Black Stone Cherry's 'Screamin' at the Sky' - Album Review

The four-piece modern southern rockers Black Stone Cherry will always be an important band to me. I am not as much of a fan of them as I once was, but their music was a big part of my teenage years - and I fondly remember a road trip up to Bristol from Plymouth to catch them live for the first time back in 2009. Funnily enough, I recently made a similar trip to Bristol to see the band live again - and the sold out show at The Fleece could well end up being one of the gigs of the year. The band recently undertook a UK tour of some of the smaller venues where they made their debuts in various cities which, considering that they are more used to large theatres and arenas when touring here, led to a string of memorable gigs. The show reminded me why I listened to the band so much back in the day, particularly around the time that Folklore and Superstition came out in 2008 - so it is perhaps fitting that the band have also recently released their eighth studio album Screamin' at the Sky. Black Stone Cherry's career has been an interesting one, and I see Screamin' at the Sky as perhaps the first album of the band's third unofficial era. Their first era, whilst they were signed to Roadrunner Records, saw the growth of the band to perhaps their commercial peak. They filled arenas for the first time on the UK tour for 2014's Magic Mountain (which I reviewed here), but the band have since hinted that this period was perhaps when they were their least happy. I get the impression that Roadrunner were trying to push the band in more of an American-friendly radio rock sound, and this led them to make a change - switching to the relatively more humble Mascot Records and reclaiming their identity with a trio of albums which felt more old-school in sound. Black Stone Cherry have always had a post-grunge side, but it seems that Roadrunner wanted the band to move further in this direction. To me, this second era came to an end with the release of The Human Condition (which I also reviewed here) in 2020. A strong album, The Human Condition was nevertheless a bit of a deck-clearing exercise. Some of the songs included were ones which had been partially written during previous album sessions and never finished - so the album included a mix of styles, including a few post-grunge efforts. It also turned out to be the band's last album with bassist Jon Lawhon - who left the band in 2021. Steve Jewell Jr. replaced Lawhon, and this change represented the first shift in the band's line-up since they formed in 2001. As such, it is easy to see Screamin' at the Sky as the first album of the band's third era. Fittingly, both of the eras I have described were capped off with excellent live albums - even if the most recent live effort featured Jewell rather than Lawhon. Screamin' at the Sky is the first studio album to feature him, though, and he seems to have slotted perfectly into the band - and is also credited with contributing some slide guitar to the album. Frontman Chris Robertson, guitarist Ben Wells, and drummer John Fred Young return here as ever - and Screamin' at the Sky sees very little in the form of outside influence from a songwriting or production perspective, although studio hand Jordan Westfall (who mixed and engineered the album) is credited with co-writing one of the songs.

Despite containing 12 songs, the album is pretty short - at just over 40 minutes long. As such, nothing here outstays its welcome, and it rushes by in no time. It is a pretty hard rocking effort overall, too, but the dynamic sound which fans of the band have come to expect at this point remains very much intact despite the change in personnel. The album's title track kicks things off, and it opens with one of the best guitar riffs that the band have come up with in my view. The guitar tones used by both Robertson and Wells sound full of character - and the punchy drum sound from Young has a real live sound. In fact, the whole album has quite a raw sound overall. There are subtle production additions, such as vocal harmonies and occasional keyboards - but the album overall captures the band's live power. Young in particular sounds unleashed here. His studio performances are often toned down compared to his live outbursts, but his playing here is busier - and the faster sections of the album's title track showcase this, even if the more mid-paced chorus finds him reining it in somewhat. The chorus soars, as is typical of the bands style, whilst a short, but chaotic, guitar solo should remind anyone that has forgotten what a powerful band Black Stone Cherry often are. The riffy song really sets the tone for what is to come - and this vibe is continued on with the mid-paced Nervous. Again, the song opens with a great riff - and it is one that harks back to the band's early days with some genuine southern rock grooves pouring out of the speakers. The arrangement is quite dynamic, though, with the hard-hitting opening soon giving way to a verse which is a bit more restrained - with chiming clean guitars backing Robertson's heartfelt vocals perfectly. The punch of the drums and Jewel's bass gives the song weight, though, and things grow in stature as the chorus is approached. A slightly off-kilter pre-chorus bridges the gap nicely, and the chorus builds on the song's opening riff to create another pretty anthemic and hooky passage. Guitar leads add depth to the chorus, and it is one of the album's most melodic sections in my opinion - which is only helped by the pounding riff beneath it. When the Pain Comes opens with some clean guitar melodies but another slab-like riff soon kicks in, with more mid-paced southern rock grooves establishing themselves early on. Like the previous song, though, there is a bit more of a dynamic approach taken - although this time the verses move back and forth between heavier and gentler sections, before a chiming chorus recalls some of the band's more radio-friendly moments. Jewel's bass fills the verses, and even dominates during the slightly heavier sections, but he really shines in the gentle moments just before the chorus - which are filled with snaking bass notes that transition nicely into the post-grunge chorus. A snappy riff later leads into a short guitar solo, which is surprisingly shreddy given the song's changing mood. Out of Pocket, which was released online at the beginning of the year, is another track which somewhat harks back to the band's early days. The main riff could have sat nicely on the first album, but the verse arrangement is a bit more involved overall - and feels more akin to some of the more adventurous tracks on Folklore and Superstition. Again, Jewel's bass does a lot of the heavy lifting during the verses, whilst choppy clean guitars and Robertson's laid back vocals inject plenty of colour. The song is still dynamic, but it is a bit more clean-cut this time - with the chorus being a much heavier moment overall, with a clear separation between the funky verses and the southern rock grooves of the shout-along chorus. As such, the song is likely to be a live favourite going forward - and it went down well at the recent Bristol show.

