Doing Just Fine

Dagblad van het Noorden, 21 december 2018

Rat Patrol Doing just fine Highly Obscure Records

PETER VAN DER HEIDE

.... gaan op hun nieuwe plaat Doing just fine nog even hard als toen ze in Groningen hun band Rat Patrol begonnen. Dertig jaar later stort zanger en tekstschrijver Oldenburger opnieuw zijn hart uit in furieuze hardcorenummers. Onderwerpen als discriminatie (We don't discriminate), het Amerikaanse wapenbezit (More guns / NRA Part II) en de vluchtelingenproblematiek (My homeland) razen voorbij. Een paar dagen na de aanslagen in Parijs (2015) schreef hij Terror is hate (Retaliate). Rat Patrol is altijd compromisloos trouw gebleven aan de rauwe en onopgesmukte muziekstijl met onlosmakelijke punkhouding. Ook punkers worden ouder, maar dat de idealen hetzelfde blijven is allerminst vanzelfsprekend.....

Aardschok

RAT PATROL. Doing Just Fine CD (Highly Obscure) With a name like ‘Rat Patrol’ I was almost expecting a sound more in common with Naked Raygun but this Dutch band are a pretty different proposition. Having been together since 1988, they obviously have a broad set of influences but, as an indicator, I’d suggest late-Eighties Skate-core bands like RKL and SNFU, with perhaps a few references to older bands like The Adolescents and DI. The songs tend to be pretty fast (though never just thrashy) but always have catchy riffs or hooks and a good sense of melody, whilst the overall sound also has a harder almost metallic sound without adopting any horrible ‘heavy metal’ cliches. This is the bands’ fifth album to date and they clearly know what they’re aiming for, with a clear but powerful production that ensures the energy levels are captured to full effect. It’s great when you hear a band who are obviously still so enthusiastic about their music and have managed to stay together for so long. Any fan of Hardcore should make a point of hearing this album !

Doing Just Fine CD Reviewer: Greg Harvester

RAT PATROL is from the Netherlands and have been around since 1988, but this is my first time listening to them. Retaining this amount of anger and drive after 30 years while still sounding fresh and relevant is not an easy task. They have a bit of an ’80s USHC energy with biting, crunchy guitars and a vocalist who only has one setting: full-on rage. The politics are on point, and the songs have enough catchiness to stay in your head.