10 Essential Gateway Tracks To Get You Into Metal

10. Alter Bridge "Ties That Bind" - Blackbird

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEjM_wF1VBA Alter Bridge was formed on the heels of Creed's breakup in 2004 when lead singer Scott Stapp went solo. The remaining Creed members added phenomenal talent Myles Kennedy as their rythm guitarist and lead singer. Kennedy is talented to the extent that he was tapped to be iconic axeman Slash's (Guns N Roses, Velvet Revolver) vocalist on 2012's Apocalyptic Love. The track in question; Ties That Bind, was named the 41st greatest guitar song of the decade by British magazine Total Guitar for good reason. The opening song for the band's second album 'Blackbird', features some frenzied hypnotic riffing, soloing and a terrific melody by vocalist Kennedy. These elements that make the track the perfect introduction to potential metal converts. Alter Bridge released their fourth album, "Fortress" in September of 2013; an excellent review by WC's Scott Tailford can be read here.
Contributor
Contributor

Ross Ingall is a 52 year old ordained Canadian baptist minister who has been listening to hard rock and metal quite literally since each was invented. A second career pastor who attended seminary in his 40's, the Rev hosts Too Metal For Church on Metal Nation Radio. Writing both under his own name as well as the psuedonym/nickname Reverend Rock, Ross has been writing music articles on the web since 1999.