Back catalogue: Rock (All)

Review: The debut full-length from Los Angeles glam metal superstars, Warrant, is the perfect time capsule of late eighties sunset strip era rock of a bygone leather-chapped age. 'Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich', boasted the hit singles, 'Heaven', 'Down Boys', and, 'Sometimes She Cries'; all still heralded as some of the group's most essential cuts to date. Noted for its pushed back release due to vocalist Jani Lane suffering a nervous breakdown upon catching his best friend and girlfriend "entangled", an encounter detailed in lyrical form on the band's single, 'I Saw Red', which would feature on the following year's sophomore effort, 'Cherry Pie'; there's still no ignoring or denying the infectious cheese, stadium-sized riffs and endlessly catchy hooks that still prop up this debut as a (not so) timeless classic of its stature.

Review: Huge guitar solos, a not-so-subtle hint of seduction and romance, rousing choruses and an attitude that screams: "I'm gonna make that heavy metal hand signal every five or six minutes." Warrant may not be the first name on everyone's lips when it comes to the heyday big room, sexually charged glam metal, but when all is said and done they did pretty well during their seven years in the game.
Emerging from the Los Angeles scene of the mid-late-1980s, a city that has a lot to answer for in these musical ends, by the time they packed up their Fenders and called time more than 10million albums had been sold, with the double-platinum Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich the real gem of the lot. Dog Eat Dog came along a little later, in 1992, and by this point the group had really got into gear. Don't expect the same tangible hunger and impact as the inaugural effort, then, but in many ways this is far more complete example of what they were gunning for.

Review: The Best of Warrant compiles 16 defining tracks from the band's early years, pressed on limited 180-gram red audiophile vinyl with a numbered double vinyl format and an insert. This collection revisits the glam-metal era with hits from their first three albumsiDirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, Cherry Pie and Dog Eat Dogioffering fans a nostalgic journey through Warrant's prime. Favorites like 'Down Boys', 'Heaven', and the iconic 'Cherry Pie' capture the band's energetic hooks and singalong choruses. The acoustic version of 'I Saw Red' highlights a more introspective side, while deep cuts like 'Thin Disguise', a Cherry Pie B-side, add exclusivity. Their hard-hitting cover of Queen's 'We Will Rock You', from the Gladiator soundtrack, showcases a grittier edge. The inclusion of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' and 'Mr. Rainmaker' underscores their storytelling flair, while tracks like 'Big Talk' and 'Sure Feels Good to Me' keep the energy high. Originally released in 1996, this greatest hits package is still thee best collection of their best.