Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Black Country Communion
Label: Mascot Records
Release: 2017
Runtime: 60:31
Rating: 4.5/5
The members of the supergroup Black Country Communion hardly need an introduction anymore, since their rich musical careers could easily be the subject of countless doctoral theses. Four musical grandmasters, Glenn ‘ the Voice of Rock’ Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian and John Bonham, have joined forces once more to record their fourth studio album, somewhat unimaginatively titled »BCCIV«. Honestly, hardly anyone expected such a quick reunion after their third studio album, »Afterglow« (2012), since Hughes and Bonamassa had (predictably) run into a clash of creative egos. Back then it looked like it was all over, especially when Hughes and Bonham started their own band, California Breed, in 2013.
Over the course of five years the two famous guys finally patched things up, and the end result of these four outstanding talents creating together again is a refreshing album that’s far more dynamic, varied and authentic than its at times almost ‘laboratory-like’ and slightly boring predecessor »Afterglow« (2012). The opener »Collide« is, not too surprisingly, a punchy number that shows off all the instrumental, songwriting and arranging strengths of this super-lineup; Hughes doesn’t hold back on the energetic vocal shredding, Bonamassa serves up a few interesting guitar tricks and juicy blues riffs right from the start, Bonham dictates a firm rhythm the whole way through, while Sherinian provides the right sonic backdrop for it all.
»Over My Head« is a hard rocker driven by a mighty riff, with a lovely, melodic chorus that Hughes tops off with a pinch of soul, while the guitar harmonies in the middle section recall something Ritchie Blackmore might have come up with somewhere in the mid-seventies. »The Last Song For My Resting Place«, an ‘Irish adventure’ where Bonamassa takes the lead vocals, deserves a special mention. This one has a strong folk-rock stamp with very pleasant string and wind arrangements, which makes it feel incredibly refreshing, and its chorus is one of the best on the album. On the dramatic »Sway« Hughes returns to the lead vocal ‘action’ and proves, as if it were nothing, why he’s still one of the best singers in rock, while »The Cove« heads into slower, more blues-rock waters with plenty of room for melancholic guitar passages.
»The Crow« builds on an all-around bombast with hefty hard rock moves, but still manages to strike the right balance between punch and sophistication in time. Short solos from Hughes, Sherinian and Bonamassa make for a nice ‘dessert’. The epic »Wanderlust« is the most complex achievement on »BCCIV«, and you can hear in every single second that all four members of the super-crew had an immense amount of fun creating and playing it. By usual BCC standards this one almost falls into ‘prog territory’ and once again testifies to the unusual, commendable eclecticism of »BCCIV«, which doesn’t contain a single boring moment.
»Black Country Communion« are back with an excellent ‘comeback’ album on which they once again sound like a tight, inspired unit, back on healthy creative footing. Hughes and Bonamassa managed to bury the ‘hatchet’ and squeeze the best out of the super-lineup through the creative process, and the result is a surprisingly inspired and fresh album that you won’t easily get tired of, as used to happen in the past.
Lineup
Glenn Hughes – lead vocals, bass guitar
Joe Bonamassa – guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on “The Last Song for My Resting Place”)
Jason Bonham – drums, percussion
Derek Sherinian – keyboards
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Gerry O’Connor – tin whistle on “The Last Song for My Resting Place”
Production
Kevin Shirley
Track list
1. Collide
2. Over My Head
3. The Last Song for My Resting Place
4. Sway
5. The Cove
6. The Crow
7. Wanderlust
8. Love Remains
9. Awake
10. When the Morning Comes
