{"id":96246,"date":"2022-10-14T00:00:50","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T23:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=96246"},"modified":"2022-10-18T14:33:42","modified_gmt":"2022-10-18T13:33:42","slug":"album-review-skid-row-the-gangs-all-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-skid-row-the-gangs-all-here\/","title":{"rendered":"SKID ROW – The Gang\u2019s All Here (2022) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

SKID ROW
The Gang\u2019s All Here<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nearMUSIC (2022)<\/span>
Rating: 8\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Whether you\u2019re 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\u2019s All Here<\/em> is the sound of a refreshed Skid Row.<\/p>\n

The main reason for such energy being bestowed is the addition of former H.E.A.T vocalist Erik Gr\u00f6nwall, 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.<\/p>\n

Dave \u201cThe Snake\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

Opener \u2018Hell Or High Water\u2019 comes raging out of its pen like a rampant bull; Gr\u00f6nwall just blasts the ears with his raucous tones and the band has a strong swagger I\u2019ve not heard since the grinding levels of Subhuman Race<\/em> (1995). The title track rattles with the sleazy bass of Rachel Bolan who affectively knits together the whole album with steaming, smokin\u2019 aplomb while working in tandem with drummer Rob Hammersmith.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the sort of comeback that\u2019ll fizzle out quickly. All of the ten tracks on offer feel as though they\u2019ve 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, that heaviness and punch continues with cuts such as \u2018World\u2019s On Fire\u2019 which wouldn\u2019t seem out of place on Judas Priest\u2019s Painkiller<\/em> (1990) such is its metallic scourge. And then there\u2019s the riotous \u2018Time Bomb\u2019 with its mid-paced menace, and the rockin\u2019 strut of \u2018Resurrected\u2019. Throw Sebastian Bach back on this collection of tunes and everyone will be raving, so I hope Gr\u00f6nwall gets the credit he deserves because this is one hard rockin\u2019 opus, charging headlong with boisterousness (\u2018Not Dead Yet\u2019) and scowling tomfoolery and flamboyancy (\u2018When The Lights Come On\u2019), both of which have an early 90s grin but which stand tall against today\u2019s overly compressed rock contenders. Subtlety is also expressed as \u2018October\u2019s Song\u2019 simmers with emotion and soul, while \u2018Nowhere Fast\u2019 hits like a juggernaut \u2013 a molten metal feast of varying shades.<\/p>\n

If I had to pick a negative aspect to The Gang\u2019s All Here<\/em> then it\u2019s some of the lyrics which seem a tad corny and I believe Erik Gr\u00f6nwall deserves more because, damn, this guy can sing and he gives everything to this album, so hopefully next time round he\u2019ll write some stuff too.<\/p>\n

The Gang\u2019s All Here<\/em> in title and statement is very much apt; a rip-roaring and rollicking comeback that even the detractors will find hard to dismiss.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SKID ROWThe Gang\u2019s All Here earMUSIC (2022)Rating: 8\/10 Whether you\u2019re 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,5055],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-ep-reviews","category-skid-row"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96246"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96248,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96246\/revisions\/96248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}