siLLy puPPy After their lackluster 1999 eponymous release, RATT disappeared into obscurity but caught everyone off guard by reemerging in 2010 with their comeback album INFESTATION. This was their first album after the death of guitarist Robin Crosby in 2002, leaving original members Stephen Pearcy (vocals), Warren DeMartini (guitars) and Bobby Blotzer (drums.) New to the band is Robbie Crane on bass replacing original bassist Juan Croucier and ex-Quiet Riot guitarist Carlos Cavazo. Despite all the new members on board, this is a true throwback to the early RATT years with upbeat tempos, catchy sleazy glam metal songwriting and the much missed duo lead guitar trade offs. In fact the band set out to purposely construct an album that would fit in between their first two full albums “Out Of The Cellar” and “Invasion Of Your Privacy.” Apparently they had a lot pent up support awaiting the year of the RATT to cycle around the bend once again because upon release it debuted at number 30 on the Billboard charts 20 years after any relevancy.

INFESTATION is exactly what it claims to be. It is a bunch of catchy glam metal rockers that sound exactly like they fit into the heyday of the RATT’n Rollers. The songs are similarly constructed, similarly executed and at the end of it all is RATT by the numbers. While this album got a lot of rave reviews upon its release i have to admit that it just sounds a little too forced for the most part. Yeah, it is successful in its attempts to be authentically retro and the production is superior to anything they’ve recorded in the past, but it just seems like this kind of glam metal in 2010 seems off to me. Yeah, i know you can’t take this kind of glam metal too seriously so i don’t need to make an intellectual journey out of it. It is exactly what it is. However, even being exactly what it is i feel the consistency of the whole thing is a tad off. There are lots of standout tracks starting with the excellent “Eat Me Up Alive” followed by a whole parade of tracks that sound like reworkings of their classic riffs. Personally i like “As Good As It Gets,” “Best Of Me” and “Eat Me Up Alive” the best. This is definitely a worthy return to form delivering the goods of yestercentury but personally i would have liked to hear some musical development of some kind, but this is still one of the band’s better albums so a return to form is much preferred to the 1999 nonsense.

Pelata In the 11 years since Ratt‘s last (and quite poor) album, the band has had several up’s and down’s. Lead singer Steven Pearcy has been in and out with Jizzy Pearl taking his seat in his absence(s), a few guitarists have attempted to take Robbin Crosby’s place (may he rest in peace) including ex-Motley Crue singer John Corabi, and the band has waffled through tours and reunion rumors to little fanfare. So, when news came that that they were again going to go into the studio for a new album, and that Steven Pearcy has returned once again, even the crickets yawned. But they had no idea, and neither did I, what was about to hit them.

Infestation sees a renewed Ratt line-up including Pearcy, original members Bobby Blotzer (drums) and Warren DeMartini (guitar), long-time bassist Robbie Crane and the newly tapped Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot) taking the second guitar position delivering some of the best music of the band’s long career. Seriously, I had no idea that the album would be this good. Now, it could be that I was expecting it to be so bad that anything above “OK” sounds awesome, but I have spun this album a couple dozen times now and it hasn’t waned.

Opening cut “Eat Me Up Alive” sounds like classic Judas Priest (minus Halford’s wail) with his chopping riff and headbanging tempo. Initial single “Best Of Me” has a fantastic chorus hook remniscent of the band’s later albums like Detonator and Reach For The Sky. Other tracks like “A Little Too Much”, “Look Out Below”, “Lost Weekend” and “Don’t Let Go” sound like vintage Ratt…any of these songs could have been on the follow up to Invasion Of Your Privacy. Others like “As Good As It Gets”, “Garden Of Eden” & “Take A Big Bite” find the Ratt boys updating a tiny bit, but absolutely not in a ‘Ratt-trying-to-be-Nickelback’ way. The guitar work is energetic and impressive (DeMartini & Cavazo…come on), the songs are refreshing and hard hitting and the overall vibe of the record is tried and true Ratt-N-Roll.

