Warriors Of The Rainbow Bridge
SPV
It's really great to see the classic '70s southern-rock band Molly Hatchet still going at it even harder, faster and more aggressive than ever before. To be honest, I was never a Molly Hatchet fan back in the day. When I was in high school all the rockers were diggin' "Flirtin' With Disaster" (the bands biggest, and really only major hit) but I just couldn't get into it. With that on my mind as I insert Warriors Of The Rainbow Bridge into my CD player I am surprisingly blown-away by the high-powered southern-rock grooves. Molly Hatchet sounds more youthful and determined now than they did anytime in their past. As I look at the CD insert I don't recognize any of the names as being original band members but when you hear vocalist Phil McCormack roar, you would swear it's Danny Joe Brown. This CD is brilliantly produced, a sound so rich, thick and ballsy. The heavy boogie-riffs and grooves have such a modern southern-metal feel, similar to the band Raging Slab, but the songs are so much better. Great catchy riffs and hooks alongside brilliant choruses are featured throughout this disc. All twelve tracks on this CD kick-ass in true southern hard-rock fashion. My favorites include the opener "Son Of The South", the boogie-fueled "I'm Ready For You," "Time Keeps Slipping Away," "No Stranger In The Darkness," and the closing epic "Rainbow Bridge" (a song dedicated to the memory of guitarist Bobby Ingram's wife) which includes a spectacular guitar jam at the end with Bobby Ingram and Dave Hlubek trading off and harmonizing together in the fashion of classic southern rock epics "Freebird" and "Green Grass And High Tides." This is one kick-ass rock album that is a must for any fan of hardcore southern-fried boogie.
HAMMERFALL
Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken
Nuclear Blast
Swedish warriors Hammerfall are at it again, Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken is the band's strongest release to date. This band has definitely matured since their debut; much heavier and more aggressive sounding and not nearly as cheesy as their past material. Sure, lyrically they still sing about the same topics...Knights, Vikings, Warriors and the Metal Brigade...but their songwriting and lyrics have certainly improved over the years. The band has already gained monstrous success all over Europe and Japan and America is next. Very traditional European metal but done very well, and unlike other Scandinavian and German metal bands of the same genre, such as Primal Fear and Sonata Arctica, Hammerfall chose to evolve when it comes to their musicianship and songwriting skills. Nothing groundbreaking here, but Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken is unquestionably a solid, well-written pure-metal album. Highlights include the metal anthem "Blood Bound," "Fury Of The Wild," the power-ballad "Never Ever," and the Manowar-ish grand epic "Knights Of The 21st Century." It's great to see Nuclear Blast continue to release superb Scandinavian metal in 2005. If you like Hammerfall, also check out the great new releases from Stratovarius, Thunderstone, and Communic.
Shockwaves CD REVIEWS ISSUE 12 Page 9