BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION – Afterglow

The super group known as Black Country Communion carries on their legacy with the third studio album Afterglow. For those not familiar with BCC, the band consists of Glenn Hughes (bass, vocals), Joe Bonamassa (guitar), Derek Sherinian (keyboards), and Jason Bonham (drums). Following the lead from their previous two releases, BCC produces an infectious hybrid of a Classic British Rock sound with a modern day Hard Rock sensation. Afterglow could easily be a great substitute for fans of Deep Purple, U.F.O, or Uriah Heep who have remained lost by the lackluster current day music produced by those aforementioned bands.

Unlike their first two BCC releases, Afterglow was primarily composed by Glenn Hughes. Additionally, the compositions are significantly more crisp and fresh on this album. When speaking about the album, Hughes was quoted saying “I wanted to make a record that stood up to the first two, but not to repeat either of those records.”

Glenn Hughes is the clear leader of this album in every single aspect. Not only is Hughes the main composer, but his boisterous and commanding vocals drive each song with vibrancy and enthusiasm. Hughes does an excellent job of making the album innovative, even when some of the musical themes seem stale. This is an important area in which many aging rockers fail, as there is too much emphasis on recurring older styles that proved successful in another era. Hughes recognizes this, and does his best to make each track lively and as modern as possible.

Unfortunately, Afterglow is not exactly filled with over the top compositions or excessive musicianship. Most of the tracks are relatively simple and somewhat uninspired. In fact, given the multi-tiered talent from this super group, the product as a whole comes off as average. The guitar efforts from Bonamassa musically are spot on and he does manage to generate some mind-blowing solos, which show off his incredible talent; however, the issue is the lack of memorable hooks and melodies that could take the product to the next level.

One of the most notable songs on the album is the epic seven-minute long “The Circle.” This is a slower, melancholy composition featuring the full range of Hughes empathetic vocal talents. This track has a classic Led Zeppelin feel to it with a mixture of transcending guitar riffs and fiery, high-pitched, emotion filled singing. Encompassed with a masterful and expressive guitar solo that puts a massive exclamation point on this song, this is a perfect example of how Hughes takes an older musical theme and elaborates it with extremely arousing vocals.

Although the organic essence of Afterglow has to be commended, along with a hefty output from Glenn Hughes; this album falls short on several levels. Thematically, musically, and artistically there are very high expectations from this talented group of musicians and it simply does not blow you away as it should. Everything is way too average and the small areas of greatness cannot carry the entire product.