It’s about time we had another Alter Bridge release. Myles Kennedy and co always deliver the goods. They’ve released new single, ‘Playing Aces’.
The track opens with that signature dual-guitar attack that’s become Alter Bridge‘s calling card. Kennedy (vocals/guitars), Mark Tremonti (guitars/vocals), Brian Marshall (bass), and Scott Phillips (drums) lock into a groove that feels both familiar and fresh. The verses build with purpose before erupting into one of those soaring choruses that the band does better than almost anyone else.
Kennedy explains the song’s meaning: the title refers to risking everything regardless of past failures. It’s a last-ditch effort to come out on top.
‘Playing Aces’ is the second taste of Alter Bridge, the band’s eighth studio album dropping January 9, 2026, via Napalm Records. The first single, ‘Silent Divide’, has already surpassed 4 million YouTube views and continues climbing at US Active Rock radio. Longtime collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette returns as producer, with recording split between the legendary 5150 Studios in California and Baskette’s Florida studio.
The album spans 12 tracks, closing with ‘Slave To Master’, the longest song the band has ever recorded. Other highlights include ‘Trust In Me’, which showcases the vocal interplay between Kennedy and Tremonti, and the heavy ‘Tested And Able’.
The What Lies Within Tour kicks off January 15 in Hamburg, Germany, with Daughtry and Sevendust as support across 31 European dates. UK fans can catch the band at Newcastle, Manchester, Dublin, Glasgow, London’s O2, and Nottingham before the run wraps March 5.
Come summer, Alter Bridge headline their inaugural Blackbird Festival at Cardiff Castle on June 27, alongside Skindred, Bush, Florence Black, and Cardinal Black.
