It’s no secret that a lot of fans measure the artistic value of a rock band mainly by the quality of a group’s live performance. The Allman Brothers without their legendary concerts? Unthinkable! Lynyrd Skynyrd as just another anaemic studio project? Impossible to imagine! The same goes for Molly Hatchet as another legendary force among these protagonists of the longstanding history of Southern rock that, alongside lots of outstanding studio recordings, the band’s full potential comes into effect live on stage. Again and again, the musicians surrounding guitarist Bobby Ingram have reinforced their reputation as an awesome live act in brilliant live “battles”, so it comes as no surprise that requests by their international fan base for a new live recording have been growing increasingly insistent for a number of years. 

Battleground was recorded in Pratteln, Switzerland, in Ludwigsburg, Germany, and during Molly Hatchet’s 40th anniversary tour of the United States and features amazing cover artwork created by Paul Raymond Gregory (Saxon, Blind Guardian, Uriah Heep, among others). Ingram looks back with legitimate pride and unmistakable modesty not only at the new live album but also at the band’s career to date: “Molly Hatchet has now been in the mainstream of Southern rock for over forty years and still counting. That in and of itself is an honour for every band member who experienced the journey along the way.” It’s this honour that listeners sense in every note on Battleground.

The upcoming shows will see Ingram & Co. not only present their greatest hits, they will also introduce their new vocalist Jimmy Elkins, who has joined the fold to replace the late Phil McCormack, who sadly passed away in April 2019. Elkins was the frontman of Florida band Bounty Hunter for a number of years, an act who has shared a stage with Molly Hatchet on various occasions over the past two decades. “To us it was the logical next step to ask Jimmy to become our new vocalist,” Ingram explains. “You can tell that he has the Southern rock gene and is a perfect match for Molly Hatchet, not only on a musical but also on a personal level.”

Battleground will be released through SPV/Steamhammer on November 29th, 2019 as 2CD DigiPak, 3LP gatefold version, download and stream.

 Battleground tracklisting:

CD1
“Bounty Hunter”
“Whiskey Man”
“Why Won’t You Take Me Home”
“Son Of The South”
“American Pride”
“Edge Of Sundown”
“Fall Of The Peacemakers”
“Devil’s Canyon”
“One Man’s Pleasure”
“The Creeper”
“In The Darkness Of The Night”

CD 2
“Justice”
“As Heaven Is Forever”
“I’m Gonna Live ‘Til I Die”
“Beatin’ The Odds”
“Jukin’ City”
“Dreams I’ll Never See”
“The Journey”
“Flirtin’ With Disaster”

Current line-up:
 
Jimmy Elkins - vocals
Bobby Ingram - guitars
Tim Lindsey - bass
John Galvin - keyboards
Shawn Beamer – drums