Black Country Communion's 'V' - Album Review

There was probably a time when Black Country Communion were one of the most talked about new bands on the international rock scene. Supergroups can often disappoint, but the band's self-titled debut album from 2010 received excellent reviews and I think people hoped, and perhaps even expected, big things to follow. After all, with Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian, and Jason Bonham in the same band greatness is to be expected. Supergroups often seem to lack chemistry, but that was never a problem for Black Country Communion - and producer Kevin Shirley brought the best out of the band on that debut album, which remains one of the best classic rock-sounding albums of recent years. In truth, though, I am not sure that the band ever quite lived up to the promise of that debut album. It was clear that Hughes wanted the band to be his next full-time project, and over the next couple of years the band toured a fair bit and released two more albums: 2011's Black Country Communion 2 and 2012's Afterglow; but it was soon clear that there were tensions between Hughes and Bonamassa - with the former wanting the later to essentially commit to the band full-time but the latter not wanting his long-standing solo career to suffer. Following the release of Afterglow, then, which Bonamassa seemed to contribute less to than he had to the previous two albums, it seemed that the band were over. Not much was said about the band for a while, with Hughes and Bonham forming the three-piece California Breed - which lasted one album before calling it a day. Whether it was purely the differing levels of commitment which led to Black Country Communion's seeming demise is unclear, but the band certainly burnt the candle at both ends during that initial run - releasing three albums in as many years alongside touring commitments inside and outside of the band. I seem to recall Shirley getting some of the blame, too, for encouraging this intense working environment - but whatever the reasons might be the band's potential had not really been fulfilled. Fast forward to September 2017, though, and BCCIV (which I reviewed here) dropped. Hughes and Bonamassa had sorted their differences, with the former clearly accepting that Black Country Communion was never going to be a full-time venture, and the pair wrote an album which was easily their best since the debut. I listened to BCCIV a lot when it came out and the break had clearly done the band some good. A handful of live dates followed, but it was clear that the reunion was going to be brief - with everyone soon returning once again to their many other projects. News of a fifth album has been hinted at a fair bit in recent years, though, and last month the band released V - their first album since 2017. The hype which once surrounded the band has long dissipated at this point, but there are still plenty of people interested to hear Hughes and Bonamassa collaborate again - and that is essentially what Black Country Communion boils down to these days. Sherinian and Bonham (and, indeed, Shirley) contributed to the writing of the early albums, but both BCCIV and V were written by Hughes and Bonamassa alone. It is shame that the others seem less involved these days, but both add their years of experience to V.

This album also feels a little more streamlined overall than the band's previous efforts. There are fewer sprawling arrangements and long solos this time, with the songwriting feeling tight and the production a bit less raw. This may disappoint some, but I feel that the overall approach works well - and showcases a bit of a different side to the band. Their core bluesy rock sound is still very much present, though, but Enlighten kicks the album off showcasing a few different ideas. The mid-paced rocker contains plenty of familiar vibes, though, with Bonamassa leading the way early on with a chunky riff, whilst Bonham lays down a tight drum groove. There is a raw bluesy feel to the early part of the song, but when Hughes starts to sing the heaviness is stripped away. The verses here are largely quite low key, then, with his bass and Sherinian's atmospheric keyboards creating a pulsing backing for his soulful vocals. Occasional guitar riffs kick in for heaviness, but generally the verses move along at this slower pace - before the band crash back in for a chorus with a strong melodic sheen. There remains a hard rock undercurrent, but Rush-esque clean guitar melodies sit beneath Hughes' voice whilst Sherinian's Hammond organ adds depth. The opening riff also forms part of the chorus for added heaviness, whilst Bonamassa's guitar solo feels a bit more atmospheric and restrained than is typical. Despite this mix of a hard rocking and a more atmospheric approach, though, the song is still memorable. The chorus is hooky, as is the main riff, and it shows that the band are not sitting still when it comes to songwriting. Stay Free is a bit more typical, though, and is one of two songs here written by Hughes alone. Those who have followed Hughes' career over the years know of his love for funky rock - and Stay Free is very much a funk-driven piece. The main riff, which sees Bonamassa and Sherinian teaming up, is full of funky grooves - which Hughes and Bonham only enhance with their grounding rhythm section antics. The ride cymbal really cuts through the mix to create a focal point whilst the busy keyboard doubling of Bonamassa's guitar gives the song a unique feel. Occasional Hammond washes inject a more classic rock feel, but overall this is a song which really goes for groove in a big way. The chorus is maybe the album's hookiest overall, too, with Hughes still sounding fantastic vocally at 72 - whilst some soulful backing vocals from Jade MacRae and Dannielle DeAndrea add a gospel-esque tinge. Bonamassa's soloing is more stretched out this time, too, and he uses the groove of the song to let rip later on - injecting plenty of fast-paced bluesy melodies into what is already an infectious and upbeat song.

