The Classic Metal Album Reviews:
Title: Out of the Cellar
Artist: Ratt
Label: Atlantic
Release Date: 1984

Rating: 4 Skulls

  • Discuss on the Metal Judgment Web Board
  • Submit/Read Reader Reviews of this Album

    • Reviewed by Solomon:
    Ah, another name to add to that list of notorius 80's glam bad boys, alongside The Crue, Dokken, L.A. Guns, Poison, blah, blah, blah. Okay, none of them were as pretty as that guy from Faster Pussycat, but Ratt knew what mattered. The band was able to churn out a string of platinum records based around the scratchy, tuneful whine of vocalist Stephen Pearcy and the colorful, catchy guitar voicings of Robbin Crosby and Warren de Martini. They had plenty of addictive, sing-along choruses, too. Hey, it wasn't Beethoven, and Ratt's catalog is kid's stuff when compared to the extravagant arrangements of modern Opeth, Emperor, and Dream Theater, but, sometimes, a simple vocal hook and nasty guitar riff is all you need to put a smile on your face and make a great record.

    This is where Out of the Cellar succeeds. The first three tracks are the real stand out parts of the record. From Pearcy's designation of a "human target" in "Wanted Man," to the tasty riff in the chorus of "You're In Trouble," to the eternally infectious chorus of "Round and Round," these songs hit the spot. "Lack of Communication" is almost prophetic with a (gasp!) drop-D tuning (hold on to those baggy pants for a few more years, kids!). "Back for More" adds a little darker variety with some nifty twelve-string action. Hey, is that Tawny Kitaen on the cover? It is! Yummy!
    4 out of 5

    [- Metal Judgment Home -]    [- Email Metal Judgment -]
    ©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.