Let us not get carried away here. For all that Black Country Communion’s first album was hailed as proof that ‘super-groups’ can work, it was definitely not groundbreaking. Bringing together the collective talents of Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham (son of John of Led Zeppelin), Bloodline blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa and ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian does not lead to gold stirring material; as expected, we instead received an accomplished hard rock record.
If you’re the type of listener who appreciates ‘balls-to-the-wall’ rock in the vein of Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple, Black Country’s follow up record will be right up your alley. There’s easily enough aptitude in the riff department to entertain, but it is the masterful structure and dynamics that show why this band might be hailed as successors to/revivalists of the blues rock giants of the 70s.
What makes this record better than the one that came before it is the instrumental distribution; not to mention the excellent production. Sherinian’s eastern keys on ‘Save Me’ and ‘Man in the Middle’ are very strong. Hughes’ bass is also more at the forefront, whilst maintaining the necessary pulse when needed. There are points in the record where the music drops down until only these two components are left, and the effect is superb: shimmering grooves to guide along the mood, before rolling back into heavier fragments.
With that said, this album is so Seventies Blues, that sceptical listeners will be forced to accept every predictable motif in the book. There are the cheesy solos, as opener ‘The Outsider’ will testify, vocals that sound forced, plenty of overused organ and elements of Free and Skynyrd that will not be for everyone. More appreciated are the references to Led Zeppelin, with Jason Bonham’s motoring rhythms definitely in the spirit of his father.
2 throws you literally no curveballs whatsoever. This is hard/blues/classic/what-have-you rock from four guys that know their way around their instruments. Even if you ignore the cheesiest ingredients, the vision for this album is impeccable, and Black Country Communion produce it in such a dynamic fashion that is hard to not be at least slightly impressed.
Album Rating: 7/10
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If you’re the type of listener who appreciates ‘balls-to-the-wall’ rock in the vein of Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple, Black Country’s follow up record will be right up your alley. There’s easily enough aptitude in the riff department to entertain, but it is the masterful structure and dynamics that show why this band might be hailed as successors to/revivalists of the blues rock giants of the 70s.
