If you didn’t listen to the great Glenn Hughes singing My Town (see above) just yet, do it now! C’mon, hit that start button! There is only oneGlenn Hughes and he delivers on this song! Whoa! Enormous song! This song has made me so happy today, I cannot express it in words. Glenns’ vocals are of what being an elite Rock ‘N Roll singer is all about! I cannot say enough here, I’m flabbergasted. Metal Be Thy Name. – Stone
Glenns’ new studio album, Resonate, releases via Frontiers Music SRL this November and you can get the Rockin’ skinny below:
RESONATEis out November 4th and can be pre-ordered on CD or MP3 from Amazon Music here: http://radi.al/ResonateAmazon (All MP3 pre-orders include instant downloads of “My Town” and “Heavy”.)
Black Country Communion – Afterglow is the third studio album from the supergroup that should really be named: Classic Rock Champions. All kidding aside, this Kevin “The Caveman” Shirley produced album is so much more than I expected. With super legendary musicians joining forces with such a prominent producer, the first two BCC albums were magnificent in their own right; only Afterglow is by far the very best out of the three albums from this band, in my Rock infested opinion.
Glenn Hughes wrote the lyrics to every song, with Jason Bonham lending a pen on This Is Your Timeand Common Man. With the writing of the music for Afterglow, it’s a collective effort from the entire band, which is broken down so nicely in the liner notes. These four musicians are undoubtedly legends and they have written and recorded a wonderful album of eleven songs.
Afterglow stands out from the first two BCC albums with its unbelievably memorable songs. These are songs that just instantly stick inside my head with their melodies, rhythm, beats and (of course) vocals. Whereas the first two albums had a song or two that may sound like (just above) average offerings, Afterglow is a listening sensation of Classic Hard Rock from beginning to end. My God, I’m tickled to death by Afterglow and I’m strongly considering it to be my top Hard Rock album of 2012… and quite possibly my favorite album across the board from this year!
Watch & listen to below: The Making Of Afterglow – Black Country Communion Episode 1
The sunny skies of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple certainly shine over this album, with Big Train, Afterglow and Confessor (respectively); giving every musical indication that even legends such as BCC will give a nod to other Classic Rock sounds other than their own. Let there be no misunderstanding however, that BCC is a band as original as the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Jason Bonham doesn’t over extend on drums (and never has in his career), while Derek Sherinian follows suit on keyboards. I applaud them both for I’m so convinced that the less is more plan of attack always comes out victorious in Rock and Roll. Joe Bonamassa is such a talented guitarist it’s spooky. His lead vocals on Cry Freedom are superb and makes for an added bonus on an album filled with pure Rockin’ magic.
Lead vocals and bass are brought to you by none other than Glenn Hughes. What can I possibly write that has never been written before about this legend of Rock? Glenn Hughes is one of those vocalists walking the planet today with a captivating voice. I listen to Glenn’s vocals and lyrics on The Circle and have to pick my jaw up off the floor each time this song ends. Overall, BCC has whisked my memories back to the slower days when FM radio actually meant something to all of us; while (thankfully) reminding me that majestic Hard Rock can still be created. Metal be thy name.
* Black Country Communion Afterglow was released on October 30th, 2012, via J&R Adventures.
BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION:
Glenn Hughes – lead vocals and bass guitar, (acoustic guitar on The Giver)
Joe Bonamassa – lead and acoustic guitars, (lead vocals on Cry Freedom)
Jason Bonham – drums and percussion, (backing vocals on This Is Your Time)
The late Kevin DuBrow of Quiet Riot has certainly left his mark on the world of Heavy Metal. In my opinion, just the album “Metal Health” alone is quite the Metal accomplishment. “Metal Health” (released in 1983), will forever have the distinction of being the very first Heavy Metal album to hit #1 on the album charts. Fast forward to October 31, 2006, Quiet Riot “Rehab” was released under the radar, so to speak. “Rehab” is a darn good hard rockin’ album, in my Metal opinion. You no longer hear the Hair Metal thumping of the 1980’s on this album, what I do hear, are quality written songs with quality musicianship. In summary, the music on “Rehab” is Hard Rock meets Heavy Metal.
I am not saying that “Rehab” is the greatest Metal album I have ever listened to, it is just a real decent album of songs that really rock, awell rounded album of songs. This is not what I expected, actually, for I thought that “Rehab” was going to be a Hair Metal trip down memory lane. I did get more than I anticipated, for all the tunes here are relatively longer than your usual straight-up Heavy Metal album. The shortest tune is “Blind Faith”, at 3 minutes and 23 seconds. The longest tune is “Evil Woman” at 8 minutes and 49 seconds. The musicians on “Rehab” are (of course) Kevin DuBrow on vocals and Frankie Banali on drums – with Glenn Hughes on bass and lead vocal duet on the tune “Evil Woman.” (No, this is not a cover song of The Electric Light Orchestra’s Classic Rock hit). Glenn Hughes also provides background vocals throughout “Rehab”, with Neil Citron on guitar and Tony Franklin on bass as well. “It Sucks To Be You”, (written by Kevin DuBrow), is the closest you are probably going to get in hearing the old school Hair Metal swagger vocals coming from Kevin DuBrow. Musically, the song is also the most reminiscent of 1980’s Heavy Metal from Quiet Riot too.
Overall, I find “Rehab” to be a sincere and serious approach in creating and delivering on some very cool Hard Rock/Heavy Metal from Quiet Riot. After each listen to “Rehab”, I cannot help but find myself wishing Kevin DuBrow did not pass away so young. Then again, Kevin DuBrow will live on forever in the music he helped to create, leaving Metal fans like myself enjoying what I consider to be one of the more unique vocals in Heavy Metal’s storied history. In my Metal opinion, “Rehab” is one heavy, mature, quality driven, class act effort for Quiet Riot to end their Metal legacy with.
If you’re a band or musician and would like your music reviewed or be interviewed by Stone, please click the link under the “ALBUM REVIEWS ARCHIVES” section below!
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The late Kevin DuBrow of Quiet Riot has certainly left his mark on the world of Heavy Metal. In my opinion, just the album “Metal Health” alone is quite the Metal accomplishment. “Metal Health” (released in 1983), will forever have the distinction of being the very first Heavy Metal album to hit #1 on the album charts. Fast forward to October 31, 2006, Quiet Riot “Rehab” was released under the radar, so to speak. “Rehab” is a darn good hard rockin’ album, in my Metal opinion. You no longer hear the Hair Metal thumping of the 1980’s on this album, what I do hear, are quality written songs with quality musicianship. In summary, the music on “Rehab” is Hard Rock meets Heavy Metal.
