With a name like Mad Hatters Den, you could expect this band to be a little off the wall, but sadly they don’t deliver in that respect. However, Welcome To The Den is a fantastic slab of old-school rock with a nice modern touch to it, so you really can’t complain!
The album gets going with title track Welcome To The Den and what a welcome it is! With big strong vocals backed up with huge hooks, it’s a memorable start to the album due to its sheer catchiness, and you’ll find yourself humming along to it for days after hearing it for the first time.
Similarly, Blind Leading The Blind is a humongous track that sounds like it’s been made for a performance on an arena stage. The keyboard line is awesome on this one and it adds a lot of atmosphere to it all, especially with the fantastic solo! It really keeps the momentum going with the album and showcases the band as one that refuse to let up!
The organ at the beginning of instrumental track Legacy Of The Kings is something to behold, and there’s a whole minute of stunning playing before the rest of the band kicks in. The track as a whole just sounds wonderful and the repeated melodies littered amongst the track work well as numerous different ideas are explored. It feels like the band are showing off how talented they are with their instruments and it’s a phenomenal number you’ll keep wanting to revisit.
Welcome To The Den is a great release featuring some great musicians, and is definitely an album you’ll keep wanting to come back to.
9/10
