On the eve of Alter Bridge releasing their third album entitled AB III, I finally got the link to listen to the album. I have heard the British version of the album and wanted to see if anything changed...it didn't and that is a shame.

Miles Kennedy is one of my favorite singers in modern rock right now. His explosive vocal power is almost unparalleled in rock at the current moment. His guest vocals on Slash's recent solo album showcase his amazing range and Alter Bridge's second album Blackbird encapsulates that incredible range. However AB III falls flat in many ways.

In case you don't know, Alter Bridge is singer Miles Kennedy and the backing band of Creed (Scott Phillips, Mark Tremonti, and Brian Marshall). I don't judge this band by the previous band. I hate Creed so much I killed a man who told me they liked them, but Alter Bridge is an entirely different animal. Their first album One Day Remains was steeped heavily in the Creed influence and I hated it. However, Blackbird saw the band step into their own and away from the Creed influence. Blackbird was the first sophomore album that was better in all aspects than the debut album. Blackbird was going to be a hard act to follow.

AB III is a loose concept album revolving around a character who is "desperately struggling to find their place in a world steeped in doubt and emptiness." You can see this in the darker, harsher sound of AB III, which is a different angle for the band. The highlight on this album, lyrically speaking, is the song entitled Wonderful Life, which is about a man losing his wife to cancer. It is a hauntingly beautiful song with tender guitars, a rhythm section that doesn't get in the way, and Miles pouring his heart into the lyrics. But the song is also the epitome of what's wrong with the album.

The end of Wonderful Life sounds exactly like the end of 45 by Shinedown and a lot of Tremonti's riffs you can find on modern rock radio. Tremonti is a great guitarist that is squandered in Creed with an egomaniac as a front man. He has some stupendous guitar mastery that pops up on AB III, but is sometimes lost in production. In fact, the production on the album seems too slick at times and the compression zaps the life from some of the guitar work. You can easily see this in the beginning of Wonderful Life, which is a hot mess. The song does calm down after the intro.

I don't know what happened because Alter Bridge tapped the same producer from Blackbird, which is their best record. AB III wouldn't be so bad if it was their first release, but has a tough time following Blackbird. The album is essentially vocals and guitar, which is a shame because Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall are a competent rhythm section.

I was excited to see where Alter Bridge was going to go after Blackbird, and it was sadly back toward their Creed roots. AB III isn't a terrible record, there are spots of brilliant guitar work and Miles Kennedy is just a kick ass vocalist. But compared to their previous releases AB III falls short.

AB III is currently available for pre-order on iTunes and Amazon. You will also be able to use those outlets on November 9 to buy the album. You can also go out and see the band on their North American tour. Tour dates can be found by visiting the band's official website, www.alterbridge.com.