I’d like to begin this review with a formal apology to Mr. Rachel Bolan, Mr. “Snake” Sabo, and Mr. Scotti Hill. Last year, I wrote a rather scathing entry on these three as part of my Top 10: Most Wanted Reunions in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal list. I had long been of the persuasion that without original frontman Sebastian Bach at the helm, Skid Row were as good as dead. Even when they announced the addition of the excellent Erik Grönwall of H.E.A.T fame on vocals, I remained skeptical.
Yes, there was no doubt in my mind that vocally speaking, Grönwall fit the band better than any other singer post-Bach, but how would that translate in a studio setting? Furthermore, even if Grönwall could deliver the goods in the studio (which he always has before), does the rest of the band, specifically the duo of Sabo and Bolan, still have the songwriting chops? After all, it’s been well over 25 years since the band released an album I’ve enjoyed (1995’s Subhuman Race) and a little over 30 since they’ve released an album that’s caught the attention of even the most casual headbangers (1991’s Slave to the Grind).
Fast forward to October 2022 and I, “Metal” Joseph Miller, head writer and founder of Defenders of the Faith webzine have been served a piping hot bowl of my own words for breakfast. The Gang’s All Here is Skid Row’s sixth studio album, their first in 16 years…and everything a true Skid Row fan could dream of. Gone is the lackluster production, pedestrian writing, and post-grunge/butt rock trappings of their 2000s output. Back are the finest moments of their glory days. The Gang’s All Here is all about big riffs, big hooks, big solos, big production. It’s go big or go home!
From a writing and arrangement perspective, the album tows the line between the hedonistic, hard rocking sleaze of their blockbuster self titled debut (“The Gang’s All Here”) and the pissed off, traditional metal grit of Slave to the Grind (“Time Bomb”). Grönwall accommodates both styles nicely, channeling the spirit of prime Bach in the way Todd La Torre does so with prime Geoff Tate in Queensrÿche. The six string duo of Hill and Sabo can still unleash pummeling riffage (“Nowhere Fast”) and sizzling solos (“Resurrected”) like clockwork, and Bolan and drummer Rob Hammersmith can go from four on the floor AC/DC worship (“Tear it Down”) to high speed aggression (“World on Fire”) in a blink. Hell, even the sole ballad on here (“October’s Song”) is written in the epic, bombastic tradition of “18 and Life”, “Wasted Time”, “In a Darkened Room”, and so forth.
For all you old schoolers skeptic to explore any music post-Nirvana apocalypse of ’91, rest assured: The Gang’s All Here is the most Skid Row sounding Skid Row album in three decades. In fact, most would probably be shocked it’s a product of this year, let alone this decade or even century. Which raises one final question: Why? Why did it take so long for Skid Row to, as Austin Powers would say, get their mojo back? Without diving too deep into various theories and hypotheses, I think it was a matter trying to “keep up with the times”, as so many of their 80s peers did in the 90s and 2000s, when the answer was right under their noses: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Skid Row is back in “Monkey Business” and business is good!
8 out of 10
Label: earMUSIC
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: AC/DC, Judas Priest, Crashdïet