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radio and the instant appeal of their full-length debut — Ratt’s tale is anything but.

In fact, Pearcy formed fledgling band Firedome a decade before 1984’s Out Of The Cellar crashed the US album charts in spectacular fashion. Following Firedome, Crystal Pystal and Mickey Ratt became familiar names on the LA circuit but neither really resonated with management, labels or fans.

In 1981 Ratt was born and by tweaking the name, Pearcy paved the way for fame. Joined by twin axe attack Robbin Crosby and Warren DeMartini, one of the most striking frontmen on the LA circuit suddenly looked and sounded the part. And by the time Juan Croucier (who ditched Dokken) and Bobby Blotzer completed Ratt’s classic line-up, the Strip’s resident rodents were ready to take a bite out of the big bucks record deals being bandied about across town.

The Atlantic Years 19841990

If there’s an 80s time capsule buried somewhere beneath West Hollywood’s infamous Sunset Strip then it’s bound to have a version of Ratt sealed within a sickly vacuum of hair spray, stale weed and primitive pyro. Stephen Pearcy’s pretty boy rockers infested LA’s sleazy underbelly prior to their rapid ascension to the pop rock summit.

And if ever a band epitomised the rise and fall of the iconic hair metal scene it’s the quintet that scored four platinum albums on the bounce… before almost disappearing without a trace.

This revealing vinyl retrospective captures classic Ratt in all their glammed-up, gutter-soaked glory. All five of the band’s insanely successful Atlantic Records releases are collected within one carefully curated box but the era-defining music is only part of the story.

Home to a replica tour book, backstage pass, guitar pic, poster and bumper sticker, this long overdue celebration of decadent excess leaves no stone unturned. Hell, there’s even a seven-inch single version of Nobody Rides For Free, from the soundtrack to hit movie Point Break. That soaraway cinematic success, released in 1991, paired rising star Keanu Reeves with housewives’ favourite Patrick Swayze. By then, however, Ratt were neither rising stars nor the housewives’ favourite: theirs was a career in rapid and terminal decline. But like Reeves skimming the crest of a Pacific Ocean wave, what a ride it had been for Pearcy and his hard rocking pals.

Often described as an overnight success — given the short time between the band’s first play on more of the same from the new masters of hair metal. If Ratt’s tried and tested formula risked accusations of lazy repetition then the band knew its audience and knew what worked: the sexed up Slip Of The Lip and album opener Dance — featured on Miami Vice — kept Pearcy’s poster boys up front and centre. By now rival bands would do anything to bag a slot opening up for West Hollywood’s hottest properties: Poison, Cinderella, Cheap Trick and Queensrÿche all fought for supports on the hugely successful Dancing Undercover tour.

Alcatrazz Take No Prisoners

Under scrutiny with Doogie White taking on frontman duties once occupied with distinction by fellow former Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet, Take No Prisoners (get it?) is the third studio release since re-animating with original keys man, Jimmy Waldo, at the helm.

BUCKCHERRY VOL. 10

Winger Seven

On the strength of six figure sales for their self-titled EP, the band signed with Atlantic and hooked up with producer Beau Hill. It was a match made in heaven as Out Of the Cellar — fuelled by iconic hit Round And Round — went on to shift three million copies and usher in a period of sustained success Stateside.

That Ratt’s dazzling debut and the band’s subsequent hit albums never quite whetted the appetite of British fans proved a constant source of frustration for Pearcy and Atlantic’s bosses alike. Sophomore album Invasion Of Your Privacy nudged the UK’s top 50 but that was as good as it got for a band mystified by its limited impact across the Pond.

The follow-up to Out Of The Cellar matched its predecessor by peaking at number seven in the Billboard charts. Lay It Down became Ratt’s second top 40 single and heavy MTV rotation caught the attention of Castle Donington’s tastemakers — in 1985 Pearcy and co. performed alongside Metallica, Bon Jovi and headliners ZZ Top in front of the Monsters Of Rock massive. But still us Brits didn’t get it. Widely regarded as Ratt’s tour de force, Invasion Of Your Privacy’s perfectly trimmed 36 minutes showcased the very best of DeMartini and Crosby (who overdosed on heroin aged 42 in 2002) with the talented six stringers duelling across 10 hair metal classics.

Pearcy never sounded better as he belted out You’re In Love, Closer To My Heart and the brilliant Between The Eyes. Ratt had risen and they’d stay at the top for a while yet.

