Black Country Communion

Following the well-received debut this “super group” got the last time around, it’s not that surprising that Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian would get back together for another kick at the rock and roll can. And while it doesn’t really push the envelope, it’s refreshing to hear a guy like Hughes belt out lyrics a la Bon Scott during the opener “The Outsider” and the grittier, groovier “Man In The Middle.” Later on the bluesy ballad “Little Secret” reminds one of a Coverdale/Page experiment gone great. However the heavy moments can be offset with Paul Rodgers-esque affairs the mellower mid-tempo “Save Me” which reeks of ‘70s hard rock.  Elsewhere, what you heard on album one is pretty much par for the course here, with “Smokestack Woman” a cocksure blues-rock blueprint fuelled by Bonham’s drumming and guitarist Joe Bonamassa.

Yet there are a few head-scratchers, especially “Faithless” which loses its way quite quickly with its string hues only adding to the train wreck. And “I Can See Your Spirit” sounds like it’s rather stale. Regardless though, if ‘70s rock is in your kitchen, this will definitely rattle one’s pots and pans.