The Rats - Machinery (Guest Review By Dirk Ceustermans)

  

(photo @maevatoch)

  So this young man walks up to me during the Damned show, two weeks ago, and asks me if I'm Dirk C.

"What have I done now" goes through my head, but fortunately the youngster introduced himself as Emile, singer of London Bullet.

Wow, hey you guy still play? I shouted, trying to sound cool there but really being too old to succeed.

No  London Bullet no longer exists since 2019, but no worries, Emile got himself a new band together and with some pride he shouted "RATS" into my ear. The full line up is Emile Dekeyser (vocals), Sander Dewispelaere (synth + guitar), Gilles Menu (guitar), Michiel Van Maele (bass) & Gilles Dierickx (drums).

  Later on I learned on their web site (https://therats-music.wixsite.com/rats) that the name was taken with the knowledge that there must be Rats (bands) everywhere, and they don't give a toss about that.

  All the while our conversation was not made any easier by the gothic loudness the Damned were producing during their set. It was bit annoying trying to catch what this young man was trying to tell me. Something about a new single release, or a track or tape only, or maybe it was already out...

I was triggered to find out, which was not difficult, as we got connected thru the Face-ternet. So I got to listen to this new song they published called Machinery. This track is taking the former London Bullet style a proper leap further into gloominess and post punk desperation. This 'Metropolic Blues' - as they call it - wades like rats through this stinging tune with vigour. A middle section that add some mystery into the mix and slowly builds up back into the song's theme. Proper song crafting from yet another good Belgian band. 

I'm looking forward to hear more!

  You can find the song here : https://theratsband.bandcamp.com/track/machinery

  It's called Machinery...

The machine plays on,
The whole night long
Machinery
I wish I was that grey man
On stage reading poetry
By reciting just a few lines
He takes me back to the sea
I’m drinking by the Crystal Ship
Enjoying the scenery
Pining away
I can’t drive no car and I got no degree
If perhaps you’d need me
La Reine des Plages is where I’ll be
Find me at Bal du Rat Mort at table 23
I’m the man with many faces,
Many faces,
Oh, maskery

The machine plays on,
The whole night long
Machinery
I’m six pints deep in a place called The Monkey
I look up in the mirror
When did I turn so ugly?
I look up again and a fleeing coward is all I can see
Pining away
Everyone here thinks I’m embracing liberty
If perhaps you’d hear this
Come and meet me down at the sea
In a vain hope to restore
What never came to be
The confrontation, the realisation
It just wasn’t to be

The cover read
“This will be our year”
Thank you for your services,
We will be taking over from here