Black Stone Cherry, you better believe I like this band! I always feel reassured when a young Hard Rock or Metal band appears on the scene and shows reverence for old school Classic Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. With Black Stone Cherry, the reverence is in their music. I can hear it and feel it, the reverence in their first two albums and I am sold. Pick up or find just about any interview from this band, you will find these guys mentioning bands from years/decades gone by with the upmost respect. I personally feel it is the coolest and most admirable quality of any heavy Rock band to recognize the roots of their respective genre. Since the first moment I heard of Black Stone Cherry and with my continuance to follow them through numerous media sources, I have never heard a microscopic ounce of arrogance or self entitlement from them. This attitude will carry Black Stone Cherry to greater heights, for they have the musical talent to achieve their highest goals, in my Metal opinion.
I give Road Runner Records a huge applause for signing Black Stone Cherry in the first place, this record company has a winner here and believe me, they know it. One professionally paid music critic out there recently wrote, that “Black Stone Cherry should stop trying to sound like Nickelback” – this statement proves that there are paid music critics out there that never listen to the bands they write about. Black Stone Cherry sounds nothing like Nickelback, the only two things these two bands have in common are that they are extremely talented musically and they play Hard Rock. (I could never, ever, find it ethical to write about a band or their music without first listening to their stuff, yet unethical music reviews is what we all get handed to us, from mainstream Rock publications these days).
There are just two albums/CD’s out there currently by Black Stone Cherry – give them time, their first release was on July 18, 2006, aptly titled “Black Stone Cherry” with their second release on August 19, 2008 titled “Folklore and Superstition”. Black Stone Cherry blends together almost magically, the genres of Hard Rock, Heavy Metal and Southern Hard Rock. In my Metal opinion, there are no filler tunes on either album. The debut album for me, is the heaviest of the two, with “Folklore and Superstition” reaching out to a more melodic and commercial friendly sound. Having radio friendly tunes on a Hard Rock album does not bother me one bit, especially when the songs are not all sappy ballads. Don’t get me wrong though, “Soul Creek”, “Blind Man” and “Please Come In” off of “Folklore and Superstition” are catchy and melodic, yet these songs still Rock like there is no tomorrow. Great party tune is “Soul Creek” – I find myself bellowing out the lyrics to this song while I play it, almost as if it is uncontrollable.
Uh, yeah, I definitely recommend Black Stone Cherry and both of their albums/CD’s to any fan out there who wants to Rock out to some excellent music from excellent musicians. Here is the lineup for Black Stone Cherry, ‘cuz you just might want to know these dudes names: Chris Robertson on lead vocals, lead/rhythm/slide guitar, Ben Wells on rhythm & lead guitar, electric sitar & backing vocals, Jon Lawhon on lead, rhythm bass & backing vocals and John Fred Young on drums, percussion & backing vocals.
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