Black Country Communion - 'V' Review

 

Black Country Communion - V

2024 sees the fifth release by the mega-rock group Black Country Communion. Surprisingly after the last album was BCCIV, they’ve gone with….and I know you’ll be surprised….V

The gang is all back, fighting fit and raring to go. In case you have been living under a rock, for the uninitiated, BCC includes the talents of Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian, and Jason Bonham. Also along for the ride is erstwhile collaborator Kevin ‘Caveman’ Shirley. For the sake of everything thats come before I think BCC 1-4 have had some really great songs that you could probably make up on hell of a single album with. But with V, and I don’t know if this is because the break between albums has been is greatest, but they have come back supercharged and with added ‘Ooomph!’

Founded in MMIX, BCC came out of the traps like a stabbed rat with 3 albums in 3 years, 2010-2012. This followed with BCCIV coming 5 years further down the line. A break up ensued in 2012 with Hughes stating that Afterglow might be the bands last album, blaming the bands lack of regular touring.  Things got heated, a gig in Wolverhampton was pulled, and Bonamassa wouldn’t let the other 3 use the name Black Country Communion.

However the fickle finger of fate always seems to raise its head when there good chemistry and money on the table (I.e.album sales). I might sound that I have a  bone to pick, but I honestly do not. Ive loved Hughes voice ever since I first heard Burn. Whilst I don’t own a single Bonamassa album, one of my fave BCC songs is The Last Song For My Resting Place. As far as Bonham and Sheridan go I was a fan of Airrace, Bonham, and Sherinians time spent in Dream Theatre and Platypus.

Some 7 years after BCCIX, comes, V. With V BCC have probably (definitely) released their best and most consistent piece of work to date. Hughes is an absolute beast of a vocalist. He has no right to sing this good. He is one of the few (if any) where their voice has got even better in their 7th decade. If you think that the opener ‘Enlightened’ blows away the cobwebs then wait until you get your lug’oles around the first 2 singles where Hughes brings the funk into ‘Stay Free’, with its roots coming from Wild Cherry, and ‘Red Sun’ has a riff that’ll loosen those fillings for you without even having to find a NHS dentist. I can only dream of a set that are like Glenns!

‘Restless’ sees Joe come to the fore for the blues soaked ‘Restless’. ‘Letting Go’ has a riff that AC/DC Bon Scott era would have been proud of. ‘Skyway’ has echoes of ‘Space Trucking’ courtesy of Sherinians opening salvo. In many of the songs it is a vocal and guitar riff trade off between Bonamassa and Hughes. Whatever Joe can play, Glenn can match him in vocal histrionics. Such so is the intro to ‘You’re Not Alone’ I half expect Joe Cocker to pipe up. The song soon melds into Black Zeppelin territory (it had to appear somewhere!) and Bonamassa steps up to the mic in the main. Its a fair trade off, and you have to have a certain amount of confidence to trade off with Hughes, and it works well, and should happen more frequently. 

Theres a thunder and lightning approach to the relatively short ‘Too Far Gone’. Hughes goes on a few vocal runs, whilst Sherinian whips out his Hammond. Finally we are up to ‘The Open Road’ and we are back in Hughes’ bedroom funking it out, but with Bonamassa taking over the reins for the explosive solo in the second half. (I wonder if in future Bonamassa will quit, quoting Blackmore that BCC was turning into a EXPLETIVE band). I certainly hope not.

So, the super-group moniker is used far too freely, but in the case of BCC it is very rightly so. All the gang bring their own game to V, making it one of the best rock albums if 2024, and the best in the BCC catalogue

Okay, so they cant tour for love or money, but is one hell of a legacy to leave behind. 

9/10 or should that be IX/X

Review by Paul Chesworth

Tracklisting - 

Enlighten

Stay Free

Red Sun

Restless

Letting Go

Skyway

You’re Not Alone

Love and Faith

Too Far Gone

The Open Road

BCC are

Glenn Higher - Vocals and Bass

JoeBonamassa - Guitar and vocals

Jason Bonham - Drums

Derek Sherinian - Keys