This album is about as far away as you could get from the style that Ratt played in what many consider to be their heyday, back in the mid to late 80's.
In a similar way that L.A. Guns moved on from the hair metal phase to a heavier, more modern style of metal, on this album Ratt has also made the 'transformation' here on Collage. This may be a direct result of the majority of the material actually being older rather than new material. It probably isn't as successful though.
The album does grow on you in time, but it takes a little getting used to, especially if you are an aficionado of their classic albums. Collage has a grungier metal feel, which works fine for the most part. Some of the songs begin to repeat themselves too much, and despite the relative shortness of the songs sometimes feel as though they are dragging on too long.
That's not to say that it's all bad. The bulk of the album, including "Diamond Time Again", "Dr Rock", "Ratt Madness" and "Hold Tight" are all good songs, showcasing the best that the band has to offer. Stephen Pearcy's vocals are still as good as ever, find that middle range that makes him unique, while Warren De Martini's guitaring continues to be a starring role. I think the last few songs on the album are a letdown, especially the final song "Lovin' You" which has a rap mix to it ("Fonix Mix" is how it is labelled), which is really out of place on a Ratt album.
As a place in the Ratt history I guess this has a place to satisfy for hard core fans. For most, they will see it for the 'tour filler' it was, hoping to make few extra bucks from their Reunion Tour, and bypass it most of the time when they reach for an album to play.
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