CD Review RATT - INFESTATION

CD Review RATT - INFESTATION

CD Review RATT - "INFESTATION"
by: Domonic Rini (Maximum Threshold Radio)


It has been a long time since the Sunset Strip rockers put together a new release and something to be proud of. Hard rock these days are going through the evolution process and put to the side was the 80’s sound that was missed. Sure there are a few bands that are trying to bring it back, the strong hooks, the monstrous riffing guitars and the vocals that are undeniable. RATT was one of those bands from the 80’s that when you heard a guitar riff you knew who it was and when Stephen Pearcy sang a note you knew it was him. Well the RATT Pack is back with the extremely long anticipated CD release of RATT’s Infestation and we were extremely excited to get our grubby hands on this release. With an anticipated release date of 4/20/2010.

When I interviewed Carlos Cavazo (interview MT)previously he did tell me that there was a few tracks that he wrote and they will have a different impact on the bands’ sound. I also had the opportunity to talk with Warren DeMartini (interview on MT) not too long ago and he also talked about this release and that it was a new feel to the CD and everyone would be excited to hear the direction they were looking for. It is quite evident that his impact is felt in this band and this could possibly be the finest release this band has done to date.


Here is my breakdown of the release track by track:

Eat Me Alive : This is what we have been hoping for, a powerful song to set the stage for the whole record. Eat Me Alive provides the strength of the band. Extremely well coordinated and the vocals are right on! The guitar work between Carlos and Warren are great. I really enjoy this track.

Best of Me : It was nice to hear this track months ago to get an idea of which direction RATT was going and this is something that could have been a tremendous hit in the 80’s.

A Little Too Much : Another classic RATT intro with ripping solo and the lyrics are very reminiscent of the old RATT songs. Stephen keeps the song on track. The chorus will definitely get stuck in your head, strong hook. You will be singing along with it by the end of the song. I enjoyed the solo in this song, it had a very nice melodic and heavy sound. Trust me “A Little Too Much” will be stuck in your head! If Pearcy wasn’t singing this song you would have thought it was Dokken, just kidding!

Look out Below: Nice opening solo, this is song that could go against any Motley Crue song, it has that pounding drums and that reminiscent sound of the song “Way Cool Jr.” This is a cool song and the bridge worked perfectly in this song, I was impressed with the direction of this song. Really classic solo and it definitely had that scream to it.

Last Call : Another cool opening solo to this song. This song has some nice quick giddy up to it. Nice solo. Song had a nice creative flow to it and the ending was one of those that made you look at your player to see if a new song started.

Lost Weekend : Ha another really cool opening solo. This song reminds me of a modern version of “Lack of Communication.” A classic riff that is prevalent throughout the song. This was a pretty cool song. Classic RATT sound to this one!

As Good As It Gets : This one wasn’t as strong as the other tracks on this CD. I just couldn’t get the vibe of it, don’t get me wrong I did enjoy it but it just didn’t captivate me until the ending and the solo was really good. I guess ya gotta listen to this one a few times.

Garden of Eden : Ok, so this song had a different vibe than the other songs on the CD, a lot of stops and you could hear other influences in this song. I will definitely give this song a bunch more listens. Nice creative solo. Pretty cool song because it sounds like it doesn’t fit on this CD.

Take A Big Bite : This song has a nice strong run to it. I will definitely listen to this one much more! It is powerful and does not seem to fit on the CD. I like the guitar runs and solos that rip throughout the song. I really enjoyed this one. A fast song for RATT but never had a bad point in the song at all.

Take Me Home : The ballad on the CD. I really wanted to like this song. I listened to it a few times and listened to the lyrics and I got a good appreciation for this song. Really nice arrangement to this song. Solo worked out fantastically this has to be their version of a “GNR’s November Rain.” Give this song a few listens and you’ll find yourself in the pocket with Carlos and Warren. Love the guitars in this one and Stephen really pulled the vocals out, total props on this song.

Don’t Let Go : Classic RATT lyrics “You Dont know me You Don’t Care” nice line. This song has some nice feel to it, fast and has that 80’s feel to it, like it was pulled right off the Sunset Strip from the hay day. This has to be a nice song to end the CD with.

Overall : my take on this CD is that I hope this one becomes a classic. It has a great vibe throughout the entire set and starts off strong and ends on a great note. There are a few songs that stood out and a couple that didn’t seem to fit on here but it worked. This should be a really standout CD this year and hope you get the chance to get your grubby hands on this one on the day it comes out on 4/20/2010.

If you would like to pre-order the CD and get an autographed version of it along with a free download of Eat Me Up Alive you can do so by going HERE.

To hear Chris Clover's audio review of the new release you can do so