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Molly Hatchet is one of the great institutions of Southern Rock who seem to have always been around. Always a little more Metal than their more famous compatriots, in the seventies these guys produced some great albums. One of my favourite guitar solos of all time remains the one from the classic ‘Boogie No More’.
A million year later there’s a new Molly Hatchet album out, their latest since the pretty good 2005 ‘Warriors of the Rainbow Bridge’. Again we get artwork from the recently departed artist Frank Frazetta (as if they could ever change that).
To be honest this does what it says on the box, dripping with the sounds of the South, it’s nothing new at all and it is very good as far as it goes. The first few songs make you feel right at home and you feel you can take off your shoes, comfortable in the fact that the boys ain’t trying to pull anything new on you.
There’s plenty of rock on here and a side order of ballads that take you back to the carefree days of the late seventies. It still has the sound though the ‘boogie’ quota is turned down in favour of a more down home sound.
They still have the multi-guitar attack, they still name-check southern icons and I for one am quite happy that they don’t seem to want to change or try anything new (after all they tried that years ago and it didn’t go down well). Phil McCormack does a great job on vocals and original guitarist Dave Hlubek is sublime throughout.
Justice has some great songs: ‘Been to Heaven, Been to Hell’ rocks it up and is a great opening to the album. The barroom boogie ‘American Pride’ is typically catchy Hatchet. Elsewhere the slower number: ‘I’m Gonna Live ‘Til I Die’ and the sprawling and anthemic title track ‘Justice’; which is a powerful statement to leave us with; are among the best here.
This may not capture the glory days when Southern Rock ruled but with albums like this and last years studio from Skynyrd one things for sure – the South ain’t dead yet.
A worthy addition to any Southern Rock collection.