I never saw it coming, but Ratt have put out one of the best records of their career. It surpasses their later original run output and renders the ’99 album completely unmentionable. I doubt there is a Ratt fan alive that would not dig this record. It’s the sound of a band who knows who they are. It’s not “hair metal”, it’s not nostalgia, it’s not trendy…it just rocks. Get it.

Stephen It's already more than a decade since their last eponymous studio album in 1999 and I never thought they'd come back and put out another record, but this time they surprised me twice. They reunited, and they unleashed a super killer release. Carlos Cavazo, who's famous with Quiet Riot, filling in the late Robbin Crosby's shoe, and with an unsettled dispute with original bassist, Juan Croucier, Ratt decided to keep Robbie Crane, their long time bassist from 1997's Collage era. "Infestation" will take you back to their glorious era with thick and naughty riffin' from the twin guitar attack, Pearcy's raspy and sleazy howl, and Blotzer's blasting beat. The sound production is awesome and clean.

"Eat Me Up Alive" kicks off with a memorable riffs and furious rhythm, this one will blow you instantly and emerged strong as the greatest song. The next big thing is "Best of Me", a midtempo commercial rocker with a gorgeous chorus. "A Little Too Much" is a bodyshaker tune packed with a wild-and-wacky guitars and catchy chorus. "Last Call" is a wonderful upbeat track, and again, with a superb chorus. "Take A Big Bite" displayed a stunning duel between DeMartini and Cavazo. The rest of the songs are also well written and interesting, some were taken from the classic hits pattern such as "You're In Love", "Lovin' You Is A Dirty Job", or "Lay It Down". Several other great tracks to watch here are "Look Out Below", "Lost Weekend", and "Don't Let Go". I found the weakest track here is the ballad, "Take Me Home", and it doesn't surprise me as I always think from day one, Ratt isn't a good ballad author, considering their best one, "Givin' Yourself Away", is actually was written with Diane Warren.

This is a magnificent return-to-form attempt by one of the glam metal pioneer and the vocal, the guitars, the songs, are just tight and amazing. If you take away the modern sounding element from this album, this can simply be a record falls between "Reach For The Sky" and "Detonator", so if you're a fan of those two albums, "Infestation" is pretty easy to swallow. If you like those earlier efforts, this is also still a highly-recommended album, but you might need a little more time to digest the updated sound, but overall, this is the album the fans wanted. Welcome back, Ratt!

Nightfly I never actually got round to hearing Ratt’s eponymous 1999 album, having felt they’d run their course on the previous Detonator album, released almost ten years earlier in 1990. In truth that album is a lot better than I remember it at the time despite falling considerably short of their highly regarded first three albums. Now they’re back after another enormous gap with their first album for eleven years.

Ratt fans are going to love Infestation. Not only is it I suspect their best album since Dancing Undercover released way back in 1986, it’s actually the equal of anything they’ve ever done.

For the uninitiated Ratt were one of the most successful bands of the eighties glam/hair metal genre fusing metal with immediately catchy pop hooks and doing it better than anybody else including Motley Crue. Infestation could have been released back then, such is it a return to everything that was great about the band. The album is brimming with hooks, great riffs and some typically characteristic Warren De Martini searing and melodic guitar solos. If there’s a difference between Infestation and the likes of Invasion Of Your Privacy then its because it weighs the balance to a slightly harder metal sound against the pop side. Not it has to be said at the expense of a good melody.

The best thing about Infestation is it’s not an album of three or four great tracks and the rest fillers. This album rocks with energy and great hooks from start to finish. As such it’s difficult to pick highlights but the one-two openers of Eat Me Up Alive and Best Of Me make a brilliant statement of intent. For your favourites take your pick; I’m going for those great openers and the slightly more up tempo Last Call, equally so Take A Big Bite and the powerhouse Don’t Let Go which closes the album.

You might gather I really love this album, it makes you feel good and reminds me of the days when I had a full head of hair halfway down my back. A brilliant return to form that anyone who was into Ratt in the eighties is going to be blown away by.