Let’s be honest whatever Scott Stapp puts out, is always going to be compared to his work in the band he left 15 years ago (especially now they are about to be reunited) I did it myself when I reviewed his 2019 record, “The Space Between The Shadows” (ironically I made a joke about not liking Alter Bridge, and how I took instant dislikes to things, and five years later I like Alter Bridge), do not sell millions of records, without knowing what you’re doing. And that album from the last decade, was an absolute belter.
This one, is as ready for the Rock Charts as can be, produced by heavyweights Marti Frederiksen and Scott Stevens, with co-production by Stapp, in some respects it is business as usual, in others though, this is very now.
Immediately that “Higher Power” starts, two things are obvious. First its Scott Stapp. Big, swaggering arena rock is his stock in trade after all. But it’s a modern Scott Stapp. This is US arena rock 2024, not 1994.
The title track is heavy and dark, and “Deadmans Trigger” sort of repeats the dose, but with the biggest damn hook you’ve ever heard.
There are records that are stripped down, and make a virtue of their sparseness, “….Power” is not one of those – indeed even the slower ones like “Love Is Not Enough” are multi-layered stadium fillers. And Yiannis Papadopoulos’ cameo on the fabulous “Want What I Deserve” is worth the record on its own.
Because he’s Scott Stapp and, you know, he’s able to call on special guests all over the place. Dorothy puts in appearance on the mellow, plaintive, “If These Walls Could Talk”, but even when its “just” the band on “Black Butterfly” and the likes, its brilliantly done.
Papadopoulos is back for the blues tinged “Quicksand” and if “You’re Not Alone” is like stepping back in time to when bands like Skid Row always had an acoustic ballad, then its all the better for it.
Never mind the quality of the songs for a minute – although they are stunningly done – we need to talk about Stapp’s voice. He has a voice that was simply given to sing rock songs. He’s perfect for it, and when it all aligns as it does “Dancing In The Rain” it’s quite something. Jon Bon Jovi might steal this, frankly.
A record that is roughly split between heavy and ballads ends with one of the latter. “Weight of the World” sounds like its carrying it too, as it builds from its piano base, and it appears that he’s poured himself deep into this.
As much as anything has been, maybe music is the salvation for Scott Stapp. He’s been through it and come out the other side and every day still might be a battle, but he has the ability the skill, and the class, to make Hard Rock albums, sound as this one does: almost effortlessly brilliant. On “Higher Power” he sounds like a man possessed.
Rating 8.5/10
