“Here comes the rain!” shouts Chris Robertson
as the guitars kick in on “Rain Wizard,” the first
song on Black Stone Cherry’s self-titled debut. Rain
isn’t the only thing this Kentucky band is bringing.
If you’re fed up with or just need a break from the
constant screaming and unrelenting wall of noise most of today’s
metal bands provide, Black Stone Cherry may be the cure for
what ails you. The disc contains 13 songs that should appeal
to any fan of bands like Black Label Society and Brand New
Sin, but have an even stronger classic Southern rock influence.
Robertson and guitarist Ben Walls share the leads and rhythms
throughout the album, packing each song with solos and riffs
any Southern rock band would be happy to call their own.
The disc starts strong with the aforementioned “Rain
Wizard,” the aggressive riffing of “Backwoods
Gold” and the soulful vocals of “Lonely Train,”
which finds Robertson, who sounds like a cross between Brand
New Sin’s Joe Altier and Chris Cornell, delivering a
welcome positive message: “If you wanna have peace,
gotta love one another.” To add some variety, Robertson
lets loose a little slide guitar on top of Wells’ groove
on “Crosstown Woman.” The album doesn’t
mellow until track 11, “Tired of the Rain,” which
adds an organ to the mix. The change comes at just the right
time and this song may be the highlight of the disc.
I don’t know how I would classify Black Stone Cherry.
Are they a metal band? Hard rock? Southern rock? Who cares?
Regardless of what you label it, this is rock n’ roll
the way it’s meant to be played. |
