Love them or hate them, Ratt is back, out of the cellar, and ready to once again invade your 
privacy! The new album, Infestation, released by Roadrunner Records, is a true summertime album – loaded with breezy riff hooks, infectious choruses, and a carefree musical attitude that the music scene has not felt since…well the 1980s!
Read on, as we catch up with a true guitar hero, Warren DeMartini, as he and the Ratt boys prepare to infest the ears of a new generation of music fans!
What was the impetus for doing a new record? I am asking, because bands like Ratt had a massive heyday in the 1980s with tons and tons of hit singles. But nowadays, a lot of people are simply not interested in new music by these bands and just want them to remain in the past. Ratt has effectively ignored all of that, plowed ahead, and created an album with incredible, reinvigorated energy.
I think one of the exciting things about the art form and the industry is that it’s hard to create a sure-thing. They still have to fall together. One of the things we were conscious of was staying in the mindset, tempos, and the brightness of something that could have come out in between Out of the Cellar (1984) and Invasion of Your Privacy (1985). The idea was not to spend too much time on any one thing; to go with our guts.
The only boundaries were to keep it up-tempo and as bright as possible. When I look back over our catalogue, it’s pretty clear that we didn’t want to keep recording the same record over and over again. So we explored darker themes, looser and slower tempos, just to try things we hadn’t done before. But for this one, Infestation, it was all about getting back in and simply doing what we always set out to do, which was to play rock!
In 1999, you guys made a first attempt at a rebirth, and the critics destroyed you for it. What makes 
2010 the right time to get back into the game?
Well, when I look back at that project, I think we really went off the road, so to speak. We were trying to fit into a record company formula that worked with other groups, i.e. there’s a different co-writer on every song. It was a situation where we were trying to create something that was strictly commercial.
The A&R person said that they had great success with this formula and another heritage act, but it just did not graft to Ratt. And the difference is striking when I listen to Infestation, which we did without any outside writers. All the ideas were created by the band members.
I don’t know if it was something you were conscious of, but I noticed too, that when listening back through the Ratt catalogue, the more that outside writers became involved (be it Beau Hill, Desmond Child, or whomever), it seemed like the albums became less and less focused.
There was a big difference between making records like the Ratt EP (1983) and Out of the Cellar, when no one knew how well Ratt could do or how valuable Ratt could be, compared to doing records after that point. It just completely changed the game. And that was something that we weren’t necessarily expecting.
We ended up with more fingers in the pie, so to speak. And the longer it went on, it became more of a tangible commodity. Add that to the breakneck tour schedule that the band was doing – we were doing a record, then a tour, then a record, then a tour – it got more and more difficult to form the ideas than when we had enough time before the band got busy. And that was one of the challenges we didn’t always win, looking back.
I think the stuff still stands up, but I can hear what you’re talking about. It’s definitely obvious when I look back at the way Infestation was recorded. There is one track on there that our producer, Michael Baskette started. But other than that, every song is completely written by the band. It seems like with Ratt, leave it alone and give it enough time to set up, and something interesting will happen.
And that’s what really shocked me when listening to Infestation; not only is it good music, but the band members’ individual performances sound like there really is this renewed energy – like the batteries are recharged, and you’re ready to take over the world again. Two of the elements that immediately leapt out at me were how tight Blotzer’s drumming is and how strong Stephen Pearcy’s vocals have become.
Yeah! And it’s truly where we were, because we’ve come full circle. We were coming from a similar place that we were when we did the EP and Out of the Cellar. No one was really aware that we were doing it at all, which gave it a detachment from anything that we had to be.
Something I’ve always wondered over the years is why has Ratt been so adamant and fervent about 
avoiding and denying being called a metal band?
I think that is out of respect to the bands that are true to the metal art form. There were definitely elements of metal in the EP, but by the time we did Out of the Cellar, to me, it was really hard rock. Hard rock seems to be more appropriate to me, personally. It’s interesting, because I definitely consider the early work of the Scorpions as metal, and that clearly was an influence on Ratt early on - but then their sound developed into something that I do not consider as metal.
When you went in to put this album together, were you thinking about potential singles, or was the goal simply to write balls-out rock?
