Black Country Communion
(J&R Adventures)
Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa wears as a badge of honor the fact that he's never been mentioned in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine, much less earned a coveted cover space that has recently featured the likes of Rhianna and Lady Gaga; this in spite of the fact that he's the best-selling blues artist of the 2000s. In the first few years of the publication's existence, Bonamassa's classic rock "supergroup" Black Country Communion may not have made the cover, but they certainly would have received some sort of coverage for their guitar-heavy blend of rock, soul, and blues. That America's foremost music magazine and, indeed, most stateside music publications - present company excluded - virtually ignored BCC's self-titled 2010 debut album is more of a shame than a critical oversight.
Across the pond, in merry ol' England, that country's rock press has embraced Black Country Communion as musical saviors, and not just because of the fact that vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple, solo artist) and drummer Jason Bonham - he of the Zeppelin bloodline - are Brits. Americans Bonamassa and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) round out the band, the four talented musicians achieving a sound that is so eerily like 1972 raising its thorny head again that it's ridiculous. Black Country Communion successfully captured the classic rock sound of the '70s decade, spruced it up with modern production, and then launched the band gleefully rolling across Europe like conquering pagans worshipping some rock 'n' roll gods of yore.
Less than a year later, here comes Black Country Communion 2, an even bigger, scarier classic rock shibboleth that puts throwback rockers like the Sword or Rose Hill Drive in their proper place. With a chemistry forged by touring behind the first album's material, BCC quickly jumped back in the studio with grand aspirations; the result is an album of monster riffs, larger-than-life vocals, and crashing rhythms guaranteed to bring tears to the eyes of any classic rock fan, whether they were raised in the 1970s or not.
Black Country Communion 2 cranks up the amps from the first note, "The Outsider" roaring in on steel wings with a rapid-paced soundtrack that supports Hughes' lofty, hard-rocking vocals. The song sounds like a cross between AC/DC and Led Zeppelin, but Bonamassa's massive riffing and the blistering rhythm section of Hughes/Bonham drive the song off a different sort of cliff altogether. Suitably warmed up, the band launches into the dino-stomp of "Man In The Middle," the song evincing the funky metallic blues of Hughes' solo work, but with a larger purpose, and a bigger sound, Bonham's drumbeats exploding out of the beast while the guitar and bass rumble malevolently low in the mix, hitting one's ears like a gang fight.
"The Battle For Hadrian's Wall" is patterned along the lines of almost everything on Led Zeppelin III, with a healthy dollop of British folk-rock (think Fairport Convention) thrown in for good measure. Bonamassa's spry acoustic guitarplay supports Hughes' ethereal vocals until a rising crescendo of sound blows the dust and fuzz out of your eardrums. The song carries on, alternating light/dark with some razor-sharp shards of guitar and a fluid, almost jazzy rhythmic soundtrack. The powerful dirge that is "Smokestack Woman" reminds of Hughes' tenure with Deep Purple, mixing high-voltage hard rock cheap thrills with bluesy undercurrents and just enough funky mojo strut to make you forget whatsis-name, that faceless, talentless band you saw play at your local club last weekend. These guys were designed from the ground up to be rock stars, and they let their freak flag fly proudly with each performance. Case in point: "An Ordinary Son," the song riding in with a gentle acoustic intro, shimmering drumbeats, and roaring bass lines, the song building on Hughes' deceptively sedate vocals to reach full gallop, the "Voice of Rock's" soulful vox accompanied by Sherinian's chiming keys low in the mix, and Bonamassa's imaginative fretwork lurking menacingly in the corners.
Another Zeppelinesque rip-n-roar instant classic, "I Can See Your Spirit" swoops in on a dark-hearted recurring riff and bird-of-prey rhythms, the song a non-stop rock 'n' roll roller-coaster teetering dangerously on the edge of the rail. As if there were ever any doubt, Hughes' leather-lunged vocals place him firmly in the rarified stratosphere of esteemed shouters like Robert Plant, Ronnie James Dio, and Rob Halford, the man a bona fide rock 'n' roll god with a small but rabid following. Bonamassa's scorching solo here bleeds blues from the speakers, while Sherinian's manic keyboard runs build upon a legacy built by classic key-benders like Jon Lord and Ken Hensley.
Black Country Communion 2 closes out with "Cold," the song a moody, atmospheric mid-tempo rocker that showcases Bonamassa's gorgeous guitar tone and provocative playing style as well as Bonham's nuanced rhythms. The song itself is hauntingly beautiful, Hughes subtle vocal turns providing the lyrics with turbo-charged emotion and maximum impact as Bonamassa's solos soar magnificently high above the band. Producer Kevin Shirley, Bonamassa's longtime studio cohort, captures every note on the album with perfect balance, providing the band with a signature sound that is both antique in focus and contemporary in sound, simply timeless in execution.
While it may seem that Black Country Communion is hopelessly stuck in a bygone era, pursuing a classic rock sound that only demented old greybeards like the Reverend could appreciate, this "conventional wisdom" - obviously displayed by the ignorance of much of the mainstream U.S. music press - couldn't be further from the truth. While the Brits have gone gaga over BCC, audiences in the states have also begun to embrace the instrumental virtuosity, sincere artistry, and overwhelming joy in the power of rock 'n' roll that is at the core of the band's existence. Black Country Communion 2 sounds like little you've heard in the past 30 years, except for maybe the band's erstwhile debut. The Rev sez "check it out!"
DOWNLOAD: "The Outsider," "Man In The Middle," "An Ordinary Son," "Cold" - REV. KEITH A. GORDON