A third album in three years maintained the momentum and Dancing Undercover guaranteed

By the time 1988’s Reach For The Sky hit stores, new kids on the block Guns N Roses had upped the ante and Ratt suddenly had it all to do. And they just about did it. Funky single Way Cool Jr. maintained their seat at hair metal’s top table while wrestlers Brian Pillman and Larry Zbyszko picked Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds and City To City as their respective ring walk themes — broadening the reach of the Ratt pack. Detonator, released in 1990, could and should have been the band’s crowning glory. After finally splitting with producer Hill, Pearcy and co. hired hitmaker Desmond Child to helm their fifth long player and even roped in Jon Bon Jovi as a backing vocalist on Heads I Win, Tails You Lose. At the poppier end of Ratt’s accessible scale, Detonator featured some prime power balladry in the shape of the Diane Warren co-write Givin’ Yourself Away. But even Child couldn’t squeeze out the band’s next big hit. If the dreamy Detonator failed to match the commercial success of its multi-platinum predecessors then it nevertheless bookended a remarkable six-year home run from a band that landed in the right place at just the right time.

Ratt — The Atlantic Years is a joyous reminder of rock’s most flamboyant era. And who doesn’t love a retro-fuelled bumper sticker?

Words by Simon Rushworth

Juddering the speakers with Little Viper and Don’t Get Mad...Get Even, with Girlschool rocking up on backing vocals, this is classy heavy rock of the aural avalanche variety. The tracks continue to rumble and tumble out of this album with Doogie White accentuating a mean mouthed attack that serves him and the songs very well. In keeping with the Rainbow rock family tree thread, the power rock ballad, Strangers, has more than a muscle memory trace of Dio on which guitarist, Joe Stump, delivers a fury with finesse pounding guitar attack.

Gates Of Destiny is their mighty Babylonian epic track, with Jimmy Waldo’s keyboards and Stump’s harmony guitars driving this musical vehicle straight through them. Title track, Alcatrazz, and Holy Roller (Love’s Temple) continues the epic musical journey. Interestingly, the choppy keyboard and chugging guitar motifs on Power In Numbers further reminds of Dio era Rainbow. To close out this ten of the best tunes, Bring On The Rawk, and its hard rock chant and defiant ‘this is not the end’ message, does just what it says on this mighty metal tin of music.

For some they might still be out on parole awaiting further judgement, if so, then this fullon heavy duffer less release should see them break free from any perceived shackles.

Words by Paul Davies

Buckcherry are one of those iconic glam-punk/ sleaze-rock bands that just never seem to stop. Lead singer Josh Todd (who became a phlebotomist during the Covid pandemic) first formed the band in 1995. The band went on to release two albums in 1999 and 2001, before dissolving in 2002. Seven years later, Todd resurrected Buckcherry and they have just kept going, proving that anything made with passion will endure.

Vol 10, as the name implies, is Buckcherry’s tenth studio album to date, and is just as hard rocking and bouncy as when the band first formed. Whilst some bands evolve over time, Buckcherry are one of the few groups that remain true to their roots.

Little has changed for Buckcherry; they still play fantastic music and Josh Todd’s vocals remain just as brutally perfect. Their songs often convey a strong sense of longing, underscored by sadness, such as for lost friends and lives cut short. This blend of beauty and despair remains evident in their latest album. Whilst none of the tracks on Vol 10 reach the heights of ‘Crazy Bitch’, there are still some fantastic songs to be found on the album.

Vol 10 feels a little over-produced at times, thus losing some of the rawness of classic Buckcherry. That said, this is a band that always is best to experience live, as their music will be as raw and undiluted as intended.

Words by Peter Ray Allison

Kip Winger and his deliciously 80s hard rock troupe return with their seventh studio album, ‘Seven’. Whilst on the nose in name Winger’s first release since 2014 is a fine demonstration of time well spent with the twelve-track listing rooting its tendrils with that classic Winger sound atop of some killer modern tinges. Featuring all four original members and new edition John Roth on guitar it’s more a hark back to 90s Winger with the opening track ‘Proud Desperado’ engulfing itself in a heavyset beat with a smattering of post-production features that pushes it out into that wider stadium feel.

Softer numbers ‘Broken Glass’ and ‘Do or Die’ are bookmarked by some fiery tracks that owe themselves to Winger’s head honcho doing what he does best. ‘Resurrect Me’ stands out with a gorgeously crescendoed undertone and a rock chorus backing that only adds to the lead vocals. Though the album still grasps on to what will keep die-hard fans happy there’s a slight deviance into an almost blues-inspired movement with ‘One Light to Burn’ but with always enough hair metal glow within the tones.

In a backwards move, the LP ends with the first released single, ‘It All Comes Back Around’ which is no less a spot-on ending that leaves space for the songwriting to be drawn out above the sound in a pure 80s influence. High energy, higher notes, it may be another good few years before they top this rip-ride of new Winger classics.

