Battleground is the new LIVE album by American Southern rock band Molly Hatchet. Filled with hits, favourites and classics, this album has fine production values and clear sound. The cover has a Viking ready for battle and Molly Hatchet printed as if it were for a circus. Now, having of been around for 40  years, it seemed like fate was to thank for a LIVE album, some have new songs hinting at a fresh release of NEW tracks, but, this case, it’s a celebration.

There is a NEW addition though, the band’s new vocalist Jimmy Elkins, whose voice is full of energy with a dirty raw tone ( in likeness of Jim Morrison) and is perfect for Southern rock. What makes the album special is how the band still has it after 40 years, and Jimmy does standout, just due to having such a lucky break with an iconic band. Everyone of course does well, they’re on fire having just played their anniversary tour in their home country and are set to flood the world for a MAJOR tour.

Their ground is the South, they’ll go North, West and go East with their beats that are celebrated here in this feature of a bit of shoe-grass mulching, blue gazing skies ( sorry to speak like a prospector or a town’s folk after some hooch, but this album is full of life and is LIVE so you can live the music, visualise the band rocking it out.) Bobby Ingram – guitars- whips out solos that are like the sun rising and guns blazing. The sweet slick arrangements and riff rustling beauty. Especially holding onto those notes Tim Lindsey – bass, gives us lines like the last drawn straw, making your heart swoon for a few shots more of the groove. John Galvin – keyboards, could release his own album of his many fine jams, here, he serves many boot scooting passages, harmonies, and a few plays offs, it’s like a hoedown. Shawn Beamer – drums. Has the beats sorted like cattle, letting the toms roll like headed out to the bar. The timing and precision along with those fills make you feel each hit, like being spurred.

 A solid effort, being recorded in Switzerland and Germany, also during their Anniversary, so, it’s been a wild ride for the band and the results, are definitively great.

10/10

Scary.