The Stranglers – Stranglers IV (Rattus Norvegicus) (VG/VG+) – LP, UK 1977

Stranglers IV (Rattus Norvegicus) is an LP by The Stranglers from 1977 released on the United Artists Records label.

About this album

Rattus Norvegicus is a sharp, ferocious debut that set The Stranglers apart from many of their punk contemporaries. Released in 1977, it matched the movement’s urgency with a darker, more controlled sound, driven by Hugh Cornwell’s abrasive guitar, Jean-Jacques Burnel’s muscular bass and Dave Greenfield’s urgent keyboards. Songs such as Peaches, (Get A) Grip (On Yourself) and Hanging Around showed a band already balancing provocation, melody and menace. The album helped establish The Stranglers as one of punk’s most distinctive and musically disciplined groups, and a key bridge between punk and the emerging new wave.