by Justin Gaines
– News Editor —
The San Francisco Bay Area metal scene in the mid to late 1980s is obviously famous for its thrash metal bands, but there was also a smaller, but still dedicated, scene devoted to Hollywood-style “hair metal.” Rattleshake was one of the lesser known bands from that scene. The band, which featured former Flame vocalist Don McBee, rocked (and partied) hard, opening for several high profile national tours, but they never managed to break free to a larger audience. Had they been from Los Angeles it might have been a different story, but in the end very few outside the Bay Area have ever heard Rattleshake’s music…until now.
Eonian’s 2012 self-titled Rattleshake collection may be short on songs (there are just seven tracks total), but there’s plenty of rockin’ going on! This is full-on, blues-based party rock in the same vein as Junkyard, Gypsy Rose, Britny Fox and to some extent L.A. Guns. You get seven songs about sex, booze and rock n’ roll, and aside from the obligatory (but still pretty solid) power ballad “Never Say Goodbye” they’re all completely upbeat and completely fun. Of course there’s nothing remotely original about what Rattleshake was doing at the time, but we’re talking hair metal here. As long as the songs are fun, the rest is beside the point.
These demos were originally recorded in 1989 but never officially released until now. They’ve been remastered by the original producer, and sound pretty terrific even by today’s standards. In addition, the booklet has plenty of band information and vintage photos. It’s a very nice reissue all-around, and one that looks as good as it sounds. Of course, we expect nothing less from these Eonian titles.
Rattleshake is another great collection of previously unreleased hard rock from the Eonian label. If you’ve been following their previous releases (Murder Bay, Shake City, Charlotte, etc.), you’re going to want this one as well. It’s also going to appeal to just about anyone who still has their old L.A. Guns, Warrant and Badlands albums on heavy rotation.
Genre: Hard Rock, Melodic Rock, Hair Metal
Band:
Don McBee (v)
Ralph Longo (g) (v)
Mark Freesman (g) (v)
Bryan Lujan (b) (v)
Steve Fletcher (d) (v)
Track Listing:
1. Shootin’ Whiskey
2. Gypsy Queen
3. Take Me Down
4. Mudbone Delight
5. Jump On Me
6. Never Say Goodbye
7. Rattleshake Boogie
Label: Eonian Records
Web: Rattkeshake
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10
