Black Stone Cherry Magic Mountain

2014, Black Stone Cherry bridges the gap between the blue collar craftsmanship of dirty, bluesy, ballsy, pedal-to-the-metal Hard Rock steeped in the ancestral lineage of Southern Rock and the warm, broad embrace of the rock radio mainstream. There's enough boot stomping, soulful meat-and-potatoes in the Kentucky band's stew to invigorate Middle America, with the melodic chops to conquer the worldwide stage. The Allman Brothers and Metallica meeting up, getting drunk, raising some hell and then crashing into a big brawl together, only to have Robert Johnson break it all up? That's essentially the sound of Black Stone Cherry. 2014's MAGIC MOUNTAIN carries the torch for the brightest moments of Classic Rock history, but it's no throwback. The energy, enthusiasm and skill of today's best rock n' rollers keeps one Black Stone Cherry boot planted in the future, even as they call upon the musical ghosts of the past.