The Rats
Rats Ass
By Jillian Abbene
(SugarBuzz Wash DC/Richmond)
SugarBuzz Magazine
Life has a way of getting away from you, and that’s exactly what happened to me. When their debut CD, ‘Rat’s Ass,’ from the Rats, was launched late last year, I was forced by hand of default to have regretfully put them on the back burner (as well as everything else.) Well, shame on me then because they have put out one hell of an impressive debut album. Stationed two hours out from here in a small beach town called, “Norfuck,” Virginia, the size of the location doesn’t equate to their ability to puncture through tapestries of gilded rock ‘n roll. These tapestries are punk-n-roll fused slots. So if you like the findings of Electric Frankenstein, The Clash, The Hip Priests, Lucifer Star Machine, Ramones, The Villains, The Needles and Adam West, then you’ll want to crack open your wallet and add this one to your collection.
To start, there is nothing that says rock ‘n roll like a long dirty croak—and Eric, the lead vocalist, sets up a perfect opener on the CD with, ‘Sellin’ Honey.’ Eric’s holler to a smooth-lined lyrical verse, breaks into a middle-punch guitar medley punctuating along side drum pulses that noticeably gives off a profound sound. From a neighboring friend, Dan-O [RIP Rocket 69], also fingerprints guitar riffs all over this album.
‘Through With You,’ chomps down on scorning lyrics while jammed-out pummeling lead riffages smack dab in the middle. The live version adds a stop, tuck-’n-roll on drums landing right back into the cadence for one more time around on the verse. It’s these small pieces of variety that levels the playing field. Joining with overlapping chorus with Eric, it is Jeff that is banging on bass and surprisingly the one steering the instant-gratificating wheel of deliverance on, ‘Sick Of Being Your Dog.’
Cheering the hometown support in, ‘Norfolk City Rockers,’ wait—no, excuse me, but, ‘Norfuck City Rockers,’ rides of awesome rock-n-roll three-chord rhythms and drum pops slings-out riffs between the melodic catchy chorus of, ‘We are the Norfuck City Rockers. ‘Instinctually on queue, Eric’s clean and precise belting swerves, and like a NASCAR pin-turn twist, a gang-out choruses on, “We are all right!” Echoes on guitar chords steals a pluck right out of the, “Clash City Rockers,” tree of Clash.
Horror-crawl bassings and pig-squeal guitar saddle up on a familiar punk stamp as Jeff rocks out on vocals and bass against the volume and snappy drums. Think MC5, Iggy and maybe a little Ramones, and you’ve got yourself the best track on the CD. Played live is a fantastic visual treat as Eric slams the chords and Mark is on lead--both standing back to back in the middle of the stage in classic rock stance that has the crowd clapping. Like an instant hornet sting, the song buzzes right through to the ending chords.
"Rat’s Ass,’ is their entitled song on the CD, and has your classic garage wall-to-wall beats with blasting guitar adding a slight derivative to a 70’s rock homage great of, ‘Golden Earring,‘ spillage, but don’t worry--there’s just enough of that underlying punkrockness entrenched that it won’t give way to triteness. In this song, there is no guess work on Jeff and Eric’s harmonies. Rolling right into, ‘That’s How It Goes,’ the blending of bands like ACDC and Bad Company are influenced renderings all over the track. Eric’s applauded accapella verses bite in fast tempoed driving rhythms, and lead guitar riffs concludes that this song is neither innocent nor nice. Their live version is prime. Jeff pulls a split-jump in perfect timing on chords, as the rest of The Rats inadvertently trances shakes and wiggles to booties throughout the venue. Wonderland was indeed rockin’!
‘Devil Don’t Dig,’ squeezes out a Black Sabbath, MC5, Spinal Tap infliction with reflected affection of slower tempos in howling verse. Sharps and flats define sludges of guitar levels with slide-scaling, chomping down as one meaty chunk of dirge. Churning out as the last song on the CD, I kid you not--this band will be circulating farther than its smaller roots in Virginia .
So ladies and gents, I give you—The Norfuck scene, The Norfuck City Rockers, and The Rats. Richmond thanks you for keeping rock ‘n roll alive in this god-forsaken town.