Afterlife

Did Peppi Marchello, the fearless leader of The Good Rats, know that the end was near? Or was the leader of The World's Most Famous Unknown Band (as Rolling Stone Magazine called them) suddenly, creatively born again?

All that is certain is that the beloved, charismatic Maestro of Long Island precipitously began to pulsate again after years of relative silence. And when he erupted, dozens of new songs from the shrewd to the sublime began to spill forth in a rock and roll volcano that signaled it was time to get his road-hard band back into the studio.

So that is what he did.

Recorded over a two-year period in 2012 and 2013, his new songs cohered into the powerful Afterlife LP. Taken separately, each song is a unique paean to Peppis peculiar wit and powerful voice. Together, the tracks display a ripened songwriter, a potent poet uniquely capable of bringing us along on his ardent lifes journey. The songs are pure, primal a clever cocktail of rock, p-i-s-s and vinegar refined by blue-collar sensibilities and a love of the craft. It s the stonework swan song that Peppi Marchello wanted to leave behind.

Sadly, after 40 years of recording, Afterlife would be Peppis last billet doux to his adoring family and fans. The historic collection was destined to contain his final written and recorded works.

Anthony Peppi Marchello passed away on July 11, 2013 prior to finishing the album with his sons Stefan and Gene. The songs are personal, powerful, and pure Peppi. In all, they form a final chapter that closes the Good Rats illustrious legend in style and dignity.