CHROME MOLLY – Gunpowder Diplomacy

January 12th, 2013 by david.wilson

Ear Music (Release date – 25.02.13)

Gunpowder Diplomacy is the first album release by Chrome Molly in 22 years and has been made to celebrate the fact that it is 30 years since the band’s first album ‘You Can’t Have It All’. The 2013 incarnation of the band still retains three original members, Steve Hawkins on vocals, John Antcliffe on guitar and Nic Wastell on bass. The line-up is completed by ‘new boy’ Greg Ellis on drums who joined the band in 1990.

22 years is a long time in rock , so have the band managed to move with the times ? What the band have achieved is to produce a polished, hard rocking album that is most definitely rooted in the here and now rather than in the 80’s. That’s not to say though that the band have forgotten their NWOBHM roots, they have just moved with the times and given their brand of melodic rock a modern twist. This has been helped in no short part by the excellent production on the album which was handled by Toby Jepson of Little Angels fame. Toby has brought the band’s sound right up to date and made the disc relevant rather than a relic.

As always with a band of this vintage,Chrome Molly display excellent musicianship and song writing skills throughout. From the full on rocking opener ‘Corporation Fear’, the catchy ‘Stop Love’ and ‘Supercharged’, to the epic album closer ‘The Runner’ the band put in a great performance. In the early days the band were likened to Def Leppard, but I would put them closer to the current Saxon line up on this album which is no bad thing in my book.

Chrome Molly are back with a bang. It may have been 22 years since they last hit the recording studio but they have come up with a great rock album with a modern feel. I don’t think the band should be plotting world domination just yet but with this record another few years in the spotlight should be ensured.

****

David Wilson

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