Black Country Communion strike again! Their third record ‘Afterglow’ is a pounding, groovy rock delight and most definitely has some treats in store for you. Despite the issues of recent times; Hughes, Bonamassa, Bonham and Sherinian have really created a simply outstanding rock record. As ‘Big Train’ comes rollin’ in, I am instantly reminded of ‘She Builds Quick Machines’ by Velvet Revolver, the two are quite similar. I love the attitude of this song. Bonham is on fine form and really shines on this track, with his hard hitting beats, he is an absolute power house. ‘This Is Your Time’ starts with a delicious groove that instantly demands your focus. Written by Bonham on an iPhone whilst driving, it really displays the extent of his talent. It has a great rhythm and bass line at the intro. Glenn’s vocals really are undeniable as he sings with a really heart-warming tone “This is your time, it’s in your hands, this is your time to make your stand.” This is a close favourite of mine. I love the way you can really hear how the band have come together. ‘Midnight Sun’ is the perfect example. Instantly you feel Glenn’s vocals completely dominate you, they don’t call him one of rock’s greatest vocalists for nothin’!! Bonamassa’s guitar solo is immense and the song as a whole has a wonderful and very radio friendly presence. ‘Confessor’ is a thunderous straight up rock ‘n’ roll tune. Bonham has a fabulous presence on this track and his drumming is such a pleasure to hear, so solid; and the fills used throughout have a great variety and really switch it up. Combined with the pure power of Joe Bonamassa and Derek Sherinian’s solos this song is a tad more powerful than originally intended as Glenn Hughes says “When Jason turbo-d it up it really came to life” which is no word of a lie. Another stand out track to me is the very bluesy ‘Cry Freedom’ which has a great camaraderie between Hughes and Bonamassa as they share the vocals and sound fabulous together. It has a great groove to it and is one of my favourites. ‘Afterglow’ as an album is track after track of brilliant rock steady songs that are written and performed incredibly well. There is not one song that doesn’t deliver. Black Country Communion are in their element on this record and I really hope that there will be many more to come. Albums like this remind us why this band is so special.
2 Comments
James
11/17/2012 01:03:55 am
Spot on. I loved the first 2 BCC albums but afterglow is their best yet.
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July 2014
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