It's finally here, I'm reviewing it al last. Black Stone Cherry got their name as a southern rock band hailing from Kentucky, USA. Their first self-titled album got a lot of attention, and as a result Folklore and Superstition has been surprisingly high in the charts on sites such as play.com lately. The debut contained pure rock and riff-filled tunes, and the band have cemented their reputation and gained many avid fans including myself on their recent tours - I saw them supporting Def Leppard and Whitesnake earlier in the year, where they played the first song from this album, "Blind Man" as a taster. This is very reminiscent of the first album - quite heavy and obviously southern-inspired lyrically.
Now I can listen to the album in its entirety. The second song, Please Come In, has a riff that made be believe for a moment that I was listening to Led Zeppelin. There are actually some slow parts to this song, which partly prepares you for the rest of the album. The next two songs,Reverend Wrinkle and Soulcreek, are sure to be live favourites on their upcoming UK tour (with The Answer supporting). Behold! For the next song on Folklore... is surely BSC's first ballad.Things My Father Said is a moving slow song that will probably split opinions of lovers of the first album. It's a really good change from the rock and roll, I think. But fear not. The very next song, The Bitter End, is as good as the legendary Lonely Train, the key track from Black Stone Cherry. A catchy chorus is trailed by a short guitar solo - clearly single material? The dark Long Sleeves is followed by ballad number two, Peace Is Free - "can't you see?". Devil's Queen andThe Key are typical BSC stuff, and You is yet another ballad. Sunrise is my most played however - probably the best song on the album for demonstrating the brilliance of Chris Robertson's voice, and even has a touch of the caribbean! The Ghost of Floyd Collins is a spooky southern ghost story with atmosphere, and a great roundoff to the album.
Folklore and Superstition is different from the first album in many ways, but it retains the music that makes Black Stone Cherry such a good band, and the leaders of modern southern rock, taking after bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band have obviously had time to be inspired and produce some great lyrics and some intense guitar and drum work in between their constant touring. This year they have supported the likes of Def Leppard, Whitesnake, and Shinedown across the globe. Black Stone Cherry are going up in the world, and this album demonstrates that they ain't no plain old rock n' roll band - they have depth to their material. Between the four of them they are one of the most dedicated and grateful bands out there right now. There really is something for every rock fan on this album - and it is far from generic. Traditional southern rock songs, ballads with a twist, and some very heavy material. Variation is the word - but I'm sure this one is going to become a classic, and a great of 2008. Well done guys, we salute you.
