Looking Back in Anger at Ratt's "Out of the Cellar

 The album that put the band on the map. The iconic cover features Tawny Kitaen. The formula that works best for this band is the simmering tension that made them darker than thebe Bon Jovis of the time, while been being summed up with anthemic hooks on the chorus. Warren DeMartini was the Eddie Van Halen in waiting of this scene but over looked due to the spandex clad bravado that caused music critics at the time to not take this sort of thing seriously. I feel you can't throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to the mainstream bi haired bands, as Ratt displays on this album they are very capable songwriters.  While more metallic than most of their peers. Motley Crue released "Shout at the Devil" which is still a darker , heavier album than this, but Ratt would go onto to fill a void, when the Cure sold out with " Theater of Pain". 

For a MTV friendly single "Round and Round" packed a punch on top of being catchy as hell. With songs like "In Your Direction" it was obvious these guys had more in common with the Scorpions than most hair metal bands who were more heavily influenced by Cheap Trick or Aerosmith. There is also a slight "Looks that Kill" feel to the riff of "In Your Direction' which I wonder if it was a nudge from the studio. "She Wants Money" pretty much sums up their environment this time period.  The equivalent of today's pop punk,  but with a little more testosterone. Though most of the balls can be found in the guitar solo. "Lack of Communication" is a really strong song with lots of drive. It's one of Pearcy's better vocal performances. Listening back to him, what he lacks in pipes and power, he makes up for with nuanced phrasing. "Back For More" is another one of the album's best tracks, that blends hard rock heft with catchy melody. Perhaps the best chorus of the album, as it's to the point. 

The key to reviewing these kinds of albums is wiping the nostalgia from your hears and honestly weighing how relevant they are today. While I like the more aggressive gallop of guitars on "the Morning After" , "I'm Insane" holds up better. "Scene of the Crime" is a victim of the musical climate it was written in. With that said I think it's fair to round this one down to a 9, solidifies them a legit band for this era, not a classic like "Shout at the Devil" .