Supergroups rarely make it past two or three albums. The fact that Black Country Communion has seems to imply that there is some genuine chemistry between these musicians. And while I think the band peaked on their first two albums, at least their new album ‘V’ has a bit of the urgency that its predecessor ‘BCCIV’ so sorely lacked seven years ago. Unlike the recordings of many bands made up of prominent musicians seemingly haphazardly thrown together, ‘V’ sounds like Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian and Jason Bonham actually want to make this music together, and the results are all the better for it.
Anyone who has heard Black Country Communion before will know what to expect from ‘V’: big seventies rock riffs with Hughes singing his heart out as if he is much younger than 72 years old and an emphasis on the great musical interactions between everyone involved, though Sherinian is somewhat underutilized. Thankfully, Bonamassa mostly leaves the singing to Hughes, only duetting with him on ‘Love and Faith’. Ultimately, the fact that the material appears to have been written in service of Hughes’ vocals rather than collective jamming this time around might be why I prefer ‘V’ over ‘BCCIV’.
Like just about always, the punchier songs that could have been on Hughes’ solo releases are the highlights on the album. The beefed-up funk rock of ‘Stay Free’ is an excellent example of this. The way Sherinian’s clavinet sounds fill the space that the riffs leave just screams seventies funk, while the almost gospel-esque backing vocals elevate the chorus to a higher level. ‘Too Far Gone’ is another amazing riff rocker with a fantastic chorus, and the simple, yet effective ‘Letting Go’ is the song I personally would have picked to open the album instead of the rather plain ‘Enlighten’.
‘V’ does have its fair share of more jammy moments that just work though, the best example being ‘Red Sun’. The way its Zeppelin-esque main riff opens up for the almost dreamy feel of the chorus reminds me a bit of Badlands’ less tightly arranged later material. It sounds like a song they simply let happen, and it works really well. ‘Restless’ is an incredible bluesy power ballad on which Hughes delivers one of his greatest vocal performances in a long time. Closing track ‘The Open Road’ blends both approaches, with its first half being a tightly written, soulful rocker and its second half leaving ample room for instrumental fireworks.
Ultimately, ‘V’ is an album that deserves to be heard. Its highlights serve as a reminder that supergroups can truly deliver something that transcends everything the musicians did apart from each other, provided they are on the same page. As much I’d love to see Bonamassa devote all of his time to this band rather than his overhyped solo releases, the fact that Black Country Communion doesn’t release albums that frequently might actually be part of the reason why ‘V’ is as good as it is. Filler tends to be filtered out rather than forced on an album over seven years.
Recommended tracks: ‘Stay Free’, ‘Red Sun’, ‘Too Far Gone’
Kevy Metal 
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