Long Live Loud: Deraps and the New Wave of Classic Rock
In a musical era shaped by TikTok virality, lo-fi minimalism, and hyper-genre blends, a band like Deraps feels like a Molotov cocktail thrown from the Sunset Strip straight into 2025.
Their second full-length release, Viva Rock N’ Roll, is an unapologetic love letter to late-‘70s and early-‘80s hard rock.
Packed with harmonized vocals, scorching solos, and winking bravado, it’s a record that doesn’t so much tip its hat to the past as it air-guitars it into the future.
The trio—comprised of Jacob Deraps on lead vocals and guitar, William Lachance on bass, and Josh Gallagher on drums—are on a mission to re-energize the genre they love.
And with Viva Rock N’ Roll, released in mid-2025, they’ve created an album that has critics and fans alike nodding with approval—and headbanging in nostalgia.
The Story Behind ‘Viva Rock N’ Roll‘
Released a few years after their self-titled debut, Viva Rock N’ Roll doubles down on everything that made Deraps exciting in the first place.
Think: laser-focused guitar heroics, punchy choruses, and the raw, sweaty energy of a band playing like their lives depend on it.
It’s not a concept album. It’s a vibe album—and the vibe is pure 1979 Los Angeles, even though the band hails from Canada and Australia.
Critics have largely embraced the album.
Classic Rock Magazine praised its commitment to “glamorous, high-octane riffage,” while LouderSound.com called it “the most fun hard rock album of the year.”
Where some younger bands flirt with retro sounds, Deraps go all in—and that’s part of the charm. “They’re not paying homage,” said one fan on Reddit, “they’re living it.”
Deraps: On Songwriting and Swagger
The album kicks off with the title track, “Viva Rock N’ Roll,” an opening salvo that sounds like Van Halen’s Fair Warning on a Red Bull bender.
It’s all thunderous drums and palm-muted precision before Jacob Deraps launches into a lead riff that feels both familiar and freshly charged.
Songs like “Live Fast Die Loud” and “Back to the Strip” continue the adrenaline rush, each featuring intricate solos, beefy bass lines, and call-and-response choruses made for packed clubs and air-punching crowds.
Yet, amid the excess, there’s structure. The hooks are sticky, the arrangements tight, and the band’s musical chemistry undeniable.
Jacob’s guitar work deserves special mention—not just for the speed and dexterity, but for the personality.
He doesn’t just shred; he sings through the strings, echoing the spirit of Eddie Van Halen without outright mimicry.
Deraps: A Band Born from the Past, Forged for Today
Formed in the early 2020s, Deraps emerged not from a record label machine or TikTok virality, but from sheer devotion.
Jacob Deraps, already a YouTube sensation in guitar circles, recruited fellow Canadian bassist William Lachance and Australian drummer Josh Gallagher after a series of online jams turned into full-blown chemistry.
Their debut single, “Sex, Drugs & Rock N’ Roll,” released independently in 2020, was a mission statement in title and tone.
It quickly caught the attention of Classic Rock Magazine, which named it “Song of the Week,” helping the band reach a broader audience outside of guitar forums and hard rock blogs.
In 2022, they dropped their self-titled debut album, a fiery, 11-track introduction to their aesthetic: slick licks, harmony vocals, and a refusal to compromise their old-school leanings.
Living Loud in a Genre That Never Dies
While Viva Rock N’ Roll delivers on the promise of its influences, it’s not just a greatest-hits museum of rock tropes.
Tracks like “Rebel City Nights” add a splash of theatrical glam, while “Crank the Radio” plays like a mid-‘80s anthem in waiting.
There’s a sense of joy in the performances, and the production—while polished—preserves a raw edge that’s often lost in modern hard rock recordings.
The band doesn’t hide their heroes.
In interviews, Jacob Deraps frequently cites Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, and even Queen as key touchstones. But the trick isn’t imitation—it’s channeling the spirit of an era and making it feel urgent again.
Artistic Insight: What Drives Deraps
There’s a refreshing absence of irony in what Deraps do.
In a cultural moment where sincerity can feel risky, their music is completely earnest.
In a 2023 interview with Guitar World, Jacob Deraps explained, “We’re not trying to modernize rock. We’re trying to remind people why it ruled in the first place.”
This mindset carries over to the band’s visual style too—leather jackets, Marshall stacks, neon signage.
It’s not cosplay; it’s a worldview. Drummer Josh Gallagher has called it their “code of conduct,” a lifestyle that values the spirit of rock over any fleeting trend.
Where Deraps Fits in the Modern Music Landscape
In a sea of genre-mashups, streaming algorithms, and three-minute pop formulas, Deraps are an outlier. But that’s why they stand out.
Their refusal to bend to trends has made them cult heroes in guitar forums, European rock festivals, and even among Gen Z rock revivalists looking for something real.
Think of them as spiritual siblings to bands like Greta Van Fleet, but with less Zeppelin worship and more attitude.
They’re also a needed reminder that virtuosity still counts. In a time when guitar solos are often an afterthought, Deraps make them the main event—and unapologetically so.
Why Deraps’ ‘Viva Rock N’ Roll’ Matters
Viva Rock N’ Roll isn’t about reinvention. It’s about reaffirmation.
It’s a love letter to a time when music swaggered instead of sulked. For fans of classic rock—especially those with a soft spot for the glory days of Van Halen—it’s an electric jolt of nostalgia without the cobwebs.
The band’s second album proves that Deraps are more than just throwback enthusiasts.
They’re torchbearers—carrying forward the feel-good, riff-heavy energy of classic hard rock into a new era, without compromise or apology.
If you believe guitar solos should soar, drums should punch, and choruses should be shouted from the rooftops—this is the album you’ve been waiting for.
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