NO MORE "ROUND AND ROUND" WHEN TALKING ABOUT RATT REUNION...STEPHEN PEARCY LAYS IT DOWN

During an appearance on yesterday's (Thursday, Janury 21) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Stephen Pearcy revealed that he is open to the idea of making a new RATT album with all the surviving members of the band's classic lineup.

"I wouldn't wanna put a RATT record out there without the original guys," he said. "I mean, it just wouldn't make sense. We've tried it.

"Look, I accepted it a long time ago when Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist] left the band, we lost a big element of direction. He was my right-hand man creating this monster. And I knew it — I knew once he was out, we would be going through motions. It's all cool, and it's great, but how many replacements can you have in a band and still consider it legit? So if we're gonna have something on plastic, so to speak, forever, I'd rather have the original band do a record and just not do a RATT record until that day comes — if it ever happens."

Asked when the last time was that he talked to guitarist Warren DeMartini, who hasn't played with RATT since early 2018, Stephen said: "Probably a couple of weeks back. We had some business to talk about, him and I, about some of the stuff we wrote. Which is great, 'cause Warren and I actually had a song in the can, written, that we can actually play and release. And there was another one we were starting to work on that was amazing. So you get me and Warren in a room, and we'll start writing immediately."

Pressed about whether Warren is open to doing something with RATT again, Stephen said: "No. I can't say anything like that. All I'm saying is we had stuff to talk about, and a couple of songs that we did, and that's it. And a record of ours. And we just chatted. So that's where it went."

Pearcy also revealed that he is back on speaking terms with drummer Bobby Blotzer, who led his own version of RATT for a couple of years beginning in late 2015 before becoming embroiled in a legal battle with the singer, DeMartini and bassist Juan Croucier over the rights to the band's name.

"I do talk to Bobby," he said. "Bobby and I are — it's love-hate, brother kind of a gig. We keep in touch and talk about positive things. He still has interest, so there are some things to talk about. And Warren is the same."

"Look, life goes on," he explained. "Life's short. Hate's not a good thing. There's communication. But I can't say anything."

Pearcy then circled back to the prospect of making a new RATT album, saying: "As far as doing a record right now, I really wouldn't wanna have guys that weren't really in the band on the record. And I think that was Warren's sentiment a long time ago — without having me on a record — so I'm just giving back the courtesy consideration.

"I would really like to actually finish the song that Warren and I had started, and the one that we have in the can, I would love to release it. I'm gonna talk to him about it, if we can just put it out there and just turn people on. He's not some aggro dude right now. I'm not aggro at any of these people. Look, we created this great thing, and if there's gonna be a RATT record, I just off the top of my head said I wanna do it with the original guys, if we're gonna do one — or don't even bother. The catalog is what you get. Or you get my solo stuff, which is as close as you're gonna get to RATT music. And that's it… If we ever do a [RATT] record, let it be the real guys, and call it a day. If that's the last thing we do, well, let's do it. If not, hey, we've got the records. That's all I can say."

Stephen also stressed the importance of not letting personal differences get in the way of making music and touring while he and his bandmates are still physically able to perfom the classic RATT songs live.

"Look, we're not the most dysfunctional band on the planet," he said. "I've said it before, there are bands much more dysfunctional — MÖTLEY [CRÜE], GN'R [GUNS N' ROSES], you name 'em — but the smart ones make an effort to take care of business. MÖTLEY — I don't know if they even talk to each other, but they're getting the business done. And that's where I'm at. What are you — punishing somebody? You're getting back at somebody? You're holding a grudge, vendetta… It's all bullshit. We're all gonna die anyway. Go figure it out."

Pearcy and Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT's current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK 'N BLUE, RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarist Jordan Ziff (RAZER).

RATT hasn't released any new music since 2010's "Infestation" album.

RATT — featuring Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini — played a number of shows in 2017 after reforming a year earlier in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by ex-QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.