Mark Tremonti has reflected on the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” of writing and recording Alter Bridge's new album at Eddie Van Halen's 5150 Studios, having been afforded the chance by the late electric guitar legend’s son.
For their eighth album – and first since 2022’s Pawns & Kings – Mark Tremonti, Myles Kennedy, and co. said they wanted to “approach the process differently.” Their friendship with Mammoth mastermind Wolfgang Van Halen helped them achieve that, with the band moving into the studios built by Eddie Van Halen, where Van Halen recorded some of their most seminal albums.
In its hallowed spaces, the band and longtime producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette enjoyed writing sessions, pre-production, and drum recording during their month-long stay.
“It gives you the confidence like, ‘We must be doing something right if we’re allowed to be here on this hallowed ground of rock ‘n’ roll’,” says Tremonti via an Instagram post.
“After working for hours, you almost fall into a daydream and forget where you are. Every now and then, you’ll look at the wall, snap out of it, and think, ‘I can’t believe we’re here’. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a dream come true.”
The 5150 sessions were a poignant moment for Tremonti, who had been taken under EVH’s wing during his Creed days.
“I remember Eddie going, ‘Hey, who’s the guitar player?’ and I raised my hand,” Tremonti told Classic Rock last year, looking back on Creed's two shows supporting Van Halen in 1998.
The late shredder was incredibly supportive of a young Tremonti and gifted him his “most prized possession” the next day, with Eddie muscling through a crowd of screaming fans to give it to him.
Over the years, their connection grew. Wolfgang has spent time in Tremonti's solo band and has also helped out in Alter Bridge, leading to a role reversal as Tremonti found himself playing to a crowd that included Eddie Van Halen.
He told Loudwire in January. “He [Eddie Van Halen] came to an Alter Bridge show in LA when Wolfgang was filling in on drums. You'll play a show and see him there, smiling, looking down. It was hard to shake the nerves, but it felt good him being there.
“We went to see them [Van Halen] practice at 5150 Studios, and they were playing the new album [2012's A Different Kind of Truth],” he continued. “They finished a song and I was like, ‘Wolfie, that was a killer song, I loved when you did all the chordy stuff,’ and Eddie was like, ‘Were...were my parts good?’ You're Eddie Van Halen, your parts are always good! But he was always pushing to be the best he could be.”
Tremonti has been road-testing his hotly anticipated pedal line, with one of his creations poised to be “going after the Klon.” These pedals likely feature on the new Alter Bridge album, alongside what he feels is the unbeatable combination of PRS guitars and Dumble amps.
