There’s nothing quite like Kentucky…
Kentucky Fried by Mascot Label Group on 1 April 2016 and given a good finger lickin’ by Debbie Gough
Being one of the most famous heavy rock bands in the world right now, it’s safe to say that Black Stone Cherry have visited their fair share of weird and wonderful places. From the streets of strippers in Las Vegas to the mass of metal heads at Donington, the band have zigzagged across the globe in their career… but there’s nothing quite like Kentucky.
Recovering from their last album, Magic Mountain – the promised explosion which was more like a fart in the bath – Kentucky wastes no time in claiming back Black Stone Cherry’s title of delivering some of the most brutal southerners ever with ‘The Way of the Future’. Aggression in every aspect of this track exposes Black Stone Cherry in a completely new light to previously. Calling out the corruption within this capitalist world of crooks, it’s great to see the band using their sludgy riffs to combat issues which genuinely matter in this world; their ability to establish a connection with each listener is arguably what makes them so successful, particularly with this album.
Following ‘The Way of the Future’, the album speeds into ‘In Our Dreams’, a personal favourite off the album. With a melancholy introduction leading you into a false sense of relaxation, the song catches you by surprise with its wrenching breakdown and a chorus which you’ll be singing in the shower for at least two months after one listen. Just as your neck’s beginning to feel a bit tender from the intense head bobbing, a cover of the Edwin Starr classic ‘War’ reinstates the motivation to resume rocking out (thank God). Without a doubt, it is the brass work within this track which arguably makes it one of the most memorable of the whole album while the expression of each instrument simply oozes a beauty which only Black Stone Cherry could achieve. Cheers lads.
Although for the majority of its course, Kentucky pushes Black Stone Cherry far out of their comfort zone, exploring new areas of their sound which seemingly have been itching to be unleashed for some time, the closing track does not draw an appropriate end to the album. Despite the fact that the lyrical content of ‘The Rambler’ does tug at your heart-strings, instrumentally, the piece seems incredibly empty while it remains rather predictable throughout and offers no clear direction. With that said, Kentucky is an excellent recovery from Magic Mountain and will certainly attract a horde of new fans with this heavier sound.
8 out of 10
Track List:
- The Way Of The Future
- In Our Dreams
- Shakin’ My Cage
- Soul Machine
- Long Ride
- War
- Hangman
- Cheaper To Drink Alone
- Rescue Me
- Feelin’ Fuzzy
- Darkest Secret
- Born To Die
- The Rambler
