The Rattlebacks had a very successful 2024. The Brighton based rock band released a selection of singles which received online acclaim, and towards the end of the year, they unleashed their debut album, ‘Sidewinder’, again, to a very positive response.

The album was a little more varied than a couple of the earlier singles suggested, with a couple of rather grungy tracks dropped between the huge old school rockers, and with a massive ballad providing one of the record’s standout tracks. It was very much the kind of album that suggested more greatness ahead.

The band have kicked off their 2025 with the release of another digital single, ‘How Calm The Silence’. As part of the parent album, this wasn’t necessarily a number that stood out, which says a lot about the standard of the record as a whole. It works far more effectively as a stand-alone listen. From the opening barrage of drums, its a number that advertises a hard edge, but the arrival of a chunky guitar – very much tapping into the sounds of Skid Row circa 1991 – cements the commitment to a great riff. Moving into the body of the track, the heaviness is offset by a slightly more modern sounding vocal, which advertises The Rattlebacks’ more melodic interests. It sets a great contrast in place, which really comes into its own on a massive radio friendly hook where layered vocals stoke up the commercial edge. Not wanting to drift too far from the usual chunky edge, the opening riff makes a huge return to create a superb climax, and an old school lead guitar break shows a further commitment to classic hard rock. Overall, this showcases a lot of The Rattleback’s best traits in a little over three minutes, which makes it even stranger that it sounded more like second tier material upon the release of the album itself.

If you’ve missed The Rattlebacks previously, this is as good a place as any to dive in. Check out the new video below. [A detailed review of the album – which doesn’t actually cover this single! – can be found here.]