Black Country Communion 2 My Favorite Album of 2011

My favorite album of 2011 is "Black Country Communion 2." Black Country Communion is fronted by former Deep Purple bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes. It features one of the top contemporary blues guitarist in the world Joe Bonamassa rocking out. The son of the Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, Jason pounds the drums. Jason Bonham has played for his Father's band, Foreigner, Jimmy Page, and his own band. The band is rounded out with Derek Sherinian on keyboards. Derek was in Dream Theater, and had played with Yngwie Malmsteen, Billy Idol, Kiss and many more. Together they make up Black Country Communion and "2" is their second album.

It is my favorite album of 2011 because it was one of the few albums I was actually looking forward too. The band is made up of four very talented musicians. It is straight ahead, unapologetic rock and roll. This album is harder than their debut.

The biggest single off the album is "The Outsider." However, Black Country Communion is a retro styled band that is not necessarily focused on singles. They are closer to metal than pop. However, they can mix it up with songs such as "The Battle of Hadrian's Wall" which has an acoustic start and combines the dark and light. "Save Me" and "An Ordinary Son" struggle to stay under 8 minutes. They also draw on their blues influence in songs such as "Little Secret."

If you like classic hard rock like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, this group and this album needs to be on your listen list. If you like guitar driven music this album won't disappoint. If you are a blues purest you might be disappointed with Joe Bonamassa in this outfit. However, if you are a music fan who appreciates artist exploring a different genre than Joe Bonamassa does not disappoint. The album is amazing considering Joe and Glenn Hughes have continued to work on solo projects. Jason has been touring with his Led Zeppelin Experience and Derek is working on a solo album. It is almost like this amazing band is just a side project. If it is a side project it a project not to be overlooked.