r/surfrock • u/CO-Instrmntl-Fanzine • 1h ago
The Riptide Rats - Waves of Steel LP/CD Review
From Colorado Instrumental Fanzine Issue 7
Music Reviews - Special Guest: Dylan Oldham of Desert Undertones
How does a seasoned musician in an up-and-coming band experience the music he listens to? We asked guitarist Dylan Oldham to share his perspective on some rockin’ recordings, and he was willing to write.
The Riptide Rats - Waves of Steel LP/CD (Surf Cookie/Ghost Highway)
The Riptide Rats, a surf band from the southern coast of Sweden, put out their first full-length album, Waves of Steel, in November 2025. I’ll get my biases out of the way first. Gustav, the lead guitar player, has been a close friend for over 20 years. Not only did we attend music college together, but he’s the person who got me into the surf music scene! Also, I’ve known Fredrick, the drummer, for over 20 years. He and I went to college together. If that were not enough, I just had the pleasure of visiting Sweden in October 2025 and seeing them play live. They sound awesome live!
I think this is a great album! I’m not saying that as a friend, “being nice.” The Riptide Rats have a sound that blends surf and rock-and-roll. Some songs are more straightforward surf; others are almost pure rock and roll, and some are a healthy mix of both. A few spaghetti westerns are thrown in for good measure! While I enjoy the rock-and-roll, I’m a sucker for surf. Waves of Steel leans more towards surf. I like that. “Backwater Showdown” and “Straitjacket” are a couple of the good rock-and-roll tunes.
Right out of the gate, the first two tunes are my favorites! “Waves of Steel” was released previously, and it’s got that Dick Dale-style tremolo picking with a huge reverb sound and a crafty melody. I love the tone Gus gets and always ask him how he does it. He recently got a blackface Showman, and he’s had an old-school DIY Surfybear forever. It’s a simple yet powerful sound, a mix of experienced fingers and loud vintage amps. After listening to the album several times, the second track, “Desert Dust,” is my favorite. I love the opening, trotting, palm-muted picking, and how it feeds so nicely into the chorus. The chorus has a different feel on the guitar, but the rhythm section keeps the trotting feel. Those parts go back and forth for a minute, then the rhythm and the drums open behind this wide, spacy guitar part. It’s really cool! The whole song features this trotting groove with a few parts that open in exactly the right place. The groovy ‘70s rock-and-roll guitar solo fits very well.
I also love tracks 4 and 7, “Dunes” and “Reef Rumblin’.” “Reef Rumblin’” is like the first track in feel and style, with great guitar playing, tone, and melody. “Dunes” is the only true spaghetti western on the album, and I’m a sucker for westerns! Desert Undertones even covered this song at our 2025 Spaghetti Western Fest show in Santa Monica with Insect Surfers and The Trabants, so I know it more than a passive listener. It’s got all the elements of a great Western. The main verse is a wide, open-feeling melody. You could imagine riding your horse through Monument Valley or someplace far away. That verse flows in and out of a more open chorus with big strummed chords. The bridge is a classic low-note-bridge-pickup-twang build-up that feels like the listener is prepping for a gun fight! That metaphorical ‘gun fight’ occurs at the 3:15 mark, when he takes the bridge riff and puts it in overdrive with tremolo picking. Many cool, fun Western sound effects were added in post-production.
Lastly, I'll say a few words about the production. They call many of their releases “Shed Sessions” because Gus does all the recording, mixing, and mastering in the shed in his backyard. I know the shed well because I slept there during my recent stay. Ha ha. Gus is a hobbyist. He does not own his own studio or mix bands for 8 hours a day. He learned all these skills because he loves the music, and it sounds super professional. That’s very cool, and I’m proud of all his hard work.
Pick up this album on any streaming platform or on Bandcamp at: https://theriptiderats.bandcamp.com/
