Badlands by RAVAGERS

Ravagers’ ascension was not without its mishaps and misfortunes. Finding a second guitarist was a challenge, set back by life’s little hurdles (girlfriends, suicide, etc.) until long-time friend and former Biters guitarist Matt Gabs filled the void. Together, he and band leader/lyricist/vocalist Alex Hagen carved out the sadistic, sardonic and supremely catchy “Drowning in Blood” single in 2018, b/w “Suzi (Has an Uzi).” This brief tease of new material baited fans throughout their blitzkrieg of gigs, all the while singing songs of recklessness and apocalyptic pop until Covid-19 turned the world into exactly that.

Making the most of a shit situation, the band headed South to write and record their first full-length LP, Badlands due in 2022 with production/engineer duo Tuk Smith (Biters, Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts) and Dan Dixon (PLS PLS) at the helm. The result is 10 of the groups strongest tracks yet, an auditory onslaught of filth and fun, of catchiness and catastrophe.

The album’s first single, “Nasty Night” is layered with guitars and Stooges-esque pianos that give the listener a real bad feeling, and it feels real good. Tracks like “White Widow” and “Shake the Reaper” have the hooks and harmonies of the strongest Turbonegro tracks with the arena-filling riffs of Blue Oyster Cult or Alice Cooper. This could very well be the record to take them to that sort of capacity. Not to say the group has abandoned their roots as fun-loving alley-lurking psychopaths. Aided by the bouncy percussion of Ray and the rapid fire rhythm of bassist Curt, “Blackout” is the closest we get to a rabid beach party singalong about getting wasted until you just gotta, well… you know. And on the other hand, “Sick House” and “Losing My Grip” are white-knuckle howlers that sound like Lemmy and Lee Ving just hijacked a train to hell.

Badlands is an amplified example of what the band has always encompassed: grim situations, high tension, and one hell of a good time. At 28 minutes, it begs to be played again and again until the neighbors call the cops… Fuck ‘em! As a premier long-player, Ravagers have set the bar dangerously high, but then again, these dudes leave “playing it safe” to the wuss-rock vermin they vow to exterminate.

-Dave Feldman

Tracklist

1.	Down That Road	2:19

2.	White Widow	2:36

3.	Trespasser	2:18

4.	Sick House	2:35

5.	Shake the Reaper	3:58

6.	Nasty Night	2:44

7.	Blackout	2:40

8.	High on Stress	3:04

9.	Losing My Grip	2:59

10.	So Long	2:45

Credits

released February 4, 2022

Hagen: Vocals, Guitar
Gabs: Lead Guitar
Curt: Bass, Backing Vocals
Ray: Drums
Tuk: Keyboard, Backing Vocals

Produced by Tuk Smith
Mixed, Mastered, Engineered by Dan Dixon

License