Ratt - Infestation (Roadrunner Records)
CD review – Released April 2010
Ratt is a band that I have to say during the 80’s - when there was ‘so much of it' about. – I never really took to.
I mean ‘Out of the Cellar’ and ‘Invasion of Your Privacy,’ were both good releases to me, with some good songs, but there was something not really grabbing me about Ratt overall …, at that time …
Then comes this little beauty ‘Infestation,’ that’s full of all the traditional, tongue firmly in cheek innuendos from the band and yes, it’s perhaps a little predictable here and there, but it certainly rocks and rock well and then has great hook lines throughout too, so read on folks!
Opening with the killer riff for ‘Eat Me Up Alive,’ it almost conjures up the power of say Judas Priest but with a hook not so far away from say prime time Ratt and then some! It knocks you for six from the start.
Killer dual guitar work throughout and then vocally, Stephen Pearcy means serious business almost sounding like he could outdo Alice Cooper if he played a set! Great opening salvo for sure.
OK, I’m sorry but as awesome a track as ‘Best of Me’ is, it reeks of a combination similarity to 2 other bands that were also huge in the 80’s. One whose initials are VH and another whose name starts with a J, but I’m saying nothing more on that matter though!
Those thoughts aside, it’s probably become my favourite Ratt track, EVER!!! It’s really got everything, it’s an absolutely killer!
‘A Little Too Much’ continues with some seriously edgy sound, killer licks, great hooks, big choruses and I love the line from the band, where they take things down a bit in the middle and Pearcy does his little guy to gal talk, before the band all sing, in cheesy tone, ‘You’re wrong, I’m right, two wrongs don’t make a right,’ then a killer guitar solo fires up. It’s great!
Have to say – Sorry, but … - hint’s of Aerosmith in the music with Pearcy doing his best Alice Cooper vocal perhaps on ‘Look Out Below.’ Huge vocal harmonies, dirty guitars rockin’ away and so much more!
This really is a hook laden album that Roadrunner really did themselves a huge favour, in signing up Ratt for this album and should certainly back the band going forward, if they can follow this!
‘Last Call’ almost sounds like the guys are singing ’Let’s go!’ in the chorus and again, the song is full of so much great stuff to praise. Love the harmony guitar solo on this track. Just such punchy material and yes, chances are people will say it sounds like something else. I’m sure it’s hard to write original hooks these days as there’s only so many melodies you can play before it starts getting compared to other things, even so, it’s one of those that you have to say, ‘So what, this album kicks some serious ass!’
On ‘Lost Weekend’ it’s one of those seriously guitar solo driven songs, where the lead breaks are drifting in and out throughout the verses and choruses. The song although not so hook driven, is still big hit in my books.
The current band have got a great vibe and sound overall and with the playing off one another, in their 2 great guitar players Warren DeMartini and Carlos Cavazo (Ex-Quiet Riot), they’re onto a winner.
‘As Good as it Gets,’ ‘Garden of Eden’ and ‘Take a Big Bite’ keep up the good time fun the band certainly seem to have found in the recording of this album, although the latter track, is perhaps the winner of the gutter lyric award here.
You know when ‘Take Me Home’ started it brought to mind the Rolling Stones ‘Gimme Shelter’ just for a second, but the song then takes a different direction than the rest of the album, with the closest thing they have to a ballad on here. Surprisingly, a big old dose of keyboards layered throughout, but not quite at power ballad level.
‘Don’t Let Go’ is the last track here and it kind of rocks with a punky like vibe, but it’s not sloppy and the tight sound pays out big time and the whole band deserve a pat on the back for getting the full sound here, with an album chock full of sing-a-long chorus songs.
I’m impressed and live these tracks should go across really well with die hard fans of the band, alongside all the usual favourites in their set.
Yes, another strong album I’ve had the pleasure of listening to and reviewing and I’m just wondering when I’m going to get something new to listen to that’s really just an, ‘OK’ album.
Keep up with Ratt and their big summer tour schedule here:
Rating: 4 out of 5. Enjoy!
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