DIRTY RATS "Rock And Roll"

DIRTY RATS

“Rock and Roll”

No one can accuse these guys of false advertising when it comes to album titles. This scruffy bunch delivers exactly what they promise. I had a feeling they were Australian just by looking at them and sure enough, so they are. If you like no frills raunchy hard rock in the vein of old AC/DC and ROSE TATTOO, then welcome to Rat Town.

Apparently they’ve been touring dives in the Outback for 30 years or so. They got that AC/DC-ROSE TATTOO sound but not to the point where they are an absolute clone. There’s some punkiness here, too. “Yesterday’s Hero” is a little lighter and more poppy, but the majority of the tracks are crunchy grinders like the excellent “Not Alone”, “Suicide” and upbeat “Notch in Your Belt”. The vocals of Wayne Rich are not as raw as Brian Johnson or Angry Anderson, but they do the job.

This is a super enjoyable record to blast when speeding down a wide open highway. Maybe it’s time for the DIRTY RATS to get some long overdue success.

SLIPTRICK RECORDS

DIRTY RATS