feels like they belong in the same theme and sound and that's pretty great. The overall sounding is dark and dramaticly epic but with some brighter songs as well

    the vocals and lyrics are really great just like in fortess but maybe a bit more high and sensible in a way.
    The solos are really great but not as great as fortress. There are some solos that are mindblowing like the two in this side of fate or in the title track but overall i liked fortress solos better.

    A lot of the songs in the album are among AB's best : there is big epic chorus, epic solos and long songs with clean verses and complex structures, ballad and upliftings songs, dramaticly sad songs like blackbird's verse. Shorter, heavier songs very straightforward but always catchy as hell. There is something for everybody in there and fans of the previous records will love this one.

    Show Me a Leader is like addicted to pain but more epic. It’s not as heavy sounding but it’s more catchy, the intro and solos are great and the chorus is really great. I love this song
    The Writings on the Wall, along with losing patience and crows on a wire and poison in your veins, is a shorter, more straight forward song. They are heavy songs, catchy songs, solos are good and technical (check out myles ‘ solo on Crows on a Wire ) but not as epic as what we could hear on fortress. The chorus, especially on poison in your veins and losing patience, are really catchy and huge sounding. Riffs of those songs are really great too.
    The other side is one special song, unlike anythng the band has written so far. It’s heavy AF, vocal of the verse are not catchy but creepy sounding but The chorus are so huge and epic and everything we love. The bridge is like the verse, heavy and creepy sounding but in a goood way. It’s a song you will have to hear many time before you like it.
    As far as ballads goes, My champions is an uplifting rock anthem, with a great chorus. It’s cool, nothing more. You will be remembered on the other hand, is emotional and the chorus is so epic. Love this one.

    Island of fools is probably the heavier song in there along woth the other side. It’s probably my favourite shorter/simplier song of Alter Bridge. The chorus is the best. It’s giant, It’s epic, it’s dramatic sounding like everything around you is falling apart. The bridge and final chrous with tremonti’s solo are just epic.
    Twilight is not a ballad but not heavy, it’s the song i like the least. Not bad but it just don’t suit me well.

    This leaves us with Cradle to the grave, This side of fate and the last hero. Long tracks.
    Cradle is heavy, the power chord riff is really catchy and the chorus is great but the verses … So sad and beautiful. Just like blackbird. The solo is one of tremonti’s best on the album.
    This side of fate is the longest track. The verse are clean and pretty cool but not as epic or dramatic as i’d like to. The chorus is cool. The song really kicks in for the bridge which is epic, heavy melodic with strings and **** Myles solo is his best solo. Highly technical, highly epic, highly everything. The last chorus is not like the other ones in this song, this last chorus is really epic and dramatic and tremonti’s solo is really incredible here. The song is not as epic as i imagined it but it’s definitely one of my favourite of all AB’s song catalog.
    The Last Hero is the best song on the album. Maybe my favourite song of the band. It’s huge, dramatic, epic, heavy, melodic, epic solos etc… The verse are myles best vocal ever in my opinion. The bridge and the chorus are truly epic just like both solos.

    In the end, this album is their best. You need to listen to it numerous time to appreciate it. It’s different form their other records but it’s still a very AB style album. The main difference with fortress is, in my opinion, that it sound less like „metallica riffs“. The songs are less classic riffs base but more huge sounding. It may sound bad but it’s not. For example, fortress bridge’s riff or addicted to pain’s riff or calm the fire’s riff sound more classic than the ones in the last hero.
    Anyway maybe you didn’t understood what i was saying but please understand that this album is a masterpiece, hard to listen to but so f****** good in the end.    … Expand
  2. ydnar4
    Oct 17, 2016
    9
    Alter Bridge is one of my favorite bands ever and its an understatement to say that I was excited about The Last Hero. Their fourth albumAlter Bridge is one of my favorite bands ever and its an understatement to say that I was excited about The Last Hero. Their fourth album Fortress was possibly their best album of their career and its probably one of my favorite albums ever. Alter Bridge shows with this effort that their music continues to evolve as time passes and they still never write a weak song. The Last Hero reminds me a bit of AB III in terms of content because it almost feels like a concept album. Several of the lyrics explain similar topics and revolve around heroes or leaders.

    The album opens with the lead single Show Me a Leader, a song that blew me away on first listen but manages to improve with each listen following that. The song kicks off with an extended intro thats purpose is to engage you in the song and the album that follows. The lyrics are as relevant as ever in today's world and the chorus (which can be considered a strong point for singer Myles Kennedy's writing regardless of which band he is in) is one of the best Alter Bridge has ever done. Kennedy also does a lot of heavy lifting through the intro and solos. The powerful choruses continue through the next two tracks The Writing on the Wall and The Other Side with both songs standing out as some of the album's signature tracks. Hopefully both songs will eventually become cornerstones of the bands live sets. The Other Side can be described as epic, much like some of the songs on Fortress and some of the later tracks on The Last Hero.

