Black Country Album Released This Summer?

The Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes and Jason Bonham supergroup has issued its very first press-release, reports planetrock.co.uk.

As well as confirming that the band is called Black Country, the press release reveals that the band has a fourth member in Derek Sherinian, who has played with Dream Theater, Billy Idol and Alice Cooper. It also reveals that the band’s debut album will be released later this year – as early as late summer.

Here’s an excerpt from the press release:

“A new super group has been formed with Jason Bonham, Glenn Hughes, Derek Sherinian and Joe Bonamassa. They are calling themselves Black Country, taking their name from the industrial area in England from which Bonham and Hughes both hail. The band is currently in the studio with producer Kevin Shirley (Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin) cutting tracks for an upcoming album to be released in late 2010 or early 2011.
“With Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner) on drums, Sherinian (Dream Theater, Billy Idol, Alice Cooper) on keyboards, Hughes (Deep Purple, Trapeze) on bass and vocals and Bonamassa on guitar and vocals, the band already has six tracks cut. The next recording session will take place in March and the band hopes to finish recording in early April.

Shirley made this announcement on his website:

"So there it is folks - the cat is out the bag! This is Black Country. The songs are all original and what a line-up. They are all the very best players in the world, for my money!"

Shirley added, "Jason Bonham is a totally unique drummer and a supreme, yet oh-so-tasty powerhouse. Derek Sherinian is super versatile, and is playing mostly overdriven Hammond organ in this ensemble and is the colour on the palette. Glenn Hughes plays bass and sings with a range very, very few can even get close to, and Joe Bonamassa, perhaps the best Blues Rock guitarist around, plays hard riffing guitar as well as adding his signature vocals alongside Glenn. You'll just have to wait - we're planning to get this out late summer, and it's promising to be phenomenal!"”