Alter Bridge was formed in 2004 by former Creed members Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips, and Brian Marshall. Marshall didn't appear on Creed's final album Weathered. He left Creed in 2000 because of differences with singer Scott Stapp, but joined his former band mates in this project. Singer Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four, joined the Orlando-based band later. The band members originally met Kennedy when his former band The Mayfield Four toured with Creed in 1998.
The band juggled several names before settling for Alter Bridge. The name comes from a bridge on Alter Road, close to Tremonti's childhood home. The bridge is at the intersection of Alter and Korte, which forms the border between the city of Detroit, Michigan and the city of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. The bridge signified a boundary to Tremonti when he was a child. His parents didn't want him crossing the bridge because the neighborhood on the other side wasn't considered safe enough for him to play as a child. Other names considered for the band include Downright Solace, and One Day Remains (which would become the title of their debut album).
The band was signed to Wind-up Records and released said debut album on August 10, 2004. The album produced three hit singles and was certified gold in the US, and platinum internationally. In addition, the song "Metalingus" was modified by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and used as the theme song for Adam "Edge" Copeland, starting in October of that year. About a year later, the band appeared on an episode of WWE Raw in 2005 during Edge's worked shoot feud with Matt Hardy, as they were shown backstage with Adam Copeland, who cited them as his good friends.
In April 2006, Alter Bridge announced that they had terminated their contract with Wind-Up Records, securing the rights to much of their studio and live catalog. The split was due to the pressure put on Tremonti, Phillips, and Marshall to reunite with Scott Stapp and reform Creed. By May 25, 2007, they had finished recording the new album. On July 9, 2007, it was announced that the band was signed by Universal Republic Records.
Their next album, titled 'Blackbird,' was released on October 9, 2007. The first single off the new album is titled "Rise Today," and was released for digital download on July 30, 2007.
Current Alter Bridge and former Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti sits down for a chat with CleveRock Music Portal's T. Patrick Fenner backstage at Rock on the Range in Columbus, OH on 5.18.08 for a quick chat. Tremonti discusses his contribution to the new Sevendust album, explains why live touring is what keeps musicians afloat in today's music economy, dismisses the myth that being a rock star is easy, talks about the difficulty of trying to write material by oneself, and tells us all about his guitar effects toys.
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