Hellfest 2023 – Alter Bridge take the stage looking sharp and fairly discreet in black shirts and jeans as they strike up Silver Tongue. There is a brief onstage scratching of heads as guitarist Mark Tremonti’s guitar cuts out of the first song, but they power through it like the seasoned professionals they are, and as they start the grinding riffs on Addicted To Pain, everything is back to normal.
That might just be a fine metaphor for Alter Bridge themselves. The band has always been rock steady and professional enough to soldier on while still giving all the members the space and time to do their own thing, whether it’s Slash or Sinatra.
At Hellfest, Alter Bridge crack through an airtight eight-song set that covers most of their biggest songs. A soaring rendition of the epic Blackbird is followed by the lean-powered sing-along of Isolation.
They close their set with a raucous, heavy closing Metalingus. They may not be the most exciting band on the bill in that you don’t get the controversy of Poison, for example. But Alter Bridge are the king of consistency and keeping their fans happy. Today was just immense.
Take Part: Are you at Hellfest this year? Who are you looking forward to see? Want to get in touch and tell us how it’s going? Email MetalTalk Editor Steve Ritchie to tell us how it’s going for you. Hellfest@MetalTalk.net
Hellfest 2023
MetalTalk Hellfest 2023 coverage can be found at https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2023
This year’s MetalTalk team is:
Photography:
For Hellfest 2022, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2022
