Album review: BLACK STONE CHERRY – The Human Condition

Mascot Records [Release date 30.10.20]

Amazing to think Black Stone Cherry (BSC) celebrate their twentieth anniversary next year, with ‘The Human Condition’ being the band’s seventh studio album. Black Stone Cherry have certainly built up an impressive following here in the UK and mainland Europe, with all bar their debut album making the number one spot in the UK rock album charts. Back in their homeland of the USA they don’t seem to have made quite the same musical impact.

‘Ringin’ In My Head’, although partly written pre-pandemic, is another band expressing their feelings and thoughts through music to good effect. ‘Again’ has been released as a lead track off the album and is a standard BSC anthem. That’s meant as praise by the way, as not many bands can keep making memorable tunes so far into their careers.

‘In Love With The Pain’ taps into the band’s more southern rock leanings and is one made for radio/live sets. ‘If My Heart Had Wings’ sees the band bring out the strings to the album’s big ballad moment.

They do end the album on a positive note with ‘Keep On Keepin’ On’, where the guitars add their own bit of uplift to the song.

One surprise is the BSC treatment to the ELO classic ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’. Out go the original’s strings and in come a rolling guitar riff, but the distinctive harmony vocals on the song are still kept in with a little BSC twist.

Black Stone Cherry have provided us with another album full of hard rocking anthems. Let’s hope they can get back on the road again soon as this band and their music are made for the live arena. ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

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