Score: 7 out of 10
Back from solo albums and side projects, Alter Bridge releases album number four, Fortress, a heavy and textured melding of hard rock and metal executed with enough finesse to pull distinct timbre out of an onslaught of guitar and bass. Mark Tremonti on guitar pushes melody through a stone wall of sound. As instrumentalists, the band—comprised of Myles Kennedy of the Mayfield Four and three members of Creed—are in top form, though by midway through, the album becomes too much of a good thing as tedium settles in. – Jessica Pace