Album Review: Black Country Communion - BCCIV
Rock'n'roll has become slightly sanitised in recent years as profit margins and radio plays are prioritised by many.
But not Black Country Communion. No, they like it loud, brash and riff-ready. This is like a deathly chase with Mad Max down Fury Road. This is what Jeremy Clarkson would describe as 'power'. This is Barry Scott shouting 'CILLIT BANG' out of your stereo.
Glenn Hughes' supergroup are back with record number four – BCCIV. The Cannock-born Deep Purple star has brought his friends back once again to forge the missing link between the rock of old and the rock of now.
He once again slams the bass that helps Dudley's Jason 'Son of John' Bonham keep time on percussion as Dream Theater's Derek Sherinian and the mercurial Joe Bonamassa let loose on guitar.
Hughes and Bonamassa share vocals too, and the result is a rip-roaring ride through monstrous melodies that range between five and nine minutes in length and each act as a battering ram of sound.
From the moment Collide does what it was named to do with your eardrums you know this is going to be another heavy adventure. Its grand chorus with uplifting backing chords momentarily lift it above the lava flow of sound below before we smash back in head-long for another powerful riff.
Bonamassa looks to the tale of Wallace Hartley on The Last Song For My Resting Place - his sole lyrical contribution here. The violinist and band leader on the Titanic, his selfless story inspires this softer, more melancholic track that includes a big stadium chorus and fiddle hooks that pay tribute to him.
Sway is ferocious with its funk-infused riff that pays homage to Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal in its vibe. It's a monster of a track from start to finish, full of aggression that hides more than a dollop of hope in its chorus.
The Crow is another big number with its pulse that sounds more than a little like Rage Against The Machine's Bulls On Parade.
There is no filler here. Each track is engaging and masterful as these super musicians combine to show how rock should be done.
Those looking for something to bang a head to should look no further than this. It is simply brilliant.
Rating: 9/10
Black Country Communion will play one of only two British shows at Wolverhampton's Civic Hall on Tuesday, January 2, 2018
