Skid Row: Revolutions Per Minute

No matter how you slice it Skid Row as a band will probably never achieve the level of acclaim and impact that they reached with Slave To The Grind nor will an album of theirs generate as many radio hits as their self-titled debut Skid Row was able to do. The prime reason for this is the fact that the tide of the music industry has shifted from viewing Metal and Hard Rock as incredible financial opportunities and also because the fire of those vibrant years has gone out awhile ago. Metal still sells but it is far different from what Skid Row was selling in the Eighties. Skid Row's major reason for success was lead singer Sebastian Bach and a front man like him does not come around very often. Now fronted by Johnny Solinger and three of the bands original members (Dave Sabo, Scotti Hill, Rachel Bolan) they are aiming to return to glory with Revolutions Per Minute. To be brutally honest this is not as bad an album as some reviews had said but then again it is not that great an album either. There are some solid moments such as "Disease" and "Shut Up Baby, I Love You" which are quality Hard Rockers but the band also shows the ability to shift musical gears as well. Tracks that show some level of maturity and growth are "Strength" which has a lot of Cult feel while "When God Can't Wait", is a blending of styles usually seen in Social Distortion or The Backyard Babies. They make this work but totally lose the listener by including two very similar versions of "You Lie", its unclear if one was a demo version or live recording. The song "Nothing" seems aimed at radio rotation ala Foo Fighters and perhaps this is the track that will catch some more people to their cause if those outlets snare it.

Overall, Skid Row shows that they can still play and that Solinger is a good singer when he is not directing his voice to be very Bach-like. My biggest criticism is of that aspect of his singing. At this point, I am wondering why they are even keeping the name active and not just moving on with a fresh new vibe, music and attitude. The core audience would still support them if they played legacy tunes and the chance to snare a younger crowd could happen by changing the way the model is delivered. It is not a great or super memorable album but then again it is not the total disappointment that some others have said. Play some samples before making your decision on this one.

Track Listing
1. Disease
2. Another Dick In The System
3. Pulling My Heart Out From Under Me
4. When God Can't Wait
5. Shut Up Baby, I Love You
6. Strength
7. White Trash
8. You Lie
9. Nothing
10. Love Is Dead
11. Let It Ride
12. You Lie *

Added: October 19th 2006
Reviewer: Ken Pierce
Score:
Related Link: Skid Row Website
Hits: 3956
Language: english

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