Ratt: Infestation
By Tyler Crooks
Release Date: April 20th, 2010 Record Label: Roadrunner Records My rating points:
In my opinion, Ratt have always been one of the most under-appreciated bands in heavy metal. When most people hear the name Ratt, they think of "Round and Round". Their new album "Infestation" will change all that very quickly. This album is going to be Ratt's big comeback. The beginning track "Eat Me up Alive" is heavy hitting, thrashy, and all around awesome. The chord progressions on it keep it hard, the drums are simple, but heavy, and the bass is right there to keep everything in harmony. The vocals are pretty much typical for Ratt, very 80s sounding, but with a new modern twist. This song features a cool "stadium solo" complete with whammy dives. It's really an energetic song, methodical, well thought out, and very well orchestrated. All in all, it's an awesome track. Another great track off this album is "Take a Big Bite", which sounds like a big punch in the jaw. The guitar work is superb, as is the bass and drum work. This song features an awesome twin-axe attack solo, which is completely jaw-dropping. The sound of the guitars is interesting. It opens like a thrash song, but goes into what you would expect from an 80s metal band. It's interesting to hear. Everything is in harmony on this track. The vocal harmonies are top notch; the guitars are perfectly in sync while the bass and drums keep everything in time and on track. Up next is the pseudo-ballad track on the album titled "Take Me Home". This track is very nice, very beautiful with a hint of danger. It features light piano work, with very ambient guitar work. The song starts out slow and heads in a hard direction. This song is really one of the crowning tracks on the album. It keeps the spirit of 80s metal alive without trying. The guitars transition from clean to distorted very smoothly. The vocals are really soothing on this song, while still retaining the Ratt sound. The drums are simplistic, but really tie the song together. Towards the end, the song goes into a long solo, with the vocals overlaid on the guitar track. For a true Ratt fan, this song will become a classic instantly. This new album is absolutely wonderful. It keeps the true spirit of metal alive, without selling out or being too flashy. If you've never heard a Ratt album before, I urge you to support them and buy this album. Keep metal alive, kids. I give this album a rating of 9.5/10 and two horns up. To buy the CD and for more information, check out their official website. | ||||||||||||||
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