Possible Influences: Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Ozzy, late GnR, Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Star Of The Show: Behind You ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Best Lines: 'Do me. a favour, don't patronize me now', 'You know I have a wife, every day. she dies twice', 'Let me tell you fuckers something', 'Do I have your permission to feel ?', 'She is a liar and. a cheat, traitor and a thief' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Make Me Wanna...: Headbang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
DISCLAIMER: I'm no expert when it comes to the heavier realms of rock or metal, being very accustomed to listening to the tunes of men in skin-tight leather trousers, huge hair and more makeup than I wear on the average workday, so forgive me if I am lacking as much of a musical ear as usual. Please drop your thoughts below on what you hear when listening to this album !
1- The Taste
The Rattlebacks set their tone from the very first note on their debut album. A dark, distorted guitar riff covers you in an ominous cloud the second you hit play. This sinister mood amplifies with a drum build-up. Let's put it this way, it feels like some shits about to go down...and indeed it does with a soaring vocal that elevates you into hell, your songbird of choice, The Rattlebacks' very own, Josh Clarke, the vulture that wants to catapult you straight into the chaos. During this song, you're met with a breakdown that honestly gives you no choice but to headbang. But relax, you're not gonna break your neck any time soon cuz the verse that follows gives you a moment to cool down, sort your hair, and sway to a saucy, bluesy beat. Vocalist, Josh Clarke, establishes himself instantly as someone you don't need to question when it comes to vocals. And the lyrics ? They're easy enough for new listeners to remember with a catchy rhyming scheme and an all too relatable, sexy kind of hate: "You play with my desire like I’m just another toy. When we are together, you strip me of my joy." Clarke sings before pleading, "I beg you, let me be.'" Next is a bass bridge while our vocalist seems to be ticking like a time bomb. There's only one thing this can mean, it's solo time. This treat is a guitar solo dripping in some serious wah action fury. A solid kickstart to the album.
2- Dementia Lounge
Now that you're settled into The Rattlebacks, you'll be used to their unique musical style, but what makes this album so great is that each track offers a distinct flavour of their identity while maintaining their signature style. The intro for this song begins with just bass. I'm getting glammy vibes, it could be Sweet Emotion or You Could Be Mine, hell it could even be No More Tears *What credit I'm giving these guys right now eh ? ;) Then the guitar slams in hard and fast, punched by our sassy vocalist's entrance "I think you're forgetting something'". The verse kicks off with '"I hear the screams at night, not mine this time", a haunting line delivered with a touch of Ozzy’s eerie charm. The dark, ominous chorus shifts gears, with Hetfield-esque grit and a vibrato-heavy 'tallica Guitar melody. The second verse raises the stakes on this song with a sexy killer line 'You know I have a wife, every day. she dies twice'. It’s twisted and bold. The track’s claustrophobic chorus drags you into a frantic headspace. By the time it’s over, you’re left reeling from the experience. This is the sound of a band unafraid to embrace chaos.
3- Gods
Here we have a punk-infused riff, again showing off the versatility of the band and meshing together their influences whilst maintaining their signature sound. Our ever-courteous singer, greets us with a "Welcome to my world, can I show you around ?" -what a gentleman. The chorus, with its dangerously catchy hook, "Come with me, boy, let me show you how we sin", confirms that our protagonist is welcoming us into some sort of seedy underbelly (just in case you were expecting Disneyland or something). He's feisty, delivering lines like "do me a favour, don't patronize me now" and "let me tell you fuckers something", a charmer with an edge! The lyrical content of "Why be a pawn when you can be a king" assures us that this is a defiant anthem, he has something to say and it's a big fuck you and an even bigger fuck yeah. We've got a great solo on this one (and while I’m currently sitting in a very proper hotel lobby writing this, I can’t help but wish I were moving to this track at a gig instead, alas I shall just have to wait till December 6th.) The song ends abruptly with a sharp, punchy guitar finish.
4- How Calm The Silence
This track takes a breather with a drum solo, giving us a momentary break from the relentless distortion. To say I was surprised when the verse began is honestly an understatement. I am instantly aware that this one doesn't carry the same darkness as the previous tracks, instead, it sounds hopeful, almost uplifting. The chorus only elevates this aspirational, tranquil mood, like we've been riding a rollercoaster that's just ascended from the pits of hell to the gates of heaven, heck I even think I hear angels singing, but that's probably my jetlag speaking and the harmonised vocals and synth doing their job. It's not just a song- it's a whole production. A bendy, electric solo rips us from our celestial experience and reminds us that the strobe lights aren't the light of God, this is a fkn rock show, and we’re right in the middle of it. The track closes with that same catchy riff we began with then the guitar just caps off like its saying 'alright fkers, peace out'.
5- Open Your Mind
This track kicks off with a bold, badass intro, putting the drums front and centre with the focus on the rolling toms. The main riff for this song again leans into the catchier side of the metal spectrum. The chorus is incredibly 90s, like a chanty, radio-friendly Metallica hit. The guitar is very 90s too. But my 80s brain is screaming 'Venus' by Banarama, I'm blaming the lines "light it all on fire, give in to desire", please tell me I'm not the only one (I'm sorry guys, forgive me). Midway, we’re treated to a sexy drum solo backed by a quintessentially 90s bass groove and backing guitar. This track is one of the lighter offerings on the album, but it still packs a punch. With lyrics like, “You’re working hard, a slave to the grind, well now’s your opportunity to open your mind,” it’s practically begging you to quit your day job and live it up, so I say Party On !
