Hard-touring D.I.Y punk rockers Colt 45 are back with another quality slice of good honest melodic tunes, documenting their trials and tribulations at the hard end of the music business. Apparently, life is tough and that’s how they like it.

Although they are more than happy to celebrate their working class status and aren’t planning an assault on the upper echelons of the UK charts, their natural sense of melody and the hooky sing along quality to their songs makes ’Snakes and Ladders’ an enjoyable listen.

First track ‘I Can Forgive But I Won’t Forget’ provides an easily accessible upbeat opening with its catchy chorus, rough edged vocal, searing riffs and solid bass line; which is the basic, and likeable, template for their sound. ‘All Hell Broke Loose’ follows in endearingly straightforward style, while ‘Lost for Words’ is a more reflective mid-tempo rocker that is particularly enjoyable.

‘Square One’ and ‘Two Steps Back’ are both on the predictable side, but the pounding bass lines and frantic riffing keep the energy going. Sandwiched in-between is ‘What You See Is What You Get’, the most accomplished track on offer; the atmospheric guitar lines and vocal interplay offer a bit of depth to the track, and with the killer hook to the chorus, we have a great tune on our hands.

Okay, so ‘Snakes and Ladders’ is not exactly groundbreaking and is unlikely to make them global superstars, but it’s well executed, good fun and highly listenable – go catch them on tour.

3.5/5

‘Snakes and Ladders’ by Colt 45 is released on 29th April on Visible Noise Records.

COLT 45 links: Website|Facebook|Twitter

Words by Edward Layland (@EdwardLayland)