Magic Mountain

Black Stone Cherry should be a thousand times more of a household name than they currently are. Their greatest chart success has been with Florida Georgia Line’s cover of “Stay” that lit up the country music charts, and thanks to that “Hollywood in Kentucky” takes a stab in that country-tied direction with references to pickup trucks, good ol’ boys and mom. But largely Magic Mountain, the band’s fourth album, sticks to the melodic and hard rocking sound that’s made each of their previous albums such underrated surprises. The guitar work remains first-rate and the snatches of solos in tunes like “Peace Pipe,” “Bad Luck & Hard Love” and the title track are further evidence that these young men know the value of being in a well-balanced group. Singer-guitarist Chris Robertson is one of the best singers in the hard rock business and he turns every song into a potential concert staple and radio favorite. Producer Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age) gives them a sharp edge with finishing touches that balance their live blues-boogie rawness with their post-grunge hit potential.