Red Sun takes a much more muscular approach and the song is a real hark back to the core sound which found the band so much love originally. Bonamassa's main riff here provides the main hook which everything else in the song is hung from and it forms the basis of the verses, which are more deliberate pace-wise than anything else on the album up to this point. That being said, though, there is still some variety here. The main riff does dominate, but as the verses move along they enter something of a pre-chorus section which features snappier, cleaner-sounding guitar chords - under which Hughes lays down some busy bass playing. This section adds a little funk edge and helps to transition between the heavier riffing and the more cinematic chorus - which is more atmospheric with plenty of keyboards and mournful guitar lines. There is a Led Zeppelin-esque feel to this chorus, with its strong keyboard backing and Hughes' aching vocals, and this atmospheric vibe is recaptured later during Bonamassa's solo which feels much more progressive rock-inspired thanks to a spacey backing. Restless is a slow blues number, clearly heavily led by Bonamassa, and it acts as the album's only true ballad. Songs like this are the bread and butter of Bonamassa's solo career, but Hughes is no stranger to such a song, either, and the latter sings the slow-burning track with ease - starting off slowly and more emotional before pushing himself a little more as the song grows somewhat in stature. The chorus is a little weightier, then, but this is relative - as the piece never becomes an out and out rocker. Lead guitar-wise, too, this song is most expansive on the album up to this point. It opens with a soaring bluesy solo, and Bonamassa's crying guitar leads constantly inject some melody into the slow-burning verses - all whilst the organ adds a dense backing. The guitar leads drop out during the slightly harder chorus, to allow for some brasher chords, but generally the guitar here is more lead-based than riff-based. Hughes unleashes some real emotion during the more expansive chorus - but the song's highlight for me is Bonamassa's solo. It could have even been longer, really, but the opening trill of notes really sets the tone for what is a great bluesy explosion. Letting Go ups the heaviness again, and it is the second of the two songs solely written by Hughes. It is less funky than Stay Free but it nevertheless has a great kinetic energy  thanks to a simple, repetitive guitar riff which creates a staccato groove alongside Bonham's drumming - whilst occasional organ bursts create a bit of a counter rhythm. It is one of those songs where the looseness of the arrangement serves well to create a strong vibe. The grooves and riffing never quite feel perfect, but songs like this benefit from that sense of spontaneity - and Shirley has always sought to bring that out of the band. The tough riffing and rock organ give the song an edge, too, whilst the chorus is another which is a bit less heavy to allow for a soulful vocal hook to shine.

Continuing on this similar feel, at least early on, is Skyway - a riff-led rocker that opens with a crunchy guitar pattern which is pretty weighty, but the song is a bit more varied overall than the previous track. The main riff drives everything again, but this is another song with slightly slower verses overall. The distant electric piano during the verses helps to ground them, but these verses still feel a bit weightier than some of the more atmospheric moments featured elsewhere. Everything here builds towards the song's chorus, though, which is another of the album's best in my opinion. It is simple, but Hughes' vocals really make it tick - with some big hooks that leap out of the speakers, whilst Sherinian adds some busier Hammond runs. You're Not Alone opens with another big riff, with the track overall being one of the album's most straight forward hard rockers. There have been quite a few twists and turns on this album elsewhere, but this track feels like something which could have easily sat on one of the band's older albums - with the groove of the main riff somewhat recalling Hughes' days with Deep Purple, and a choppy verse featuring some great interplay between the guitars and the organ. Even the more atmospheric moments here feel heavier than they do elsewhere - with the chorus being heavy and cinematic, including some of Hughes' trademark higher-pitched vocals. A later instrumental section features some busy organ and guitar trade-offs, too, and it is great to hear some leads from Sherinian. Going for a more cinematic approach, though, Love and Faith feels a bit more deliberate overall - with another Led Zeppelin-esque riff with a Kashmir-esque drive and plenty of symphonic keyboards. It is sung as a duet between Hughes and Bonamassa, too, and it is the only song here which features Bonamassa singing prominently. He sung one or two songs on each of the previous albums, so it is good to hear him singing again here. His bluesy voice mixes well with Hughes' more soulful approach. It is a shame that we did not get to hear more from Bonamassa vocally on this album as he has generally sung at least one song alone previously on previous albums - but he gets a lot of time at the microphone here and the mix of vocal styles works well. There are a lot more keyboards here, too, so the song feels much more of a true band effort. I have highlighted a lot of Sherinian's contributions to this album so far, but generally the mix favours Bonamassa throughout. The mix of keyboard sounds here, though, from symphonic strings, through piano, to rumbling organ, helps to make the song stand out - and Bonamassa adds another excellent solo to the twisting and varied piece. It is a song which grows in stature with each listen, and it has become one of my favourites here.

Too Far Gone ups the pace again and returns to the band's core sound with another stabbing main riff which essentially forms the basis of the entire track. Following the somewhat more complex arrangement of the previous song, this simpler approach works nicely. I like the variety on this album, but it is also good to hear a few back-to-basics hard rockers. This is a song, though, where I wish that Sherinian's contributions were a bit more prominent. He adds a lot to this album but, as mentioned, the guitars pretty much always dominate. This song could gave really done with some Jon Lord/Ken Hensley-esque Hammond organ at times - and when a brief organ solo does fire up out of nowhere later on in the song it proves my point. The album then comes to a close with The Open Road, another slightly funky piece with a strong groove throughout and an infectious attitude which does feel much more of a 'band' piece overall. The keyboards are a bit higher in the mix this time, which is welcome, and Bonham also impresses with a busy drum performance which includes plenty of jazzy and tom-heavy fills. Washes of organ, a surprisingly busy guitar riff, and some of Hughes' trademark soulful vocals really make the song tick. It is another slightly varied piece arrangement-wise, too, as when Bonamassa starts to solo the song slows down quite a bit - but his bluesy soloing is cutting and full of bite. This is no slow blues moment despite the pace slowing a bit, with his solo being full of busy licks and melodies phrases - and it is fitting that it is on the longer side given that this song closes the album. A reprise of the chorus does up the pace again towards the end, but it is the solo which is the song's lasting memory - and the album ends on a high as a result. In truth, though, there are not really any lows here. When I first listened to this album it did not grab me in a big way in truth, but it is one that really grows over time. It feels a bit more mature than anything the band have done before and the relative variety here is welcome. There is still plenty of meaty hard rock here, though, showing that the Hughes/Bonamassa partnership appears to be as strong as ever.

The album was released on 14th June 2024 via J&R Adventures. Below is the band's promotional video for Enlighten.