ALTER BRIDGE’s One Day Remains 20th Anniversary Edition - A Timeless Classic Reborn

Alter Bridge is a band that has been around for two decades at this point. They have been touring extensively since then and have earned a reputation for delivering one of the best live experiences any band offers today. However, with this latest release, the band wanted to go back to the beginning—to where it all started. This is the 20th Anniversary edition of Alter Bridge’s first album, One Day Remains, where we are not only taken on a nostalgic ride through the classic songs, but we are also graced with a few live performances from that era, remastered audio, and an extra song that has never been featured on an Alter Bridge full-length album.

Those familiar with this album will immediately recognize the sound and feel of the drums, guitar, and bass all blasting in at the same time on “Find The Real.” This opening track is a strong representation of the remastered audio, with all the instruments at their most powerful. It’s crystal clear, with subtle touches to the production that make it feel as if it were engineered and produced in this decade. The mixing and mastering were already phenomenal, but these remastered tracks give the album another chance to shine—even decades later.

“The remastered tracks give One Day Remains another chance to shine—even decades later.”

The additions to the album include some amazing live performances and the rare song “Save Me.” This track previously appeared on the 2005 film Elektra and was unreleased apart from that soundtrack, making it a nice treat for true fans to sink into. The live performances are a welcome addition, reflecting some of the earliest shows that Alter Bridge played. These include “One Day Remains,” “Burn It Down,” “Open Your Eyes,” “Broken Wings,” and “Metallingus,” all recorded at Phase One Studios in Toronto, CA. While these tracks showed the promise of how the band would sound live, they also highlight how much the band has grown together over the years—despite already having clear chemistry at the start of their career.

In closing, the core of the songs remains unchanged in this album. However, that doesn’t come at a cost. The quality-of-life improvements in the audio give this album another chance to shine for longtime fans or even for newer listeners discovering it for the first time. The unreleased track is a standout, and the live performances are a great touch. This album is the best repackaging of One Day Remains and a worthy revisit to one of the best rock albums of the mid-2000s.