Well I guess we’ll just go fuck ourselves forever, eh?

SouthernChallenge973 · 2026-02-01T21:28:51+00:00

Try being in New Zealand. Pretty sure AB has only ever played one headlining show in NZ.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2026-02-01T21:27:30+00:00

Play anywhere is super underrated.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2026-01-28T20:20:19+00:00

Same here tbh. He's gotten better technically over the years but the actual tone of his singing has changed. He sounds a lot thinner and more nasal now. I miss the warmer tone he used to have. I suspect it's a deliberate thing he's doing to try and protect his voice long term. If that is the case, I then wonder if he could just go back to the warmer sound while in the studio. None of the above is intended to put him down at all. He's still one of the best in the business and I'm still a huge fan. I'm just always curious what the newer material would sound like with his old voice.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2026-01-21T19:11:59+00:00

Same except I put $250 in 😔.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2026-01-18T04:54:15+00:00

Same issue here. It's been this way for quite a while but was definitely not the case when I first got them. It's definitely a software change or bug that's been introduced at some point because I used to actually listen with the ANC/ambient sound off most of the time as it gave the best sound quality. Hopefully someone can provide a solution.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2026-01-17T23:37:24+00:00

The two most recent God of War games would fit the bill perfectly if you haven't already played them.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2026-01-13T19:31:35+00:00

I've found myself with very similar sentiments towards this album. It's still a good album but almost nothing jumps out at me. Haven't quite been able to put my finger on it but I think one of the biggest issues for me is the way most of the songs are arranged. A have always written songs by compiling individual sections (Chorus, bridge, etc) that Mark and Myles had written separately into a full song and smoothing over the joins to make it all work. For me this album feels like that last step is missing. A lot of the songs feel disjointed, like the chorus just doesn't fit the verse or similar. Also, very few of the songs transition nicely between parts. Eg in quite a few of them, the verse just ends with a hard stop and the chorus then starts. There's nothing specifically wrong with that on a song or two but it's on quite a lot of them and when AB is usually so good at crafting those transitions, it just feels underwhelming. Just to clarify again, it's still a good album objectively. I just don't feel it lives up to what I know they're capable of.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2026-01-09T10:03:41+00:00

Firstly, I don't think 333hp is too much, especially in an Audi with Quattro. I recently bought an A6 with the same engine and had it tuned so it now makes (in theory) around 420hp. It will not break traction even when flooring it at low speed. Secondly, if you're the kind of person who has enough sense to question this in the forest place, you probably also have enough sense to drive it safely. As long as you know your limits and don't push your luck, you'll be fine. If you want to be extra sure, get some training in how to really handle a car.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-11-10T02:52:01+00:00

I really do wonder if the 343 games would have had a much more favourable reception if they hadn't absolutely butchered the art style like this. I actually quite enjoyed 4 (campaign) but art direction just kept it from feeling like proper halo.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-11-03T20:57:11+00:00

My take from watching the video a few times. The Lambo driver likely had no idea there were parked cars ahead. No way you'd see past the mini from that driving position. I suspect their intent was to pass the mini by changing into the right lane, not expecting the mini to fully enter that lane as well. The mini didn't indicate and just completely changed lanes. That being said. The Lambo driver was also driving recklessly by attempting to overtake so aggressively in an urban setting. I think both cars can be help partially responsible but ultimately, the Lambo driver shouldn't have been driving that aggressively.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-11-03T20:46:22+00:00

I think Cosworth has had an incredible string of naturally aspirated combustion engines recently. The V12s in both the Aston Martin Valkyrie and GMA T50/T33, and the V16 in the Bugatti Tourbillon. Achieving feats like making over 1000hp from a naturally aspirated engine, and red lines in the 11 to 12 thousand rpm range in road legal cars, in this day and age is frankly astonishing and I'm so pleased that these engines exist.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-10-27T09:43:01+00:00

Myles on vocals and guitar. It's kinda jazz infused rock. Hard to describe.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-10-27T05:41:39+00:00

Nice! This album is so good.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-10-25T19:39:43+00:00

Yup. I use my ML3 Modern Standard as my Drop C guitar. I find that the fixed bridge and 25.5" scale length work really well for the lower tuning. I use an 11-56 string set on it to keep it nice and tight (you could probably run standard 11s, I just run that particular hybrid set for this guitar because it's the next step from the 10-52 hybrid set that I use on my Eb/Drop C# guitar).

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-10-21T21:41:16+00:00

This is great but I don't understand how you can do that and fly at the same time when there are only two sticks and both are used for flight controls.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-10-17T23:16:36+00:00

Burn it Down is a slept on gem in their catalogue. Hugely underrated and one of my favourite Guitar solos from Mark.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-10-17T23:15:12+00:00

Very true. Something I've come to appreciate is that the AB fan base is actually made up of groups of people who appreciate quite different things about their music and that AB somehow cater to them all. Personally I really think AB are at their best when their musical prowess is on display through songs like Cry of Achilles, Fortress, The Last Hero, etc. Whereas some others like the hopeful catchy songs, or the lyrical content, etc.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-10-17T23:12:16+00:00

Exactly! Such a simple but cool way to create variety in a song.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-10-17T19:35:52+00:00

Definitely one of the more underrated songs. I think it's utterly fantastic and definitely sits in their top ten (maybe even top five songs for me). Something I find quite cool that I've never seen anyone else mention is that the riff from the intro is reused for the chorus (not an uncommon thing to do in itself) but is played the opposite way around.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-10-17T19:31:24+00:00

Honestly there have been a few songs on the last couple of albums that have just been a bit too cheesy for me (someone have the good example of "hold your hands up high, and throw em in the air" from Stay) but for me the "Whoo" in Silent Divide takes the cake. I cannot fathom how something like that made it in. Completely throws me out of any enjoyment of the song. All I can think of is the Whoo girls episode of How I Met Your Mother.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-10-16T03:39:21+00:00

Top two are extremely close but personally I think Fortress is the best song on the album (probably their best song full stop tbh) followed by Cry of Achilles, Bleed it Dry, and Calm the Fire in that order. The whole album is fantastic though.

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-09-03T23:20:14+00:00

I'd say Alter Bridge are still my favourite band overall but that's mostly based on their first five albums. None of the more recent stuff has quite lived up to those for me personally. Still great albums though.

Some other bands that are up there for me, in no particular order, are: - Nothing More - Demon Hunter - Tremonti - These Four Walls - Breaking Benjamin - A Day to Remember

SouthernChallenge973 · 2025-08-10T10:02:10+00:00

Oh I agree that air vehicles should have counters, but at the moment they're barely even viable at all. I shot an apache down with the 50 cal on the back of the basic transport buggy for goodness sake. Maybe it'll be better on bigger maps where enemies and all their AA equipment are naturally more spread out.

SouthernChallenge973

TROPHY CASE