    The band then throws a change-up with My Champion, a lighthearted, radio friendly track that grew heavily on me when the band released it a month before the records release. The lyrics are very simple and remind me of Ghost of Days Gone By, a Alter Bridge song that proved to be a commercial success for the band. My Champion probably has some of the most personal lyrics on the record.

    Poison In Your Veins is a display of aggressive optimism. The guitar playing of Mark Tremonti is very strong and steady and Kennedy sings over the music with very simple and motivational lyrics in a song that also has some potential to be a single later on.

    Cradle to the Grave brings something new to the table that may remind fans of some of bands memorable tracks from past records like Blackbird with a slower tempo but a big and powerful chorus. The album does hit a rare hitch with Losing Paitence, a song that is good but it doesn't quite meet the quality of the excellent back half of the album. I feel like this may have been a better fit for a bonus track that doesn't interfere with the songs that are on a higher level. I wouldn't classify the song as filler, its just a slight downgrade and its probably the least memorable song on The Last Hero.

    This Side of Fate brings us back to classic Alter Bridge and its a great addition to the band's catelogue. Its certainly one of the competitors for the best song on the album with several great riffs, an incredible solo from Tremonti and perhaps the strongest lyrics on the album.

    You Will Be Remembered could be a huge radio hit for the band with a great sing along chorus that Kennedy uses to pay tribute to the veterans. I think Alter Bridge would be foolish to not release this song as their next single as I think it could potentially bring them success on the radio that they probably won't get with any other song on this album.

    I found the last few songs on this album to be the time where Mark Tremonti really gets a chance to showcase his ability and it starts with Crows on a Wire. Tremonti seems to be throwing original riffs from left and right on this song and the lyrics return to politics once again. I enjoy Twilight a lot as well although several other reviewers consider it to be one of the weaker moments on the album I have come back to it a few times over several listens and find more to enjoy with it.

    Island of Fools almost teases you with a light opening that launches into some of the heaviest riffing that Alter Bridge has over offered. It may be my favorite song on the record and the guitar stands out once again from Tremonti but this time Kennedy matches him on vocals with a song that is made for a live setting. I don't consider Alter Bridge to be a metal band but they were there with this track and it still manages to find its spot on this album and it fits as well and any other song.

    I was expecting The Last Hero to be the icing on the cake like Fortress was on their last album. I don't think it is on the level with that song but I think its a very good way to end the album. It brings some closure to the hero subject that Myles Kennedy has brought up on many of the songs. Tremonti gives a few more magical and heavy riffs for good measure and Alter Bridge's fifth record comes to an end.

    The Last Hero continues to build musically on Fortress with a more produced feel than any other album that the band has made to date. It keeps the band on a very high level but I think it is one of the weaker albums that have come from the band so far. It will certainly please fans and provide them with another 10 memorable songs. This album may have benefited from being a little shorter which hasn't really ever been a problem for Alter Bridge. Their past 3 albums have all been around 13 songs and I never found any of them to get stale like The Last Hero does around the mid section, but other than that I really can't say anything bad about this record. It will certainly be in my rotation for years to come despite one little flaw.    … Expand
  4. brianm97
    Feb 27, 2017
    8
    Such a quality album. The instrumentals never dissapoint but its downfall was the lyrics and tiring vocal range from myles in some songs.Such a quality album. The instrumentals never dissapoint but its downfall was the lyrics and tiring vocal range from myles in some songs. Since 2004 the first song I have disliked from alter bridge and that is Losing Patience. The chorus sounded like a generic pop song especially with the 'wow uhos' in between. I just didnt like the tone the song set. The bridge of the song I really liked though especially the way myles sings it with a different range for that one time. My favourites are The otherside, island of fools,this side of fate and the last hero and last of our kind because I never get sick of listening to them.… Expand
  5. ScreamAtTheSun
    Oct 7, 2016
    7
    Contrary to another review on here, this album isn't perfect, but it is another excellent addition to the Alter Bridge discography. Where itContrary to another review on here, this album isn't perfect, but it is another excellent addition to the Alter Bridge discography. Where it falls down is when you compare this album as a whole, particularly to their previous efforts: it doesn't have the progressiveness of Fortress, nor the memorability of Blackbird.