Words by Monty Sewell

Burning Witches The Dark Tower

Burning Witches cast a spell with their fifth studio album The Dark Tower. Their debut release with Napalm Records is a very impressive piece of work, to say the least. A point proven by ‘Unleash The Beast’ which they certainly do as this beast bares its teeth and claws on wild thrash metal. Riffs are unrelenting, as is the tumultuous drum cavalcade and banshee-delivered lead vocals that precede the opening track ‘Rise of Darkness’, a gently strummed brief intro with an angelic chanted vocal.

Other choice cuts include ‘Renegade, a NWOBHM-tinged pounder that romps and stomps seismically on sturdy riffing and a lungthreshing vocal. The rage doesn’t let go as ‘Evil Witch’ is a raging slab of pit opening thrash that ticks all the boxes from a superhuman drum assault, razor-sharp guitars, and powerfully chanted choruses.

An earworm-tapped guitar intro for ‘World on Fire’ lights the fuse for proto-power metal that hits new levels of brutality in the Armageddon inducing choruses and galloping outro.

‘Tomorrow’ is not just a ballad but a magnum opus that rises and falls on a heartbreaking vocal, laid-back grooves that include soft guitar lines, ending on a hope-giving message. ‘House Of Blood’ is a one-minute spoken word intro to the album title track. A lengthy guitar-heavy grind heads off into thrashtastic verses and chest-beating choruses of “Lock, lock, lock them in the tower”.

‘Doomed To Die’ is a thrilling thrasher to ignite any crowd, a major rager of the highest order and one last assault to our hearing comes from album closer

‘The Lost Souls’. Another kick drum battery pins down rhythms to lose our minds to as it’s like being in the eye of a hurricane, backed by a vocal so evil, it should be exorcised!

Words by Dennis Jarman

Art Nation Inception

This Swedish band from Gothenburg started out in 2014 and after two albums, the 2015 debut ‘Revolution’ and ‘Liberation’ in 2017, the band’s founder members, frontman Alexander Strandell and guitarist Christoffer Borg, parted ways. After the third album in 2019 ‘Transition’, the band took a hiatus, mainly down to Alexander’s health. The good news is that after four years, Art Nation have returned, with Christoffer back on guitar and friendships reaffirmed, they are ready to put past differences behind them and are now stronger than ever.

The first track and initial single ‘Brutal & Beautiful’ swirls in with an electrifying riff from Christoffer. Alexander’s vocals are sharply immaculate, furiously keeping in time with the axe-wielding guitarist, who plays a stunning solo. ‘The Last of The Burned’ trickles in with more ruggedness, the flowing melody with bassist Richard Svärd and Alexander Lundgren on drums, is only interrupted with more stupendous fret licking from Christoffer. ‘1001’ and ‘Echo’ will also be released as singles. The latter is so atmospheric, Alexander S excels himself.

There’s a track called ‘Break Up’, that explodes with a hook and it’s easy to join in with the uplifting chorus. One of the most captivating on the album is ‘Light The Fire’ which pumps with energy and simply rocks. ‘Somewhere I Know I Belong’ has strength with lower underpinning from Alex Lundgren’s drums. ’Superman’ pings, moving up and down octaves, that the singer must relish. The final song ‘Powerless’ sees the only true ballad on the album.

It’s brilliant to learn that Art Nation are back. The band have so much to offer, and Inception proves just that. It has taken a while, but past experiences have taught the Swedes that there is nothing like true friendship and when you can use that to make such divine music, it’s the icing on the cake.

Words by Diane Davies

Neal Schon Journey Through Time

With the pantomime surrounding inner and outer band relationships in Journey, this live release of Neal Schon’s Journey Through Time San Francisco show, from 2018, is a timely reminder of their everlasting elite class of AOR music selling over 100 million units!

Being a benefit show for victims of the fires that raged through and ravaged the North Bay area of SF in late 2017, Schon reunited with original, and former fellow Santana band member, Gregg Rolie to rip through the choicest cuts from Journey’s extensive discography. Also involved is returning Journey member Deen Castronovo on vocals and drums, Marco Mendoza on bass, and John Varn on keyboards and vocals.

Mainly focusing on the band’s ‘70s repertoire, especially their first three albums, “Journey”, “Look Into The Future”, and “Next”, this soldout audience were lapping up this rare treat of thirty-one songs that also included Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin, Wheel In the Sky and universally known song Don’t Stop Believin’. The real surprise is the inclusion of Santana songs Black Magic Woman Oye Como Va on which Schon and Rolie musically stretch out revealing the fine chemistry shared by these veteran band originators. It’s been quite a wild ride for Journey who continue making headlines...

Words by Paul Davies