6- Please Me
This one starts on a similar tone to our previous lighter-sounding songs. But the chorus ? As soon as our courteous singer jeers "Do I have your permission to feel ?", the chorus enters. It's moving, it's sensual, Max Horne's guitar undeniably seduces you with a slow melody as our alluring singer vulnerably sings "Please me so I don't fade away". It's a darkly seductive reality wrapped in raw emotion with a wailing guitar. Then our charismatic frontman owns this track, guarding himself and claiming it back with the lines, "We’re doing this my way". The drums build up, almost reflecting our main man losing control. The guitar outro is packed with soulful bends, dripping in wah. With raw conviction, our man intimately and intensely belts out a final time, a perfect blend of venom and vulnerability, protected by an army of harmonized vocals. Ending in power as we headbang to that signature hard-rocking guitar riff and driving drums.
7- Swing
I know I keep using the words dark and ominous but the intro to this track, in particular, cranks this up to the max. I think the echoing, pounding drums and grungy guitar have a huge part to play in this sound. Ironically I feel like I could still swing and sway to this despite the shadowy atmosphere this song envelopes you in . I guess its because such heaviness must be anchored by a slow rhythm.
8- Behind You
I feel like I've been so prepped and primed by the heaviness of Swing that when this track open with gentle, clean, open chords, I actually have to check that I'm still listening to the same band. If you think your music player has somehow snuck on Don't Cry by GnR, don't worry, you're still listening to The Rattlebacks. Slow drums kick in as our thoughtful singer muses. The whole tempo of this song sets the pace for his reflection and being lost deep in thought. Our singer is meditating on the bittersweetness of memories he wants to chase and the shadows he misses. He is yearning for more time, to go back and embrace the moments that have now slipped away. Let this track be a poignant reminder to us that life is indeed short. This being the longest track on the album clocking in at 6:47 only seems appropriate. As the narrative deepens through the verses, we almost feel intrusive, listening in on his private conversation as he directly addresses the one he has lost. At 3:26 this sombre tale kicks into an overdriven, very raw, wailing Slash guitar solo. Then comes 4:53, the moment that will go down in history, where this song takes on such a surprising turn for the album, the orchestral production of Track 4 subliminally primes us for this but even Track 4 can't compare in its production. There is a clear turning point now in this song both sonically and in terms of mood/mindset. The tender gentleness of the first half of the song is swept under the rug. The orchestral climax makes love with the wailing guitar, amplifying a new intensity as if November Rain had been reimagined through The Rattlebacks’ lens. Yeah, they go there. This song has truly taken the album to a breathtaking new height. Our once-timid narrator is now singing with newfound strength and the guitar cries, with each note being a release of all of the pent-up grief and longing our singer has been harbouring. This is easily the album's most powerful moment and probably my favourite song in terms of guitar and also due massively in part to being able to take on what I love best about one of my favourite songs (November Rain) but in a completely unique fresh way. This masterpiece ends "We go together, two fingers up I am ready". This is defiance, resilience, and catharsis wrapped into a stunning piece of music that puts The Rattlebacks in a completely different league.
9- Waste
Unless you haven't noticed, these guys have perfected the art of emotional whiplash. You're never just headbanging and you're never just sombre while listening to this album because the next song will always pick up from a different place to the last, just as Waste does when it cleverly follows Behind You. We're rocking and rolling again. Our singer is "going down in flames one last time" and he is reminding us we are still on this journey with him, through all his emotions from the pits of hell to the heights of heaven and back down again. The repetition of "Could you save me ?" hits hard. But let's be real, chances are not because none of us are getting saved from this blaze. We're all damned together and that's why we're listening.
10- Lady In Wait
This track is another one that starts like some shit is about to go down. A very fast-paced song ('You wouldn't steal a car, you wouldn't steal a handbag, you wouldn't steal a television' style, if you get the reference). We're not even 30 seconds in but our singer doesn't hold back with his first words "She is a liar and. a cheat, traitor and a thief". He stabs "I wouldn't bother, just take it from me". There's a lot of hate in this song, and hindsight it seems. Post-nut clarity much ? I didn't expect such a catchy chorus, to be honest, a perfect succession of chords. I just wish it lingered a little longer, maybe repeated more than once. Instead of finishing off with a final chorus (he clearly doesn't wanna use up any more air talking about this chick) the song instead ends with a solo followed by a repetitive, frustrated 'prove me wrong', he dares ya. Coming in at just 2:47 in total, this cautionary tale of a seriously vampy chick is over too quickly.
11- Lazy Brian
Firstly, who tf is Brian ? Anyway, we begin with a slow, slidey yet plucky, laid-back bassline which continues through the verse like it's got nowhere to be. The verse itself starts with a talkbox, which I didn't expect but hell what was I expecting with this album's mega production, why the hell not ? This combination of talk box and lazy groove definitely has me feeling the lethargy, like I've just had a toke and sat next to Lenny Kravitz in the 90s or something. The lyrics pack a punch though: “You lazy fuck, living rent-free in my head, I want you gone before I’m dead". Towards the end of the song it sounds like the protagonist’s finally getting some energy and the music mirrors his frustration, as he tries to get the message through that he doesn't wanna fight so he doesn't even bother to do it at all ! It was an interesting outro that sounded like the final signal beep going on your TV as you officially tune out of the experience that has been Sidewinder.
All in all, The Rattlebacks seamlessly combine influences from Hard Rock, Punk and Metal to deliver a fresh take on the sounds that many of us have grown up on --without ever ripping anybody off. I'm hearing a distinct 90's Hard Rock/Metal angst but inflicted with a more refined production and flawlessly unique execution. Sidewinder brings you a sound that is instantly recognizable, yet no two songs feel the same.
Do you have any saucy questions for our headliners @The_rattlebacks ? Post your questions in the comments box below or email them to: decadentdestruction.tv@gmail.com and we'll ask them during our interview at DD on the 6th December 🤘🏼
Fave Track ? ⭐️
The Taste
Dementia Lounge
Gods
How Calm The Silence
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