Afterglow - Black Country Communion

  • My copy arrived today and having given it it's first spin I don't think its a patch on 2.
    I'm hoping it will grow on me as I was looking forward to this so much, but at the minute it's a huge disapointment.

    For the record I didn't like 1 either, so I'm beginning to think BCC ain't for me.

    Sorry folks :(

  • So now that I've had a week to live with it, I feel more qualified to give it a proper review.

    Afterglow the third album by BCC in less than three years time. The first one was instantly accessible and remains one of my favorite albums of past several years. The second one was good on first listen but took some time to unfold. This one follows in the vein of the latter. It isn't a record that immediately reveals its greatness but reveal it does! With each listen it somehow becomes more epic. The common denominator with all three is really good songs. I have my favorites as I'm sure everyone does, but I don't think that there's a clunker amongst them.

    Right out of the gate with Big Train, a different flavor for the band and it works quite well. This is Your Time is classic groove rock all the way. Midnight Sun is a straight away rocker with a great verse and chorus. Confessor is as well but with a completely different vibe and an almost heavy metal chorus, in a very good way too!
    Next up is Cry Freedom. I really like this track! The vocal trade-off between Glenn and Joe works to perfection and the chorus is addictive and sticks with you. To me it has an unmistakeable Bad Company thing going on and its great!
    The album changes gears with the title track Afterglow. This one has a Zeppesque vibe guitar wise during the verses. The vocals and melodies are pure Hughes though! Very powerful and a well placed song. Dandelion is back to more straight up rock and its rawer than some of the earlier tracks. The Circle may be my favorite here, though that could change! This is classic stuff. Powerful, dramatic, vintage and magestic. Glenn sings like his life depends on it and its an all-time great performance. There is something haunting about this one. Next up is Common Man and this one was so so to me at first. Not anymore! Good stuff with a real good jam at the end. Now the Giver takes us on a real ride and this may be my second favorite right now. Amazing vocals again by Glenn! Finishing up is Crawl with it's menacing riffage and killer vocals.

    What a killer album man!! Great job by all of them. I told Glenn that I thought 2 may just be his best yet and man is it great! This takes it to another level!! You've done a lot of great stuff Glenn. This is incredible my friend. Great singing, great songwriting, and some killer bass playing! Job well done!! Don't let this band slip away. Do what you have to do to make it happen. Life is too short. Magic here. Pure magic.

  • Ran out this morning and purchased my copy from Best Buy....

    Followed your lead on Best Buy and got the next to last copy there.
    Soaking it all in on the headphones now :D Confessor smokes! Dandelion and Common Man keep me hitting repeat. Stop that i want to hear the rest of the CD ;) The Bonham/Hughes rhythm section nails it throughout.

  • I just stepped over a very nice German review (it's nearly two weeks old, so I hope it hasn't been posted yet) where the reviewer gives 9 out of 9 points!

    http://www.musicheadquarter.de/reviews/cds/bl…glow-alle-ehre/

    And on amazon.de there are meanwhile 17 customer reviews, 16 with 5 stars and one with 4 stars. Looks like the people in Germany love this album! :cool:

    That's it - hopelessly addicted to the voice from Cannock... 8)

  • Agree 100% :)

  • I've listened to this about 7 full times now, in different environments (the first two being on a 2 1/2, post Sandy gas line here in Jersey ... but I digress).

    At this point, with regards to the other BCC albums, I'd put it above "2," but behind "1."

    I already find myself skipping the first three tunes (especially Midnight Sun, which I can't get the kids' tune from the movie School Of Rock out of my head whilst listening to it), but the album really picks up from track #'s 4 through 11.

    My favorite is Cry Freedom, though to be fair, my BCC faves have usually been those with Joe. B having a large input in the vocal department. Other faves at the moment are Dandelion, The Circle and the title track.

    Definitely a "grower," as all three albums seemed to be. Wish we could hear 'em live, but alas, it likely won't come to fruition.

    If I had to rank it with regards to 2012 releases that I've perused, I'd put it at # 3, after Rush's Clockwork Angels and Van Halen's A Different Kind Of Truth, and right above ZZ Top's latest.

    Really solid album by a really solid (now defunct?) band.

    Kudos BCC!

  • Have only listened twice, but so far I am not real thrilled. I don't think they have come close to the first album at all. Just isn't doing it for me, but either was FUNK which I now play at least every week, so I am expecting Afterglow to grow on me.

    Frank:div27:
    "if only we'd turn around and notice the door to the cell is open"

  • Have only listened twice, but so far I am not real thrilled. I don't think they have come close to the first album at all. Just isn't doing it for me, but either was FUNK which I now play at least every week, so I am expecting Afterglow to grow on me.

    I'm quite sure it will grow on you! It's not as immediately accessible as 1 or 2 in the first instance, but ultimately I find it a much more rewarding album than either of those, which is saying something, because I love them both, but the range and depth of this third body of work is something I gain more and more pleasure from being immersed in.

  • Have only listened twice, but so far I am not real thrilled. I don't think they have come close to the first album at all. Just isn't doing it for me, but either was FUNK which I now play at least every week, so I am expecting Afterglow to grow on me.

    I could see that as I didn't think it was as good as the first one when I first got it. Now? Oh man! Yeah it is! The part that is hard to imagine is that it could be better than the first two. They are awesome albums and nothing can take that away. This one is amazing in its depth. It definitely takes a few listens for it to start clicking. There is a lot going on. Many changes and flavors, light and shade. The songs are just contagious! There are some serious gems on this one. Some Glenn hard rock classics. Don't give up on this one Frank. It's the real deal :thumbup:

  • The Circle and The Giver the weak points?? Shaking my head on that one. They may be the best points!

    I guess though its what kind of stuff one likes. If its more of a commercial type "hit song" thing then yeah you'd feel that way. If its the deeper, heavier stuff then no. These two are flooring me!! Love the rest, but they are the best!!

Join in now!

Don’t have an account yet? Register yourself now and be a part of our Community!