Molly Hatchet – Justice

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Although only two years after their last release, that was a set of cover songs, meaning Justice is the first original material in five from southern rock veterans Molly Hatchet, who have promised a full World tour in support. Generally speaking Justice is a much more dynamic album than the lacklustre Warriors of The Rainbow Bridge, which was their last proper album album. Between the biting Vengeance, grooving Safe In My Skin and Gonna Live ’til I Die, and beautiful ballads Fly On Wings of Angels (Somer’s Song) and As Heaven Is Forever the album has all of the Hatchet-fans’ boxes ticked, and does it more resoundingly than last time out. In between there are one or two tracks that are still as by-the-numbers as much of the material on that last album, primarily Tomorrows And Forevers, despite its use of brass, but this doesn’t harm the album too much, it’s still one of their best of their three efforts since the turn of the Millennium. Their more recent albums always have an epic, usually to close, and Justice is no different, saving the title track for that distinction. In actual fact the album contains three tracks over eight minutes, but the other two (Gonna Live ’til I Die and Fly On Wings of Angels (Somer’s Song)) don’t feel like it, whereas Justice does feel like this album’s Fall of The Peacemakers. Occasional low points aside, this album sets Molly Hatchet back on an even keel. They just need to actually tour this one outside of North America.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2010, Albums, Quick.Play Reviews, Rock, Southern, Molly Hatchet