Black Stone Cherry-Folklore and Superstition

Roadrunner
2008



Kentucky based Black Stone Cherry return with that all important sophomore release. What I enjoyed about their 2006 debut was the strong, gritty vocals and the fact that a number of the main riffs often sounded like a cross between Metallica and southern rock plus they ripped. What I didn't like about that album was that these guys would start begin a track strong and then have problems sustaining the energy level throughout the entire song. Well, apparently they decided not to pick up directly where they off on the first album because the style here heads off in a slightly different direction. First off it's not as heavy and many of the killer main riffs are gone and instead we get a more steady approach. Instead of Metallica there is a bit more Led Zeppelin scattered throughout. At first my thoughts were "oh, these guys went mellow over the course of one album" and although I miss the heavier approach a little they do perhaps run a more well-oiled machine here. Tracks like "Blind Man" and "Soulcreek" have Black Stone Cherry pulling off a nice balancing act while sustaining the momentum throughout with a fair amount of style. What they lack in hard hitting punches they make up for with some degree of emotion and soul. Those are not traits they were able to deliver all that often on their debut. The vocals might even be more effective this time around as there is a bit more more focus on building a real feel in the song and they take their time a little more. Still there are moments where it just feels a bit too accessible for my liking because on a few tracks they seem to just kind of glide through without much edge or change in moods. My final thoughts are that it's different from the debut and it took some time for me to adjust to the change in their style. I still think they could use a bit more of hard hitting spirit from the first album. However, they have managed to be far better at maintaining my interest throughout an entire song and that's a worthy skill that may serve them for a longer period of time. What I really hope for is that down the road we they go in to record album number three that they bring the bring the control and spirit of this album together with the fire and energy of the debut.

www.myspace.com/blackstonecherry