Review BLACK STONE CHERRY ‘Screamin’ at the Sky’

Black Stone Cherry is ‘Screamin’ at the Sky’, starting on September 29th, 2023. The four-piece of course isn’t literally screaming at the sky. It is their eighth studio album that listens to ‘Screamin’ at the Sky’ , a longplayer that carries 12 new songs.

The songs were written while having been on tour and the band recording took place at a special location. In June 2022, Black Stone Cherry hired the Plaza Theater in Glasgow, Kentucky, and hereby a dream became true for the rock outfit. The place is known for a great acoustic which benefits the album.

Musically not a lot changed when it comes to the newest offer. Black Stone Cherry is still into harder rocking music that also comes with catchy melodies and isn’t shy of some calmer moments too.

With ‘Smile, World’ a single was released earlier. It’s a rocking moment on the album that also expresses the need of smiling from time to time. Nowadays, frustration, anger and fear are dominant while it is ‘Smile, World’ that reminds us to also lean back sometimes and put things into an adequate context.

The pounding title track kicks-off the album and sets the tone of voice for what to come. Black Stone Cherry rock through the album in a laid-back approach, which on the one hand ensures continuity. At the same time, however, one has the impression that the band is working with the handbrake pulled. Even if the songs do have a good level of quality, the fire of the rock doesn’t really ignite. The foursome follows too much the secure standard trails and so you look for surprises in vain.

Of course, songs like the elegantly rocking ‘R.O.A.R.’ are easy to listen to and at the same time it is not the tiger that roars in front of you. Rather it is a kitten purring with pleasure.

My expectations to ‘Screamin’ at the Sky’ were higher than what the twelve tunes deliver. The songs on this album certainly meet the professional rock standards that will guarantee commercial success but at the same time are not the strongest one’s ever delivered by the band.