Show Me What It Feels Like ups the heaviness a bit, at least at first, and the opening riff is pretty metallic in tone. The guitar tones used are still pretty warm and organic, but the intensity of the riffing feels higher here - and it helps that it is backed by some hard-hitting Young drumming. Despite this, though, the song overall is not all that heavy. There is plenty of weight here, but the song instead is based around a hooky chorus which channels some funk and soul influences - with disco-esque clean guitars adding depth to what is already a groovy tune. The verses are once again pretty bass-heavy, which adds to that funk vibe, but the reprisals of the opening riff which kick in every so often are a good reminder of the band's heavy side - with a tight guitar solo also adding some additional melody. The song's chorus is sure to get stuck in the brain, and it showcases something a little different for the band - despite there being plenty of hard rock grit throughout. R.O.A.R. feels a bit more organic in contrast, and there is a bit of a heartland rock vibe throughout thanks to an aching opening guitar lead - which provides the opening musical hook in place of a more typical riff. The song still rocks, but it feels less riffy overall - and it really suits Robertson's lyrical vocal style, with the track building up to a chorus which harks back to some of the more soulful songs of the band's past. The song is also one that feels a bit more 'produced' overall. There is more of a focus placed on vocal harmonies throughout, and the more spacious arrangement allows for some subtle keyboards and more of a lead guitar presence. In fact, there is lots of great guitar playing throughout - with two excellent and pretty lengthy guitar solos making then cut, as well as the aforementioned opening hook and plenty of fills during the soulful chorus. Smile, World ups the heaviness again, and the track is one of the hardest hitting on the album. It is pretty short, too, but it throws quite a lot into its on-the-surface simple arrangement - with synths adding counter-melodies to the intro riff, and some talk box patterns during the hooky, mid-paced chorus. Despite this quirks, though, the song is pretty typical of the band's core style - with an upbeat message despite the heavy riffing and chaotic drumming. The chorus is one that sinks in after only a couple of listens, and the blazing guitar solo is full of trademark character. The Mess You Made opens in a similar manner to the album's title track, and it is blessed with another excellent riff. It does not quite reach the heights of the album's opening riff, but there is still plenty of excellent guitar playing throughout the track. The verses contain some of the album's most interesting guitar playing in my opinion, with Jewel holding down the groove with Young whilst Robertson and Wells add Allman Brothers-esque guitar harmonies in a call-and-response arrangement with the vocals. Black Stone Cherry are not always a true southern rock band, but these melodies are very much from that school - even if the chorus feels more modern overall with some stadium-ready hooks. Despite all this melody, it was not a song which hit me right away. It is likely to become one of my favourite cuts here, though, and the depth throughout this album is excellent.

Who Are You Today? returns to the more dynamic style which many of the album's early songs utilised - with cleaner verses sitting nicely alongside pounding riffs and a chorus out of the post-grunge canon. The main riff is another pretty heavy one, but the song overall is more murky, and it brings the best out of Robertson vocally. He always excels in my opinion, but he seems to relish songs like this - and he shows off his more soulful delivery during the quieter sections, before screaming a little as the riffs get a heavier. The chiming chorus makes subtle use of vocal harmonies to create a bigger sound, which suits the layered guitar approach nicely, before a somewhat off-kilter guitar solo takes the song in a different direction before a brief bridge doubles down on this with the album's gentlest moment up to this point. Not Afraid is much heavier overall, and the effects-heavy opening riff reminds me of Shooting Star from the band's debut album. It is definitely a song which harks back to the early days of the band, and it is another which is quite metallic overall. The chorus is somewhat less heavy, with melodic guitar patterns backing Robertson's sing-song delivery, but the rest of the song really steams along - with Young's bass drum making the speakers shake and the mid-paced chug of the verses reminding the listener just how tough Black Stone Cherry can sound when they want to. The chorus is pleasingly melodic despite the song's overall punch, and this is a track for those who like it when the band really rock out. A good chunk of this album caters to those people in fairness, but Not Afraid is a real throwback riff-wise - and I imagine it will become a firm favourite of long-time fans. Here's to the Hopeless is the album's only ballad, which is surprising given that some of the band's most popular tracks are their slower ones. Some of their albums may have included a couple too many slower songs in my opinion, and it is good that Screamin' at the Sky focuses on heavier things. That being said, though, Here's to the Hopeless is a great addition to the album. It still rocks pretty hard thanks to the raw production and Young's punchy drum performance, but the band feel a bit more reined in here - with more of a laid back arrangement overall which features clean guitars and some more soulful vocals from Robertson. The chorus reminds me of some of the more upbeat ballads of the band's past, and the subtle use of guitar melodies helps it to shine - whilst the final reprise of it includes some excellent bluesy leads to elevate it further. The song is a nice overall change of pace, and a song which perhaps throws a bone to those who came on board during the band's commercial peak. Closing track You Can Have It All returns to something more riffy, but the arrangement is a bit bigger overall - and the song is another with a bit of a dynamic feel. The chorus is another bigger moment with more 'production' and plenty of harmony vocals, where elsewhere there are plenty of big riffs and another bass-led verse. Jewel has really made his mark on this album in my opinion, and so many of the songs here hinge on his bass playing. The guitar riffs are still king, though, and the riffs here are powerful - as is the last solo section of the album. There are heavier tracks here, but the mix of vibes makes You Can Have It All a great closer - and its final moments return to something much heavier, too, so the album ends with a bang despite the more dynamic arrangement. Given how hard-rocking this album is, Screamin' at the Sky is likely to become my favourite Black Stone Cherry album for quite some time - maybe even my favourite following their first two. I have enjoyed all of the band's albums, but this one feels fierce and by a band ready to go again with new-found vigour - and I can see myself playing it a lot over the coming months.

The album was released on 29th September 2023 via Mascot Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Nervous.