Just because you’re a fan of KING DIAMOND/MERCYFUL FATE does not mean that you also have to know the past of the guys, my dear Alex. Our big chief surely had only the best in mind when he sent the coming to terms with the past of the MERCYFUL FATE guys Hank Shermann and Michael Denner in form of the BRATS album my way.

In any way, the BRATS played simple straight Rock, at times with a light Punk feeling, then, as with „Heavy Rocker“ being heavily influenced by JUDAS PRIEST. Totally simple, without any unnecessary frills, but with a lot of charm, songs like the straight driving “Oy-905”, “Tame Me (Insomniac)”, which starts out balladesque and then rocks off right away, the completely unleashed “Punk Fashion”, the sluggish “Complex (Don’t Destroy Me)” that reminds me of very old MANILLA ROAD stuff (“Metal” or “Invasion”) or the deranged mid-tempo rocker “Zombie People” still set a good mood.

Fans of veeerrry old NWoBHM stuff can’t really do much wrong with the BRATS album. (Online December 15, 2004)