Even if like me you are not fantastically au fait with the music of Molly Hatchet, one thing that should be instantly recognisable is their disc artwork. Nearly all their albums since the debut self titled one in 1978 have featured a barbarian often on a horse; apart by the looks of it, ‘No Guts No Glory’ when the Southern rockers went through a cowboy phase. I have to wonder what the cover art of The Gates Of Slumber albums are going to look like circa 2030!
The Florida based band have as I pointed out been around for a whopping 35 years now and as you can imagine have quite a history including highs, lows, births and deaths. Guitarist Dave Hlubek may well be the only founding member in the group’s ranks (after leaving and rejoining) but a few of the others are what can only be described as old timers having been around since the early to mid 80s’. This is perhaps unlucky studio album 13, not that prolific perhaps after all those years but there were plenty of live discs, bootlegs etc to plug the gaps. It actually follows a covers album ‘Southern Rock Masters’ with the likes of ZZ Top and Thin Lizzy being put through the paces, so is essentially the first album of new material in five years.
The hour plus long album starts in jolly fashion. ‘Been To Heaven – Been To Hell’ is all footloose and fancy free with solid backing vocals flowing around singer Phil McCormack’s classic sounding style as well as instrumentally some blues laden riffing and honky-tonk piano dynamics. It instantly puts you in a good frame of mind and smiling at the timeless jive ass musical kick. ‘Safe In My Skin’ drives on by at a hundred miles an hour down route 66 and by now you are in for the long distance haul but it does all become a bit of a bumpy ride further down the tracks. I think it has to be said that music aside you would have to be a proud, gun carrying patriot to get the most out of ‘American Pride.’ It has the self proclaimed Southern style and funnily enough reminds me of Stuck Mojo and their ‘Southern Pride.’ I can imagine the two bands jamming it away at a salubrious roadside booze barn.
After tapping my toes happily to the first half of the album and resisting the urge to go find a Clint Eastwood ‘Ridgeway’ flick to watch I am brought down to earth. Things get very glum with ‘Fly On The Wings Of Angels (Somer’s Song)’ dedicated to Somer Thompson a seven year old girl, abducted and tragically murdered in Florida; an unspeakable act that goes way beyond any musical review and a touching tribute. The ballad that follows ‘As Heaven Is Forever’ doesn’t exactly lighten the mood either and the lyrics are leaning far too obviously towards the Christian side that I had been trying to ignore previously on the album. In fact I do find it very hard to get back into things from the midway point, which is a shame as it had proved a different listening experience from my norm and I had put any preconceptions aside and really started digging it. Songs like ‘Vengeance’ and ‘Justice’ speak words and perhaps in unchristian benevolence the group would be more than happy to help string up the child pornographer arrested recently and charged with the murder of Somer and abuse of other children. (if found guilty of course).
It’s difficult with some of this despicable subject matter to get back to the music itself and having not really heard much by Molly Hatchet before I can’t exactly compare to previous works. However if it gets me rockin n’ rollin, I think it’s fair to say their more seasoned fans are going to lap it all up.
http://www.mollyhatchet.com
http://www.myspace.com/molly_hatchet
http://somerthompsonfoundation.com
