Review: Black Country Communion – V

Mascot Label Group (June 14^th, 2024)

Reviewer: Peter Scallan

If you are into classic rock then this bunch should need no introduction. Featuring the talents of Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian, this is their fifth album, imaginatively called ‘V‘. As you would expect it is based on a classic heavy rock sound rooted in the blues. This is their first album since 2017 as both Bonamassa and Hughes have been busy focusing on other projects and/or solo work. This work has also impacted on the ability of the band to tour, although I was lucky enough to catch them on their sole UK tour in Glasgow and I have saw both Bonamassa and Hughes solo a number of times. Needless to say, I am a huge fan of both and BCC, so let’s jump straight and avoid the histrionic history of the band!

The album kicks off with ‘Enlighten‘, which opens with a brief Hammond organ chord before the band come crashing with some serious chops. It then drops into an atmospheric verse and does a few rounds of this before hitting the pacey chorus. Light, shade and variety and only in the first song. Hughes is imperious as always as a vocalist, but Bonamassa really brings his heavy rock chops to the table to once again to prove he can do it all. Next up is the first single from the album ‘Stay Free‘. The introduction brings the inevitable comparison to Zeppelin’s ‘Trampled Underfoot’ in terms of keyboards and guitar parts. However, that is where the comparison ends especially when you get into the magnificent chorus and the breakdown for the guitar solo. ‘Red Sun’ follows on quickly and from the opening riff I get a Soundgarden groove – or is it that both artists are just drawing on the same core influences? Regardless, it is a groovy, grungy and dirty chop of rifftastic proportions. It goes through a number of musical transitions through verse to bridge and then chorus, the like of which very few bands would dare. More light and shade and variation delivered seamlessly by BCC. ‘Restless‘ slows proceedings down and sounds more like a Bonamassa song in terms of being steeped in blues. If Bonamassa were singing it could be from ‘Time Clocks’ – instead we have to make do with Hughes impassioned vocal performance, he says tongue in cheek! The drum intro for ‘Letting Go‘ just reminds you that the talent extends to other member of the band with Jason Bonham playing his part. The songs has a fast-moving staccato riff which builds in the second verse and an interplay of sorts between guitar and organ. The chorus flows nicely as does the guitar solo section and is another fine example of the song-writing on offer here.

‘Skyway‘ builds into a crescendo and then crashes into the band kick out another huge riff. There is another neat transition into a completely different groove which Hughes croons over and then back into the riff for the chorus. ‘Your Not Alone‘ is counted Bonham style and anther crashing blues riff comes in before settling into a Purplesque guitar/organ riff though the verses before morphing into another great chorus via a wonderful bridge. We have an organ intro reminiscent of early Zeppelin before inevitably the power trio of Bonamassa, Hughes and Bonham enter the fray for ‘Love and Faith‘. It builds to a climax and then drops into a Zeppelin-style riff and then changes into staccato guitar riff with both Bonamassa and Hughes singing, and then changes again for the chorus. Not surprisingly this turns into a bit of an epic slow burning track, coming in at over six and a half minutes. Magnificent! Penultimate song, ‘Too Far Gone‘, changes the mood with a lighter, pacey introduction before breaking down into another huge guitar chop for the verse and just romps through the chops as the shortest song on the album coming in at under four minutes. The groove is well and truly back in the house with ‘The Open Road‘, with band funking their way through their journey down this road. They only make a service stop in the middle breakdown for Bonamassa to do some serious blues noodling that builds to a climax, and then take the song to a close funking all the way.

I suppose the above could have some unconscious and probably even some conscious bias, being a fan of this group and of the individuals within it. But, for my money, its really about the fact that not many artists write songs like this. I am not sure if its because they don’t or they can’t due to lack of experience, or for the fear of failing to pull it of. Regardless, there is real craft in composing material like this that will disappear eventually in a flurry of AI inspired soulless copies. While we can still get the real thing, I intend to enjoy it. I suggest you do too before its late – so get it and use it before we lose it!

Tracklist: