Time to get your fiercest judging hats on for Classic Rock’s Tracks of the Week, after we’ve taken a look at last week’s victors. In reverse order they are…
3. The Struts – One Night Only
2. Black Stone Cherry – Built For Comfort
1. The Dives – Make It Like The Movies
But who will be dubbed the hardest, strongest, prettiest and bestest this week? An established Big Cheese, or a bold new flavour? Listen in, then vote for your favourite at the foot of this page. But first of all, how about another spin of last week’s champions:
Black Country Communion – Collide
One of the better-preserved voices in classic rock, Glenn Hughes is the wailing driving force behind this Zeppelin-y taste of BCC’s upcoming new album. It’s the perfect match for bandmate Joe Bonamassa’s down n’ dirty geetar grooving (still sounding fresh from his own rockier solo album Blues Of Desperation). Good to have them back.
Benjamin Booker – Overtime
The nervous, rawly talented boy from Florida has become a smooth, soulful man – without losing his distinctive, huskily-voiced edge – as we see on this latest cut from new album Witness. Highly recommended.
Bobaflex – Long Time Coming
We were pleased when these guys cropped back on our radar earlier this year with their excellent cover of Pink Floyd’s Hey You. Now they’re back with their own brooding, riffy shot of catchy hard rock, taken from new album Eloquent Demons, which comes out later this month.
Gregg Allman – My Only True Friend
Before he passed away earlier this year, Gregg Allman had been busy working on a brand new album, which is now to be released posthumously. The longing, sunkissed My Only True Friend is our first taste of it, encompassing warm, inimitably Allmans-y guitar and a mournful melody that conjures images of lonesome cowboys and grizzled guys looking at sunsets from Southern porches.
Grave Pleasures – Infatuation Overkill
Gothic, driving post-punk from the quality Finnish crew previously known as Beastmilk. Picking up from where the likes of Depeche Mode and Sisters Of Mercy left off, with a hint of Ghost in the background as the chorus approaches, it’s appetisingly dark, urgent and attention-grabbing.
Alter Bridge – The Other Side (live)
Don’t let the sweet, good-guy personalities fool you; Alter Bridge eat skull-crushing riffs for breakfast when they want to. Taken from upcoming CD/DVD package Live At The 02 + Rarities, this live rendition of The Other Side is beefy and baddass, and we like it.
Mastodon – Steambreather
The latest shot of woozy, melodious grooviness from Mastodon comes with a deliciously kaleidoscopic video and lashings of far-out axework – escalating into a fuzzily galloping chorus. If you need total distraction from something bugging at work/home/elsewhere, this’ll prove nicely absorbing.
Heroes – Motorhead (Under Cover)
Ahhh Heroes, a favourite of our editor at CR and a stone-cold Bowie classic all-round – as played by another now-late icon and his heavy crew (part of a forthcoming covers record). It’s not as fast or furious as one might expect from Lemmy and co, but rather more along the soaring and beautiful lines. Nice.
