Hot on the heels of last year’s debut release comes the second sonic slab from rock supergroup Black Country Communion. If their first album was hewn from Led-Purple-Deep-Zeppelin granite, their sophomore effort expands, bends and traverses the template.
2 is a more cohesive and challenging entity than its predecessor, dispelling any charges of rock legends ‘frankensteined’ together with stitches showing.
‘I Can See Your Spirit’ has a hypnotic snakes and ladders riff, power-house drumming and a disappearing low-fi solo, playing cat and mouse with an exuberant keyboard run. Indeed, Derek Sherinian’s ivory tinkling coaxes many of the tracks down unexpected paths. His surreal soundscapes weave their way through Joe Bonamassa’s spellbindingly unshackled and adventurous guitar playing.
‘The Battle for Hadrian’s Wall’ moves from quixotic folk, to rock blast, soporific acid trip and discordant noise dirge before pulling you back from the precipice into a warm, hippy-infused desert wander. Such shape-shifting emotions are on display throughout the album.
The epic ‘Save Me’ heads into the prog-o-sphere, staccato riffing and soaring vocals pleading to be taken “down to the river” only to be met by an Eastern shimmer amidst the question marks and hounded howls spilling from Bonamassa’a fret board. ‘Crossfire’ has a light-hearted touch with a playful psychedelia meshing with proggy twinges, a gut-wrenching riff and soaring snippets of AOR alchemy.
These guys can play. Yes we know. These guys can play together. Yes they can, and then some. Roll on BCC ‘3’.