Black Stone Cherry // Screamin At The Sky // Album review

Black Stone Cherry was a band I loved to listen to and go and see live. For whatever reason I had moved away from them so when this new album came up I was interested to see what they were up to.

It’s fair to say that the band have been through some trials and tribulations and those emotions have been poured out onto the page and released via the magic of music. For twenty years the band have set the standard for Southern Rock and now on this, their eighth album, they explore creating a new normal following bereavement and realisation.

The album itself was written entirely whilst the band were on tour before recording started in an empty Plaza Theatre in Glasgow, Kentucky.

The opening track has some real grit to the deep and dirty riff, a real Southern Rock groove. Its exactly what made me fall for BSC. As we progress to ‘Nervous’ that filthy deep tone remains as riffs just melt all over you. Smoother than the finest Bourbon but carrying the kick you get from a good short, it seems that I may be back into the band.

As the album progresses it is clear that the band have everyone pointing in the same direction and steamrolling forward in a fashion that saw them muted to be a future headliner of massive festivals.

No matter which track plays as the album progresses – it has a stunning blend of that rough-edged vocal, with anthemic-sized drums, a pure filthy bass line and gigantic riffs that add up to something magical.

There is no doubting that the emotions heard in this album have been expressed in their rawest form and hopefully, it has been as cathartic for the band as it is stunning to listen to. Clearly, many people will relate to some of what comes up throughout the album and I have no doubt that this will provide a great comfort and outlet for those as well.

The album is 12 tracks of ridiculously good Southern Rock that continue to set the bar for anyone else in the genre. This is Black Stone Cherry at their best and it’s an absolute belter of an album. Screamin At The Sky shows that through tough times, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, so keep going as you may find the best version of yourself on the other side.

Screamin’ At The Sky will be released Friday 29^th September 2023 via Mascot Records.

Review: Ed Ford