Album Review: The Rattlebacks – Sidewinder (Self Released)

UK five-piece hard rockers, The Rattlebacks’ debut album, ‘Sidewinder’, is set for release on November 15th, 2024.

Arriving with a groovy rock bang and sending a shockwave of dopamine through the body via grin-inducing melody and a vibe that is moodily defiant, The Rattlebacks start of their debut album in style with The Taste. It might not have a hot tempo, but that doesn’t mean the band aren’t delivering rampant hard rock heaviness.

The heat is well and truly turned up with Dementia Lounge, as The Rattlebacks unleash a hyperactive body shaker that is fast and frenetic, and importantly, very catchy too. An aspect of the band’s sound that can’t be ignored as it constantly rises up to be noticed. Such as on the punchy and riffy Gods, one of the most accessible head bangers of all, or on the groovy sound of How Calm the Silence, which has some thrilling bass rumbles, but stands out for the soaring vocal performance.

All bangers, all lovable as hell, but all varied too, which isn’t always something you expect when an album is hard rock through and through.

The good times keep on rolling though, even if there’s a bit of steamroller approach to The Rattlebacks at times. Delivering an absolute bevy of riffs with their most anthemic track so far in Open Your Mind. That chorus is killer. Then showcasing a bit of grunge rock within Please Me, alongside some of the thickest sounding guitars of the album on Swing. Chances are, you’ll be well and truly buying what The Rattlebacks are selling at this point. Snake charmers not snake oil salesmen.

The point has been well and truly proven, but that doesn’t mean the latter part of the album is a letdown by any stretch. It just finds the band being a bit braver, delivering a near seven-minute melodically-charged epic called Waste that has deep cinematic aspects, and finds the band hitting an incredible heartfelt high with their reflection on lost times and what could have been.

Deeply authentic and deeply relatable, The Rattlebacks have made sure this album is super-accessible, without compromising their powerful hard rock sound. Hence why the final pair of Lady in Wait and Lazy Brian have as much force as everything that came before. Groovy and passionate force that ends things on a creative and enjoyable high. Especially when the latter of the two has a bit of wackiness to it as well.

The Rattlebacks – Sidewinder Track Listing:

1. The Taste
2. Dementia Lounge
3. Gods
4. How Calm the Silence
5. Open Your Mind
6. Please Me
7. Swing
8. Behind You
9. Waste
10. Lady In Wait
11. Lazy Brian

The Rattleback Links

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