I never think about singles; I just put all of my attention into whatever it is we’re working on and nothing any further than that moment. And once everything is done, then those sort of things start to become obvious.
What kind of dynamic did Carlos Cavazo bring to the table?
Oh, Carlos and we go way back, and we all grew up listening to the same stuff. Carlos and I, and Robbin Crosby all picked up the guitar because of the same 6-8 guitarists. I knew what Carlos could bring to the band, and I knew that he knew what to expect, and I also knew that he could handle it. And it really just continues to be an exciting thing, because live, the songs just really come alive again.
And Ratt was also very interesting in the rock circuit in that you had/have two lead guitarists, where most 5-piece bands had one lead and one rhythm guitarist.
That’s right, and it just makes for really well-rounded music and a great musical show.
As time went on with Ratt’s career, you were positioned in the press as a guitar hero, and in 1996, 
you released a great solo album, Crazy Enough to Sing to You. With your incredible playing ability, I was wondering why you never continued on as a virtuoso or journeyman guitarist, because I easily saw you morphing into doing what someone like Gary Hoey does.
Well, what happened with the solo album was that when I finished that up, and it had come out in Japan, Ratt had decided to get back together. And we started working on what would then become Collage (1997). So it kinda eclipsed exploring the solo thing more.
But it was a nice ice-breaker, and I noticed that it really resonates with people. And it’s always something I’ve got on the back burner. I write all the time, and not everything is going to work for Ratt. So I think that might naturally create more work of that type, when Ratt is taking time off.
It really speaks to your prolific nature as a guitar player. And that came through on Infestation in the track, “Take Me Home.” I was surprised at how tender and honest it sounded.
Yeah, I really like the contrast of the spatial, atmospheric verse and the really hard-hitting chorus in that. It’s really something somewhat new for us. Usually we establish a tone or an emotion that would be pretty consistent through the whole track. So that one is also an ice-breaker in exploring some more multi-textural stuff in the songs. Yeah, I loved the way that came out. Carlos and I came up with the feeding-back atmosphere overlapping guitar lines. It’s definitely one of my favorite things that we developed together.
I also heard that you were somehow, at one time, involved with a Frank Zappa project. Is that true?
I used to visit the house from time to time and got to know him a bit. And there was a conductor in New York who was putting together a tribute to his music called Zappa’s Universe. And Frank asked me to perform a couple of songs in that. He was only participating as an arranger, so he was at the rehearsals, but he didn’t actually attend the shows. I’ve never received a Grammy, but if I did, I seriously doubt the feeling would exceed the feeling of getting a call from Frank Zappa. [Laughs]
So how does it feel to be linked to an Academy Award-winning director?
Oh, it’s great, absolutely. “Nobody Rides For Free” is one of my favorite videos. It was such a difference working with Kathryn Bigelow than most of the stuff we had done previously. There was such easiness to the process that was just striking. I liked Point Break; I’m glad we did it.
We had rejected a lot of those kind of offers, with putting songs in films, but I’m just really glad we did that one. It just stood out. I felt connected to that culture, because I went to junior high and high school in San Diego and got really involved in surfing. So that element really resonated with me. And she just did an amazing job.
The song was originally a demo that was written on keyboards that sounded like something A Flock of Seagulls would have done. It was a complete 180 from what we ended up doing with it. The verse and chorus part we basically kept, but distilled it through Ratt. We had gotten a synopsis of the film and I remember hearing that song and thinking it was something I could distill.
And now it doubly serves as a lasting tribute to Patrick Swayze.
Yeah, it’s one of those things that I’m really, really proud to have recorded, and I think it turned out well beyond what we thought was possible. I really just liked everything about it - Mick Guzawski and Kathryn Bigelow – it was such a good marriage of the right people for the right thing. I really loved where they used the breakdown at the end when Keanu Reeves let’s Swayze go, when the guitar fades in – it was such a cool way to use that. She’s a wonderful artist.
