Skid Row
Revolutions Per Minute

If anyone didn't know yet, SKID ROW still exists!

Long gone are the days when they rivaled with Guns 'N' Roses, after Sebastian Bach's departure right after "Subhuman Race" in 1995, Rachel Bolan (bass), Scotti Hill (guitar), and Snake (guitar), the three survivors of the original lineup, recruited a new singer, Johnny Solinger and the new drummer Dave Gara, and moved on.

After the not very convincing "Thickskin" of 2003, they arrive at this "Revolutions Per Minute", an album that slightly raises their ratings. Far from that masterpiece that was "Slave To The Grind" (1991), an album that still sounds damn good 15 years later, Skid Row find a healthy Punk'N'Roll attitude and deliver a fun, ironic, and powerful album that is easy to listen to, flowing smoothly without hitches.

If the new singer had left some doubts on his first try "Thickskin," mainly because replacing an "animal" like Seb Bach wasn't an easy task, he convinces, deserving a decent passing grade on this new album, fitting well into the role, without having, however, Bach's extraordinary voice (... by the way... when's the infamous solo album coming?).

And so, among real, raw enough Punk-Songs like Another dick in the system, White thrash, Let it ride and Love is dead, more modern things with heavier guitars like Disease and Shut up baby I love you, we find a good cover of The Alarm, Strength.
Skid Row also throws in the very Irish Punk-Folk of When God can't wait that seems to come out of an album by the Dropkick Murphys or Flogging Molly and an ironic and fun song similar to country, You lie, which gradually turns into a wild country-punk complete with a harmonica.
The album is completed by the more catchy Pulling my heart out from under me and Nothing.
Note the absence of tear-jerking ballads that brought them success back in 1989, remember 18 and life?

In short, an album that's easy to listen to but unfortunately doesn't offer anything new and original and given their glorious past and good musicians, it's reasonable to expect a little more, but perhaps, we'll get it when the reunion with Sebastian Bach happens. Because it will happen, right??