Review: Joe Bonamassa – Breakthrough
Joe Bonamassa – Breakthrough
Format: CD – Vinyl LP – Digital / Label: J&R Adventures
Release: 2025
Text: Martien Koolen
Joe Bonamassa is one of the best guitar pickers of our time; that is a fact no one can deny. Furthermore, JB is also a workaholic, think of his solo albums, his work with Beth Hart, Black Country Communion or with Rock Candy Funk Party.
‘Breakthrough’ is Bonamassa’s seventeenth studio solo album, and this one is released on his own label called J&R Adventures, a label JB started years ago with his manager Roy Welshman. Bonamassa’s previous solo album was called ‘Blues Deluxe Volume 2’ and that one featured nine covers and one – Hope You Realize It (Goodbye Again) – original Bonamassa song.
‘Breakthrough’ features ten new songs, and they are a mix of hard rock, rock, blues, blues rock, funky blues and even some Texas swing. The title track, Trigger Finger and You Don’t Own Me are all hard rocking songs with raw riffs and excellent, fiery, soaring guitar solos which almost only Joe can come up with…
The highlight of this album is the seven minutes beautiful blues ballad Broken Record where Bonamassa is at his best, as the guitar solos here are almost out of this world indeed. The other ballad of the album called Life After Dark is also one of the best tracks on ‘Breakthrough,’ as this one also displays a true vintage Bonamassa guitar solo.
In the past some critics had “problems” with Bonamassa’s voice, but on this new album this will and cannot be the case, as he definitely has a distinct, beautiful, recognisable voice now, making his music even better that it already was.
Overall, the conclusion is 100% clear: ‘Breakthrough’ is a wonderful and great album, featuring all the ingredients that the listener is looking for on a Bonamassa album. After his impressive gig at the Bospop Festival and this amazing new album I can honestly say that Bonamassa is a true and honest blues rock virtuoso and one of the best guitar players on this planet!
Tracks:
01. Breakthrough
02. Trigger Finger
03. I’ll Take The Blame
04. Drive By The Exit Sign
05. Broken Record
06. Shake This Ground
07. Still Walking With Me
08. Life After Dark
09. You Don’t Own Me
10. Pain’s On Me
Website: https://jbonamassa.com/