Skid Row
Slave To The Grind

A ticking time bomb, that's "Slave To The Grind", the second badass album by Skid Row, which redeemed the not-so-great effort of their self-titled debut album that entirely mirrored the typically glam metal sound so popular in the '80s, which, fortunately, was fading by the end of the decade.

This album, however, is of a completely different mold: with a skillful fusion between Judas Priest and Warrior Soul, Skid Row brought to life an album absolutely outside the box, a true gem of '90s music and one of the pinnacles of the hard rock/heavy metal genre.

Listening to just "Monkey Business" is enough to understand the change in the wind: the first guitar notes are there to evoke certain reassuring western atmospheres over which Bach lies with whispered vocals, akin to the calm before the storm. Soon after, indeed, comes an incredible scream, one you won’t forget (also quite well replicated live), which transmits an amazing energy... and then all the instruments kick in, following Bach's singing that resembles a tongue-twister, so fast and intricate it is; the riffs are beautiful, truly overwhelming and raw just right. And we're only at the beginning.

The album is actually a succession of musical punches like the fast "The Threat", the pounding title track (voted as one of the best metal songs ever), the punkish "Riot Act", the explicit right from the title "Get The Fuck Out", or the mighty "Psycho Love", with prominent bass and fearsome solos; in "Livin On a Chain Gang", it's Bach who stands out with his voice that touches the highest notes with surprising ease. But in this sense, it's with "Quicksand Jesus" that you’re left amazed: the song is a semi-ballad, a crescendo of emotions exploding with Bach’s terrifying (in the best sense of the word) voice, especially towards the end, showing extraordinary vocal range. Probably the best song on the album, level with "Monkey Business". "In a Darkened Room" perhaps goes a little overboard, as the song turns out a bit too "whiny" and perhaps tries to emulate "18 and Life". With "Mudkicker", the volume is cranked up with the usual heavy riffs, although the song in question is more sustained, more straightforward. The album's finale is entrusted to yet another great ballad (practically a Skid Row trademark) "Wasted Time", which closes the album as best as possible.

Ultimately, the best album by Skid Row (after all, they only made 3), released just in time, just before the grunge wave was about to monopolize everyone’s attention, placing itself as the diamond tip of the genre.

Probably this work would have deserved a better review but oh well, in certain cases, you have to trust the Enforcer: get the album, insert it into the player, press play, and... move your ass! (Bonny91 says so ;-)

My favorite album.