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SKID ROW
The Gang’s All Here

earMUSIC (2022)
Rating: 8/10

Whether you’re a Skid Row fan or not, this long-awaited sixth full-length opus was always going to cause a stir. Since the departure of mercurial frontman Sebastian Bach in 1996 the New Jersey rockers have existed as a somewhat maligned act, never being quite able to make the jigsaw pieces fit together or finding that correct chemistry. But now, 26 years after parting ways with Bach, Skid Row has finally exorcised his ghost and whether die-hard fans like it or not, The Gang’s All Here is the sound of a refreshed Skid Row.

The main reason for such energy being bestowed is the addition of former H.E.A.T vocalist Erik Grönwall, who brings a much needed toughness and attitude to this new album. Okay, so it could be argued that there is a strong sense of Bach in some of his tones, but the combo seems more than happy to channel the aggression and steel of Skid Row circa 1991 and it works.

Dave “The Snake” Sabo and Scotti Hill exhibit an exuberance and bounce in their axe displays as the album shifts though a plethora of contemporary groove metal numbers aided by the meaty, modern crunch of veteran producer Nick Raskulinecz.

Opener ‘Hell Or High Water’ comes raging out of its pen like a rampant bull; Grönwall just blasts the ears with his raucous tones and the band has a strong swagger I’ve not heard since the grinding levels of Subhuman Race (1995). The title track rattles with the sleazy bass of Rachel Bolan who affectively knits together the whole album with steaming, smokin’ aplomb while working in tandem with drummer Rob Hammersmith.

This isn’t the sort of comeback that’ll fizzle out quickly. All of the ten tracks on offer feel as though they’ve had a lot of thought put into them, suggesting the band were under pressure to get this right, especially when one considers the frailties they showed on previous Bach-less albums. Choruses soar, as do the solos and there is a contemporary crispness about the whole affair. But let’s remember, while Skid Row seemed fluffy around the edges they were capable of writing some crushingly heavy tunes that outgrew the scene they were unfairly thrown into.

Thankfully, that heaviness and punch continues with cuts such as ‘World’s On Fire’ which wouldn’t seem out of place on Judas Priest’s Painkiller (1990) such is its metallic scourge. And then there’s the riotous ‘Time Bomb’ with its mid-paced menace, and the rockin’ strut of ‘Resurrected’. Throw Sebastian Bach back on this collection of tunes and everyone will be raving, so I hope Grönwall gets the credit he deserves because this is one hard rockin’ opus, charging headlong with boisterousness (‘Not Dead Yet’) and scowling tomfoolery and flamboyancy (‘When The Lights Come On’), both of which have an early 90s grin but which stand tall against today’s overly compressed rock contenders. Subtlety is also expressed as ‘October’s Song’ simmers with emotion and soul, while ‘Nowhere Fast’ hits like a juggernaut – a molten metal feast of varying shades.

If I had to pick a negative aspect to The Gang’s All Here then it’s some of the lyrics which seem a tad corny and I believe Erik Grönwall deserves more because, damn, this guy can sing and he gives everything to this album, so hopefully next time round he’ll write some stuff too.

The Gang’s All Here in title and statement is very much apt; a rip-roaring and rollicking comeback that even the detractors will find hard to dismiss.

Neil Arnold

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