ColdCaseKiller | MySpace Video
As the gears get going, it is very probable that VH1 will jump on board to create some buzz and awareness to Ratt again by re-airing that Behind The Music special they originally put together in 2006. Was that actually an accurate portrayal of the band? I was always bothered by that particular special, because it didn’t really seem like a true history of the band – it ignored the music and the creative process and focused wholly on the dirt and controversy.
I actually do not like Ratt: Behind the Music. I don’t think it’s fair to call it a documentary, because it was written by someone who was not even a fan of hard rock. Parts of it I have the same objections to, and I hope there becomes a reason to do a proper Behind the Music, because they were not interested in the actual story, which in and of itself was unusual.
For example, there was a whole part of how Ratt got signed – there was an LA DJ named Joe Benson who created a show that would get unsigned bands played on the radio every Friday at drive-time, 5pm. Anyone could get played on the radio; the only rule was that you couldn’t have a record contract. “You Think You’re Tough” from the Ratt EP got on there, and that got the attention of Atlantic Records, which led to the president of Atlantic flying out, seeing a show, and signing us that night! And there’s no mention of that in there!
They had gone through the trouble of shooting an interview with Joe Benson, but as it turned out, “there wasn’t enough time to get to that part,” because they wanted to focus on stuff that I would not consider appropriate for a documentary – because documentaries are NOT supposed to be biased.
I see exactly what you’re saying, because when I watched it, what I took from it was not anything impartial, factual, or fascinating – as you would find in a documentary. What I saw was a case study for Los Angeles excess in the 1980s.
That’s exactly right. And it debuted with the Pantera one, which didn’t talk about their music either. What you end up watching is something written and edited by someone who truly did not like or appreciate the art form. I don’t agree with it, and I don’t support it at all.
I noticed your talk points in it were very minimal.
I provided them with a lot of footage from my archives, and I could tell by the footage they were picking, that they were building a smear campaign. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they will get a CEO who actually likes the genre, and we’ll see what happens then.
Ratt is on the road now, “infesting” America as it goes. Dates include:
May 6 at Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore, MD
May 7 at Jaxx in West Springfield, VA
May 8 at Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia, PA
May 10 at Irving Plaza in New York, NY
May 12 at House of Blues in Cleveland, OH
May 13 at Cubby Bear in Chicago, IL
May 14 at Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, MN
May 15 at 7 Flags Events Center in Des Moines, IA
May 16 at The Cotillion in Wichita, KS
May 18 at The Depot in Salt Lake City, UT
May 19 at Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO
May 20 at Idaho Falls Civic Auditorium in Idaho Falls, ID
May 22 at Majestic Ventura Theatre in Ventura, CA
May 23 at Pima County Fair (KLPX Radio) in Tucson, AZ
Jun 5 at Wendover Road Ride in Wendover, NV
Jul 10 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN (w/ Scorpions)
Jul 11 at Mud Island Amphitheatre in Memphis, TN (w/ Scorpions)
Jul 15 at 37 Main in Buford, GA
Jul 16 at Bayfront Park Amphitheatre in Miami, FL (w/ Scorpions)
Jul 17 at Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa, FL (w/ Scorpions)
Jul 19 at Mahalia Jackson Theatre in New Orleans, LA (w/ Scorpions)
Jul 21 at Nokia Live Theatre in Grand Prairie, TX (w/ Scorpions)
Jul 23 at Nokia Live Theatre in Grand Prairie, TX (w/ Scorpions)
Jul 25 at Zoo Amphitheatre in Oklahoma City, OK (w/ Vince Neil)
Jul 29 at Oasis Convention Center in Springfield, MO
Aug 1 at Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, CA (w/ Sebastian Bach)
Aug 4 at Raley Field in West Sacramento, CA (w/ Scorpions)
Aug 13 at Scriba Town Inn Summer Concert in Oswego, NY
Aug 14 at The Atlantic City Hilton in Atlantic City, NJ
Aug 20 at Northwoods Rock Rally in Glen Flora, WI
Sep 4 at Speaking Rock Event Center in El Paso, TX
[All images originate at Ratt’s MySpace page and at the Warren DeMartini fan site]
And grab a copy of Infestation, available now at Amazon, iTunes, the Roadrunner Records e-Store, and at your local record shop!
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