Released by: Frontiers Records

Release Date: Out Now!!!

Genre: Hard Rock

Links: https://officialstephenpearcy.com/

Line Up:

Stephen Pearcy-Lead Vocal-Back Ups
Erik Ferentinos – ALL guitars – Rhythm & Lead Guitars, Back Up Vocals, Keys
Matt Thorne – Bass Guitars, Keys, Back Up Vocals
Scot Coogan – Drums

Tracklist:

1.U Only Live Twice
2.Sky Falling
3.Malibu
4.One In A Million
5.Double Shot
6.Secrets To Tell
7.Not Killin’ Me
8.Dangerous Thing
9.I’m A Ratt
10.From The Inside
11.Violator

Honesty is the best policy, I believe. If you feel like you can’t speak the truth and speak your mind, what’s the point of existing? Sure, there are times that the truth will hurt, or at the very least not be what you want to hear, but it is still better than letting lies fester. Yes, there are times that it is best to maybe not say it in a certain moment when it might not be appropriate, but at some point or another, you’ve gotta speak your mind. In case you haven’t figured it out yet (though I would assume the headline will be a giveaway) I’m about to talk about the new Stephen Pearcy album. I admit, I’ve never been a huge Ratt fan (though I dug Warren DeMartini, that was predicated by the fact that it was reported he was a Zappa fan and I was in my early stages of discovering Frank so that was pretty cool. But Warren is a great player.) A lot of my dislike was directed mostly towards the vocals. Something about that sneering voice didn’t do it for me. I liked some of their stuff, but it wasn’t until years later that I gave them another shot and finally came to enjoy them a lot. Of course, most know the on again/off again relationship of Pearcy and the band- one minute he’s in the next minute he’s out. For the most part, his output with Ratt has been from fantastic to good, but the same can’t be said for his solo albums. Plagued with shoddy production, piss poor songs, and even lackluster performances, getting through a Pearcy solo album has been a chore for me. When I was approached about reviewing his latest offering I took it on the caveat, “If no one else wants it.” I’ve been pretty open about my stance on writing negative reviews- I prefer not to if I can avoid it. Plus, this new album is coming off the very public display of some not so flattering live performances of a sitting and clearly inebriated Pearcy not even trying to sing, which made me a little more worried about checking it out.

I am very happy to announce that his latest offering, View To A Thrill, is actually a pretty damn good album! The songs are very much rooted in the classic Ratt sound, Pearcy is sounding better than ever, and the production isn’t bad either. Gone are his weird forays into experimenting with different sounds trying to be something he is not, sticking to what brought him to the game; straight ahead, down and dirty hard rock with sing-along choruses, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and his distinct vocal inflections, View To A Thrill is as close to a worthy follow-up to 2010’s excellent Infestation from Ratt is we’re likely to get (new Ratt music is as tough to come by as finding hens teeth.) Tracks like “Double Shot,” “U Only Live Twice,” “From the Inside,” and “I’m A Ratt” may not be pure to the Ratt sound, but close enough that the fans should appreciate it. With a great line-up of musicians supporting him, this album well surpasses my expectations. Let’s just hope that if the recent videos are past demons haunting him he can get past that, as this album will impress anyone that’s been disappointed with his past solo efforts like myself.

Stephen Pearcy has done the impossible (at least in my mind) and recorded a brilliant solo album. It’s tight and concise, flows perfectly, and most importantly rocks! This is vintage Ratt & Roll for sure, and a must have for any fan of the band young and old. I’m glad I gave him another shot. I’m not sure why I did after a run of some serious disappointments, but we good now as View To A Thrill is a fantastic album. 2018 has been crazy- this year I’ve enjoyed a Bulletboys album and a Pearcy album. Who’d a thunk it?

Written by: Chris Martin