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[ More Music Reviews ]

Deaf Rat: Ban The Light

Heavy Rock/Metal

3.5/5.0

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AFM Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 30.10.2019 | Released: 01.11.2019

So when did Swedish hard rock and glam band Billion Dollar Babies evolve into Deaf Rat? I'm not quite sure, and promotional information isn't forthcoming. But Deaf Rat features vocalist Frankie Rich and guitarists Pat Kramer and Max Lander, all from Billion Dollar Babies. Supposing them to be the principal players behind Deaf Rat, the three are pictured below in an official band photo. However, a closer look at the promotional one-sheet, and you discover former BDB bass player Nic Lester and drummer Karl Lofgren (Follow The Cipher) are also in Deaf Rat. Turn the page on Billion Dollar Babies and let the Deaf Rat era begin.

Deaf Rat

With the principal players citing such diverse and legendary bands as Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, KISS, and Pantera, Deaf Rat wants to offer listeners a package of heavy rock laced with rhythm and groove, brisk guitars, and blistering solos, and then sharpened with some metal edge. Alternatively, you could call the Deaf Rat sound simply, fast and heavy rock, perhaps with a modern hard rock twist.

For many songs, sharp riffs roar over a tough and raging rhythm section, eventually rising to the crescendo of a guitar solo. Certainly, you'll this formula with Hail Th End Of Days, Tying You Down, Say You Love, and Wanted Forever. Alternatively, title cut Ban The Light moves with bounce and groove of hard rock. Bad Blood offers something more mellow, mostly voice with acoustic guitar over synth orchestration. Similar, with synths intwined with voice, Welcome To Hell has a dark foreboding feeling, but it eventually rises with riffage and drums to more heavy metal rock.

All said, if you can escape comparisions to the former band Billion Dollar Babies, you'll find that Deaf Rat offers some solid and tough, fast and heavy rock honed with a metal edge. Check out the video below for a sample from Ban The Light.

Ritual Steel: V

Traditional Heavy Metal

3.5/5.0

Drummer Martin Zellmer has been a fixture in the German metal underground for better than 25 years, serving many bands in the process. His main band, Ritual Steel ... [ Read More ]

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

If you can escape comparisions to the former band Billion Dollar Babies, you'll find that Deaf Rat offers some solid and tough, fast and heavy rock honed with a metal edge.

Alphabetical Index

The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]