When you saw that Nektar was working with Billy Sherwood — a guy whose Rolodex needs its own boarding pass — you might have guessed that an all-star album was on the way courtesy of Cleopatra Records. You would have been right.

The pity of it, really, is how perfectly named this album is. See Afterglow, a thunderous delight, arrives just as Black Country Communion appears to be falling apart. It’s a shame.

The intrigue of compilations like this is when seemingly incongruent artists successfully combine, or when somebody turns a familiar tune inside out.

The star-stuffed Black Country Communion is set to release its third album, called Afterglow, On October 30, 2012. Meanwhile, they’ve offered behind-the-scenes access into the sessions.

As with last year’s inaugural edition, The Official™ SomethingElse! year-ending Top 10 list requires two or more of us to be in agreement as we gathered around the watercooler at SER Towers. It’s no easy task.

There are records that are frankly too loud to be jazz, and swing too much to be rock. This is the slot for those things — a place where you’ll find everyone from Tony Levin and Derek Sherinian from Black Country Communion to Nels Cline and Bill Frisell.

Derek Sherinian, known for his work both with Black Country Communion and Dream Theater, is a keyboardist. It’s worth repeating, under your breath, as the forthcoming guitar-heavy Oceana spins