Afterglow

Editors’ Notes For those who love classic '70s-styled hard rock, there's no band better than Black Country Communion, which features bassist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (Bonham, Led Zeppelin), and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater). The veteran English-American group was named "Best New Band of the Last Ten Years" by VH1 Classic's That Metal Show, and on its third studio album, Afterglow, it's easy to hear why. Producer Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Aerosmith) keeps the approach hard and streamlined, with no unnecessary artificial sweeteners messing up the attack. Tracks like "Big Train," "This Is Your Time," "Midnight Sun," and "Common Man" bring together all the elements that made bands like Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin, and Nazareth the monsters of '70s rock. Exceptional musicianship makes every song a treat. "The Giver"—with wailing vocals, carefully textured organ and electric guitar lines, and authoritative pounding from John Bonham's son—could have come straight from the Zeppelin catalog.