I'm back for another go 'round with a fave record of mine, and if you're reading this, probably a fave of yours too. The year was 1991, hard rock was just starting to slip in the mainstream, and grunge was about to take over (but not for very long). This record went straight to number 1 on Billboard, and sold a couple of million copies. The band was fronted by a fellow Canadian, and one of the greatest vocalists of our time. The band is Skid Row, and the album is Slave To The Grind.
Now, the S/T record from a few years prior to this, is a solid album. STTG blows it out of the water in terms of performance, songwriting, and flat out balls to the wall heaviness. This record was played to death back in the day, and as most albums in my blog, served as the soundtrack to a certain point in my life. I have been spinning it again alot lately, and it has not lost any of it's luster. It actually may be better now than it was then...a perfect blend of chops, metal sensibilities, and great lyrics. Add in to this the fact that Skid Row were one of the most energetic live bands on the scene (I saw them on this tour, and they slayed) and you have an album that deserves to be in every rockers collection. People were paying attention, and the album went to #1.
The biggest change from the debut, is STTG is more Metal than Hard Rock. I know us guys all loved that, but some of the girls were not so much on board this time around...LOL. Opening track, Monkey Business, could be possibly their best tune, and a perfect opener for the album. Drummer Rob Affuso really shines on it. Some fave tracks would be the groovy The Threat, the punky Psycho Love, and heavy-as-hell Mudkicker. The copy I always had contained the sensitive ballad(not!) Get The F@#k Out, but my recent replacement on CD contains Beggars Day. So 20 years later, I'm discovering a new tune Ha! As I mentioned above, Sebastian Bach is one of my fave vocalists, and he is the highlight on this album. I would recommend this record to any rock fan.
Every tune on the album is brilliant. The three ballads are all worth checking out as well. An example of a rock record that is incredible from beginning to end. I honestly believe that if the band and Bach had not separated, they would to this day, be one of the biggest bands on the planet...like Maiden or Metallica. They had the songs, the look, and the attitude to stand along side the giants of Metal. Check out the follow up, Subhuman Race for another example of great this band was. Check out the live vid for a taste of Skid Row '92. If you don't like it, you don't like yourself. Crank it up ,and I'll see ya soon.
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