Detonator＜Red Vinyl＞

アトランティック時代の最後のフル・アルバム(1990年発表)

音楽は変化していったが本作も成功を収め、ゴールド・ディスクを獲得。外部からの作曲家(Desmond Child、Diane Warren)やゲスト(Jon Bon Jovi、 Michael Schenker)が参加した最初のアルバム。
アルバムにはStephen Pearcy (vocals)、Warren DeMartini (guitars)、Robbin Crosby (guitars)、Juan Croucier (bass/vocals)、Bobby Blotzer (drums)というクラシックなラインナップ。
■140g/Red Vinyl

Ratt's fifth album, Detonator, finds the band breaking a long running relationship with producer Beau Hill, who helped develop the band's sonic trademarks through the '80s. The results on Detonator are clean and focused, but lack some of the live-sounding energy of the band's earlier work. What's more, the presence of hit makers like Desmond Child and Jon Bon Jovi suggests that the band has lost some confidence in its abilities to write songs -- and ironically, Detonator was the first Ratt album not to achieve platinum sales. Still, there are some strong moments here, including the crushing, detuned guitar riff of "Shame Shame Shame" and swaggering "All or Nothing," which (along with the rest of the album) spotlight the considerable skills of guitarist Warren DiMartini. The lyrics, as usual, are dumb. Detonator, released on the eve of the grunge explosion of the early '90s, would represent the end of Ratt's golden era. ~ Andy Hinds