DERAPS – Viva Rock N’ Roll

Freshly new hard rock band Deraps are proud to present their sophomore studio album titled, Viva Rock N’ Roll (2025), the follow-up to their very well-received self-titled debut album from 2022. It’s interesting to note that this group only consists of two members: Canadian Jacob Deraps on guitars, lead vocals, and bass guitar; and Australian Josh Gallagher on drums and backing vocals. The band name, Deraps, is the former’s last name. They were probably going for a Bon Jovi thing because it’s easy to remember a last name. It’s a shame there are a lot of Gallaghers in the music world because Gallagher would’ve been a cooler and memorable name, to be honest. Still that didn’t stop the group from touring with Loverboy, Foreigner, Ann Wilson, and Blue Öyster Cult; so good for them.

One Big Soup with Multiple Wrong Ingredients

Viva Rock N’ Roll is supposed to be a hell of a good time, but unfortunately, it’s not even close to that. The songs are obviously loud with big guitars, banging drums, and good lead vocals. But, they’re missing substance and longevity. The title track is melodic speed metal, which is not bad at all, but it’s not a standout on the album. “The Legend of Larrikin Laddie” is a song that’s not meant to be taken seriously and it sounds like it; the “oi” chants justify that point. In Australian terms, “larrikin” refers to a mischievous, but good-hearted individual who ignores social conventions. “Solitaire” starts off decently with a tasteful groove, but the tempo and drum pattern changes ruin the mood. The band tried to combine different ideas together and the execution turned out terrible.

“Setting Sun” is the longest song on the album with a run time of 6:42. That’s another problem with Viva Rock N’ Roll; the songs are too long. The playing is good, for the most part, but the tracks could’ve been chopped by a couple of minutes. Less guitar solos and more feel! “Born to Die” suffers from the same fate as “Solitaire.” The band tried to combine melodic hard rock with boogie-woogie and once again, the execution was terrible. “Blindside” and “The Dawg Stomp” are lackluster funky tunes. The only difference is the former stays on the same level the entire time and the latter has dogs barking in the background.

As for the tracks that are great, “Animal Eyes” is very tasteful with the exotic drum intro and juicy bass line, it’s got an infectious hook, and the guitar riff is chef’s kiss. “Last Fall” is where the band got melodic hard rock right. It’s got a warm, Autumn vibe, which fits perfectly with the song title, and the backing vocals are icing on the cake. Oddly enough, the best song on the album is the closing track, “Black Sheep Boogie,” and they boogie hard indeed. It’s a lot of fun, but the lyrics are clever and the instrumentation is solid. Some fun songs are terrible, but when the songwriting is there, fun songs can be real bangers. Just ask AC/DC!

Too Much Showboating

A major complaint with Viva Rock N’ Roll, however, is the guitar playing is out of control. Jacob tried to be the star of the band, but he ended up making a fool of himself more than half the time. There were more video game guitar solos and not enough awesome licks. On the plus side, Jacob did a great job on the bass and came up with some wicked bass lines that were a pleasure to listen to.

Final Assessment

At the end of the day, everyone’s opinion is different. The music may not click with one individual, but that won’t be the case for the next individual. The few songs that are good are really good, so there’s obviously something there in Deraps that works. If interested, give Deraps’ Viva Rock N’ Roll a chance!

Album Tracklist

1. Viva Rock N’ Roll
2. Animal Eyes
3. The Legend of Larrikin Laddie
4. Equinox
5. Last Fall
6. Solitaire
7. Setting Sun
8. Born to Die
9. Blindside
10. The Dawg Stomp
11. Black Sheep Boogie

Band Lineup

Jacob Deraps – guitars, lead vocals, and bass guitar
Josh Gallagher – drums and backing vocals