Released 25th May 2021 Reviewed by Kate 12th April 2023
Buy the album here: https://theraters.bandcamp.com/album/the-raters
The Raters are:
Cecile the Beast: lead vocals Johnny B Bad: Guitar and Backbocals Dani G: Doublebass and screams Txernobilly: Drums and screams
Summertime is coming, and for us rockin’ folk that means festival season! Joining the roster at this year’s Psychobilly Meeting in Pineda del Mar, Spain are the Raters, whose six song debut EP made waves when it was released two years ago. With a followup album in the works, it’s time to go back and revisit exactly what makes this four-piece from Mallorca so exciting…
Nightmare - Horror movie chords and a voice from Betty Boop’s worst day lure you up the stairs to your doom, but with slap bass and quietly punky guitar that does not seem like a bad prospect at all. When the guitar is unleashed, this track transforms into a tense adventure that stops so abruptly it’s a shock
Monsterparty Cathouse - Oh, that long, slow intro….they’re messing with us and we know it on this number descended from the Nekromantix. Clever, atmospheric psychobilly with a seductive edge that plays with the tropes we know and love.
Psychobilly Shot - Classic rock guitar over all the slap bass click in this stomper which is made to get your boots off the floor and into the air. They love to play with the tempo and contain several songs in one, as if we’d get bored with tunes of this quality.
El Dimoni Dins Jo - Demonic Spanish shouter with exotic guitar echoes and one heck of a solid beat. There needs to be a movie made of this song with go-go dancing devil girls and outlaws having a showdown.
Fever - It’s been covered by everyone, so what can the Raters bring to the table? A demonstration of the strength of their range without compromising on their style. It’s very slow, then gallops to top speed before dropping back to smoky, aching passion.
I Wanna B Bad - The Cramps, anyone? Blocky, chopping, howling blues distorted by desperation and swagger that’s gorgeous in its simplicity.
This is such a powerful debut that it could power an entire sub genre on its own. It pulses like a lava flow through a garage rock mountain and carries enough weight to build a huge hype for their next release, which will be beyond fantastic if it contains as much guts as this EP.
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/J8lsTSDzSZs
