Review: Black Country Communion - Afterglow

A random thought passes as I listen to Black Country Communion's new album Afterglow: with the recent bad blood between bassist Glenn Hughes and guitarist Joe Bonamassa, if Bonamassa was on fire, would Hughes put him out?

Answer, not on Afterglow he doesn't.

Throughout the band's third studio album in as many years, Bonamassa's playing is smoking: Big Train's wah-wah infused rave up; the white hot solos on Midnight Sun and the Giver; the guitar intro to Midnight Sun; or the slow burning slide on Cry Freedom. Bonamassa lights the album up with his best playing to date with this band. Hughes response is to fuel the flames with a collection of songs of great licks and words that twist and turn, offer loud and soft (light and shade?) moments throughout.

If, as has been allowed as possible through various media outlets, this is the end of the line for Black Country Communion, it will prove to be a great pity. On reviewing their first album, I offered a number of times their influences came to the top, on their second album, I noted less of this. On this album, they sound from start to finish uniquely like themselves. Hey are a band that has found an identity. Moments like the dual Hughes/Bonamassa vocals on Cry Freedom or the tight, super-funky groove Hughes and drummer Jason Bonaham get on the Bonham penned piece Common Man sound like Black Country Communion and no one else.

You can't talk about Afterglow without also mentioning Derek Sherinian, who takes a greater role than the first two albums, playing a couple of organ solos that are exceptional. His playing throughout is top notch.

Black Country Communion's Afterglow, which was released yesterday is a great rock and roll album that will improve with time and listenings. It is what these guys do best, flat out rock.

Tracklist:

1. Big Train (Hughes)


2. This is Your Time (Bonham/Bonamassa/Sherinian) (Lyrics Bonham/Hughes)


3. Midnight Sun (Bonham/Bonamassa/Sherinian)(Lyrics: Hughes)


4. Confessor (Hughes)


5. Cry Freedom (Hughes/Bonamassa/Bonham/Sherinian)(Lyrics: Hughes)


6. Afterglow (Hughes)


7. Dandelion (Hughes)


8. The Circle (Hughes)


9. Common Man (Bonham) (Lyrics Bonham/Hughes)


10. The Giver (Hughes/Bonamassa/Shirley) (Lyrics Hughes)


11. Crawl (Bonamassa/Bonham/Hughes/Shirley) (Lyrics Hughes)

New Country Communion

With 6 weeks to go until Afterglow is released, Black Country Communion has made the first single, Confessor, available. To get a free download of Confessor, go here, and give your email address.

A video of Confessor was also made available:



Here's the artwork for Afterglow



Afterglow Track List:

1. Big Train
2. This Is Your Time
3. Midnight Sun
4. Confessor
5. Cry Freedom
6. Afterglow
7. Dandelion
8. The Circle
9. Common Man
10. The Giver
11. Crawl

Afterglow - The Video and the Preorder

Black Country Communion's third studio album, Afterglow, is now available for pre-order through the Black Country Communion website.

As well, the band released an "in the studio" video yesterday called AFTERGLOW Webisode 1:



Meanwhile, Glenn Hughes seems to be backing away from comments he made last month that this could be Black Country Communion's last album. In an interview, Hughes said that without a deeper level of commitment from guitarist Joe Bonamassa, who also has a successful solo career, perhaps it was time to move on.

Today on twitter, Hughes backed away from that statement:

Peeps~BCC is not splitting up~we have a new album comin'~hey I get a lil sensitive with the media...and controversy makes for good copy..GH

Black Country Communion Artwork

Black Country Communion released the artwork for their third studio album, Afterglow, today.




As well as the artwork, they released a short video on the making of Afterglow. If the musical clip played on the video is any indication, this album will be a treat for fans.




Afterglow is available October 30th and can be pre-ordered beginning September 11th.