November 2024

• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Black Bone Child: Alligator

Melodic/Southern/Blues Rock

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Independent/Self-Promotion
www.myspace.com/blackbonechild
www.blackbonechild.com
Review: Craig Hartranft,  03.29.2010

Black Bone Child: Take You Blind

Melodic/Southern/Blues Rock

Rating: 4.75/5.0

Independent/Self-Promotion
www.myspace.com/blackbonechild
www.blackbonechild.com
Review: Craig Hartranft,  03.29.2010

Hard on the heels of the critically received eponymous Indie debut, Austin-based Black Bone Child roars back with, not one, but two new albums in 2010. Alligator shows BBC at their best with edgy blues-based rock and roll once more. Take You Blind pulls the plug, but not the energy, with blistering acoustic performance. Releasing two discs is ambitious, yet Black Bone Child delivers on both.

On Alligator, BBC attempts to invigorate their studio recording with the raw energy of live performance. They succeed quite well from beginning to end. This is rough and ready mix of blues-based rock with a steady groove which will often move you from tapping your feet or clapping your hands to working up a sweat on the dance floor. Black Bone Child has a singular ability to marry rugged catchy lyrics with amounts of grit and groove in their arrangements. Be Your Man, You Oughta Know, Turn It Up, and Devil's Teeth are a short list of rocking BBC numbers on Alligator.

Take You Blind is a departure from Alligator, but the apple does not fall far from the tree. If anything the enthusiasm and energy of Take You Blind has BBC putting the knobs to eleven. Without the electric benefits, these acoustic versions with guitar, Dobro, bass, drums and more bristle with sizzling energy in their deft hands. The songs are equally soulful and bluesy, ripping and melancholy, with moments of shear brilliance on songs Dying for Your Love, Baby Baby, Mine, and The Flames are Warm. Take You Blind is genuinely inspired stuff, quite moving, and possibly even better than the Alligator disc. The good news: BBC will be performing their repertoire both ways in their future live shows as well.

Bottom line: Black Bone Child's electric, and hard rocking, Alligator and the energetic acoustic set Take You Blind prove their ambition, talent and vision for great blues-based rock and roll. Very recommended!

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Black Bone Child's electric, and hard rocking, Alligator and the energetic acoustic set Take You Blind prove their ambition, talent and vision for great blues-based rock and roll. Very recommended!

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]