Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy will release his debut solo album, “Year Of The Tiger”, on March 9, 2018 via Napalm Records.
Produced by longtime Alter Bridge associate Michael "Elvis" Baskette, the project sees Kennedy embracing musical elements and influences he hasn't explored until this point in his career.
The multi-instrumentalist played lap steel, mandolin, banjo and bass in addition to the guitar on the record to create what is billed as “a new sonic canvas that some might consider a departure from the high gain wall of sound Kennedy has been associated with” in his time with Alter Bridge and his work with Slash’s solo career.
The rocker’s appreciation for the blues and acoustic-based music can be heard throughout the 12-song concept record inspired by the loss of his father when he was a child.
"It’s probably the closest thing to a full-on concept record that I've ever written,” Kennedy tells Metal Wani. “I mean, the story is congruent throughout the entire... It basically tells a story from start to finish, and it documents when my father passed away when I was a kid and basically what happened after that with my mom, my brother and I — it tells that story. So it's a full-on concept from start to finish."
“Year Of The Tiger” will mark Kennedy’s solo debut, but the project actually follows a full record the singer recorded over a several-year period beginning in 2009 and mixed last year before he decided to shelve it.
"I'm kind of a firm believer that songs can have a shelf life with an artist," Kennedy explains. "And what happened was I'd been chipping away at the solo record for quite a while when I had time… so when I actually documented it and finished it, I had to step back and look at it with a fresh perspective and say, 'You know what? You've gotta be honest with yourself as a writer. Is this where you are now? No. And is this what you want to represent where you are now? No.'
“That was a hard decision for me to make, because there was a lot of work that went into it. Not just work, but time and money, and I just felt like, regardless of that, I had to scrap and start over. So I started writing again late last year, early this year, and, fortunately, I had plenty of ideas to draw from."
“Year Of The Tiger” will be issued on CD, LP and in digital formats.
Kennedy and Alter Bridge are currently playing dates for a fall US tour in support of 2016’s “The Last Hero.” The 3-week run will wrap up in Spokane, WA on December 16.
Myles Kennedy
"Year Of The Tiger"
Release date: March 9, 2018
01. Year Of The Tiger
02. The Great Beyond
03. Blind Faith
04. Devil On The Wall
05. Ghost Of Shangri La
06. Turning Stones
07. Haunted By Design
08. Mother
09. Nothing But A Name
10. Love Can Only Heal
11. Songbird
12. One Fine Day
See also:
Alter Bridge announce fall US tour
AUDIO: Alter Bridge preview unreleased track Cruel Sun
Alter Bridge stream Blackbird live lyric video
AUDIO: Alter Bridge preview Metalingus from live and rarities package
Search Alter Bridge at hennemusic
