The Shreveport Times Alter Bridge reaches the Strand January 7, 2005 Alter Bridge will perform at The Strand Theatre on Jan. 13. (Special to The Times) Is Alter Bridge the second coming of Creed or a completely new band? After frontman Scott Stapp left Creed, two of the band's members were faced with the choice of simply giving up after three strong-selling albums or trying something new. Fortunately for fans who saw Stapp's onstage grandstanding as unwarranted egomania, they chose the latter path. Guitarist Mark Tremonti took the initiative to form Alter Bridge with drummer Scott Phillips and the original Creed bassist, Brian Marshall. What has really changed the musicians' sound is the addition of singer Myles Kennedy, who also plays guitar. When Stapp fronted these musicians, he often came off as self-righteous. Though some adored his egoism, Stapp had a way of transforming the search for a soul into a weepy, overdramatic mess. Creed's album sales remained strong, but Stapp's tiresome act was arguably bankrupting the band's artistic future. As can be heard on Alter Bridge's debut album, One Day Remains (August 2004), Kennedy's got a higher, stronger and less rich voice than Stapp. This noticeable difference may serve the band well if they can survive their first tour. Whereas Creed was soft and fuzzy around their rock 'n' roll edges, Alter Bridge has a rougher, perhaps angrier sound that's more in tune with its message. Like Creed, their songs still address things like inner peace, fighting the fight alone, finding a way and angels. Yet Alter Bridge's message of hope is tinged by a tone of frustration that may better reflect the band members' true experiences. Some listeners may quickly dismiss Kennedy as a poor substitute for Stapp or a less-talented imitator of Chris Cornell. But this vocalist has some pipes and deserves a listen. If willing to follow his creative lead, Alter Bridge just may re-energize a fan base that's searching for a new savior.