    There are a number of fantastic tracks on this record. The lead single, Show Me a Leader, is the album opener: it starts with a beautiful instrumental introduction, that leads into the kind of driving riff and soaring chorus with memorable, sing-along lyrics that we've come to expect from Alter Bridge over the years. As opening tracks go, this is a good one that serves its purpose well.

    This continues on the first half of the album. Plenty of the songs on their own are a very entertaining, consistently catchy listen. The Writing on the Wall, The Other Side, Poison in Your Veins and Crows on a Wire are excellent songs in their own right: the latter in particular has some of Tremonti's best riffing paired with some of the best lyrics on the record. Island of Fools has the potential to catch you off guard: after a fairly reserved intro, it suddenly blows your head off with by far the heaviest riffing on this album, possibly even their heaviest riff ever.

    The best song on this album is, in my opinion, This Side of Fate. It's also the longest track on the record, clocking in at almost 7 minutes, and is very reminiscent of Blackbird in the way that it switches between beautiful clean guitar arpeggiated verses and distorted choruses, and builds to a crescendo with a pair of winding melodic solos from Tremonti. When Alter Bridge tend towards progressive tendencies, this is where they truly shine in my opinion. This song is a perfect example of that, which stands out against the remainder of the record.

    The album does have a few flaws, however, and this is why I haven't scored it more highly (I'd give this closer to 7.5 if I could, which bear in mind is a good score). As fantastic as the aforementioned songs are, I challenge anybody to try and remember/hum any of the riffs on this record after a first or second listen. Some of the choruses (Show Me a Leader and Crows on a Wire are good examples) are memorable enough to stand out, and This Side of Fate certainly leaves a lasting impression, but far too many of the songs blend into one another when the album is listened to in one continuous sitting. As incredible as some of Tremonti's riffs are, there are sometimes too many: you don't get a chance to properly process each riff. Once one grabs your attention, another is fired your way. This is especially true after an almost relentless 66 minute listen.

    Many of the songs on this album seem to cry out for a shorter, more streamlined listen, where they can stand out more. As it is though, many of the songs often get lost in the noise of the album, which is why they work better as standalone songs.

    Another issue is that there are a couple of duds that completely failed to grab me in the slightest. You Will be Remembered is generic as hell, which is compounded by coming immediately after the progressive and bombastic This Side of Fate. Twilight also falls flat, providing little reason to pay attention: a cardinal sin for a band that has produced a plethora of songs designed with an arena in mind.

    In summary, The Last Hero fails to provide a listening experience that demands your attention for the entirety of the 66 minute running time. Alter Bridge can be accused of being too consistent sometimes, in that their songs often follow a similar pattern or style, and this is evident on the first half of the album. While the second half certainly offers a refreshing change of pace with three excellent tracks, all with different personalities (This Side of Fate, Crows on a Wire and Island of Fools), along with a decent closer in the title track, noticeably weaker tracks serve to kill the momentum built by each of these songs.

    As a collection of songs, The Last Hero is at the very least on a par with previous releases, with over half of the songs on the record likely to make it onto many playlists around the world (including my own). As an album though, a few missteps bring the overall listening experience down a notch.    … Expand
  6. Arthuu
    Oct 24, 2019
    7
    Despite the criticism I actually think it's good. Been hyped for a long time and somehow it managed to live to my expectations.
  7. nunosh
    Oct 8, 2016
    6
    Well, fans won't be disapointed, it's the same old and dance... Some good riffs, heavy, powerful energy but for me the problem are the vocalsWell, fans won't be disapointed, it's the same old and dance... Some good riffs, heavy, powerful energy but for me the problem are the vocals : Miles Kennedy has a good voice, ok good point, but that's all... Vocal melodies are ALWAYS the same, it's always like listening to the same song again and again... It's a shame because it's a good band thanks to the good guitar work...… Expand

Current Music Releases

Full List »
99 Band on the Run [50th Anniversary Edition] - Paul McCartney & Wings
95 If I don't make it, I love u - Still House Plants
95 The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow - Charles Lloyd
92 This Could Be Texas - English Teacher
92 COWBOY CARTER - Beyoncé
91 The Carnegie Hall Concert - Alice Coltrane
90 1989 (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift
90 Iechyd Da - Bill Ryder-Jones
89 I Got Heaven - Mannequin Pussy
89 Black Bayou - Robert Finley
89 Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee
88 Only God Was Above Us - Vampire Weekend
88 What Now - Brittany Howard
88 Hey Panda - The High Llamas
88 Orquídeas - Kali Uchis
88 The Past Is Still Alive - Hurray for the Riff Raff
87 Filthy Underneath - Nadine Shah
87 i/o - Peter Gabriel
87 Blue Lips - ScHoolboy Q
87 Bright Future - Adrianne Lenker
All Current Music »