As a supergroup comprising ex-members of Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Dream Theater, Black Country Communion have rattled off three albums in quick succession. Although their self-titled debut was among the defining classic hard rock releases of 2010, its follow-up, 2, was deeper and darker, requiring a little extra patience.
A little more than two years after that debut, Afterglow looks likely to complete the cycle, not only due to its slightly more demanding content but also because the band’s future seems in serious doubt. Glenn Hughes – the bassist/vocalist responsible for most its songs – wants to go out on tour, but guitarist Joe Bonamassa, with a solo career on the rise, is pushing in the other direction.
Glenn has done an exemplary job of piloting the quartet’s continued path. While the production expertise of Kevin Shirley (Maiden, Aerosmith) ensures that BCC sound fresh and contemporary, the Voice Of Rock (as Glenn is nicknamed) has summoned a set of tunes that belong in the 1970s – in the best possible way.
One listen to songs like Confessor and This Is Your Time and you’ll be drawn in; repeated spins will lead to addiction.
