SKID ROW - Rise Of The Damnation Army; United World Rebellion Chapter Two (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Punk / Heavy Metal

Label - Megaforce Records

Track listing:

01 - We Are The Damned

02 - Give It The Gun

03 - Catch Your Fall

04 - Damnation Army

05 - Zero Day

06 - Sheer Heart Attack (Queen cover)

07 - Rats In The Cellar (Aerosmith cover)

SKID ROW return with a vengeance with their heart-pulverising new seven song EP "Rise Of The Damnation Army; United World Rebellion Chapter Two".
After their initial split with former vocalist Seb Bach Skid Row seemed to be a little lost, as if they were searching for a place to fit within the modern music scene but all that changed last year with the release of their "United World Rebellion Chapter One" EP which saw them return to the kind of sounds that made them world wide megastars in the first place. Scotti Hill & Co. have returned to their successful writing formula that launched the band into their heyday glory days even more so with "Rise Of The Damnation Army".
Last year, Skid Row decided to release their music on EP's only. And it's a good move.
"Rise Of The Damnation Army" includes seven songs, they are to the point and not to long or too short.
The energy of the new music speaks volumes. The band whiplashes into what they do best with precise rocking execution.
Opening track “We Are The Damned” takes no prisoners with its heavy sonic assault. This song could very well be the very new 2014 'Youth Gone Wild' anthem. “Give It To The Gun” starts out with a killer bass hook from Rachel Bolan, and then the razor twin guitar riff takes the centre scene, while the chorus invites you to rise your fist.
Next the band embarks on a beautiful ballad, “Catch Your Fall”, acoustically filled but with some electrics as well in the trademark Skid Row mould. A highlight where vocalist Johnny Solinger sings his heart out. “Damnation Army” is a monster rocker reminiscent of old school Skid Row plenty of gang vocals, while “Zero Day” is more groovy but not less rocking.
As plus, the band delivers two cover songs; a heavy but melodic take on Queen's classic “Sheer Heart Attack” with a ferocious guitar playing by Snake Sabo and Scotti Hill.
The other one is an incendiary version of Aerosmith's “Rats In The Cellar”, still bluesy yet pedal to the metal.
On this fresh EP, Skid Row digs deep into their past and perhaps releases the most exciting music since their debut. The songs are heavy hitting, reminiscent of “Slave To The Grind” era, and you feel the guys finally returned to the sound & style they love. An they Rock at it.
Good News ladies and gentlemen; the 'real' Skid Row is back. And said at the beginning, with vengeance.

Very Highly Recommended

Rating 10/10

Sebastian Bach - Give 'Em Hell (Japan Edition) (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Heavy Metal

Label - Frontiers Records

Track listing:

01. Hell Inside My Head

02. Harmony

03. All My Friends Are Dead

04. Temptation

05. Push Away

06. Dominator

07. Had Enough

08. Gun To A Knife Fight

09. Rock N Roll Is A Vicious Game

10. Taking Back Tomorrow

11. Disengaged

12. Forget You

13. Rock N Roll Is A Vicious Game (Acoustic) [Japan bonus]

"Give 'Em Hell" is the latest and fifth solo studio album by ex- Skid Row frontman SEBASTIAN BACH.
Sebastian Bach has one hell of a distinctive voice, one of the most cherished in the history of Rock, and although some legends seem to lose their energy over time, he has never lost his focus and attitude.
Previous album Kicking & Screaming was a mighty fine affair, but Give Em Hell sets the bar even higher, and is possibly Seb's best solo release to date! This is in part down to the line up that he has assembled in order to produce Give Em Hell. Firstly, on bass, we have none other than Mr Duff McKagan (Velvet Revolver, Guns N' Roses).
Not to be outdone, there are three great guitarists involved. John 5 (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie), the awesome Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, Atomic Playboys) and Devin Bronson (Avril Lavigne, Pink) and it is their riffs and solos that lift this album beyond good.
Last, but certainly not least, is drummer Bobby Jarzombek (Halford, Riot, Fates Warning) who lays down some pretty thunderous stick work. Sebastian himself is in better voice than I've heard for a long time and, together, they have made an album that is pretty heavy, full of hooks and great playing but, most importantly, melody, but it's certainly not stuck in the past. Bob Marlette (Rob Zombie, Halford, Alice Cooper, Tony Iommi) once again returns to handle the production duties which together with the great songwriting, makes everything sound huge!
"Give 'Em Hell" is one of those rare albums that is immediate but also improves with each listen, unleashing more and more hidden layers each time around. It pretty damn near impossible not to love this album!
In many ways Give Em Hell captures the spirit of Skid Rows seminal classic Slave To The Grind without sounding like an attempt to recapture and clone past glories. there really is not a bad track on here!

Quite possibly one of the best albums to released in 2014!

Rating 10/10

Skid Row - United World Rebellion (Chapter One) E.P. (2013)

Genre - Hard Rock / Heavy Metal
Label -

Track listing -

01 - Kings Of Demolition
02 - Lets Go
03 - This is Killing Me
04 - Get Up
05 - Stitches

Skid Row return with a new five track E.p. United World Rebellion (Chapter One), which In my honest opinion just happens to contain some of the strongest material that the band have recorded since they split with Seb Bach way back in.......
To be honest, this EP contains some of the strongest songs that the band have put out since the phenomenal Slave To the Grind.
United World Rebellion opens with the thunderous Kings Of Demolition, a song that would have fitted nicely on Slave.... and a song that is quite easy to imagine Seb singing. Lets Go follows, with a more punkish attitude and delivery. Again another great song which is delivered with just the right amount of venom. Next Up is This Is Killing Me, a track that brings the bands debut album to mind with songs like 18 & Life and I Remember You. For some reason the song also brings Bon Jovi to mind, a good well constructed ballad that mixes up the Ep's tempo nicely. Get Up follows with its multitude of temp changes and epic feel, a great metal track!
Stitches closes out the Ep in style bouncing a long with the perfect mix of punk and metal, again a song that could have fitted well in the Slave To The Grind era bringing to mind songs such as Monkey Business etc.

A great return to form for a band that have become also rans for way to long, now if the the new album is up to the same high standards as this Ep we are truly in for a treat.


Well worth checking out!

Rating - 9/10

Sebastian Bach - Kicking and Screaming

Genre - Hard Rock / Heavy Metal

Track listing -
01. Kicking & Screaming

02. My Own Worst Enemy
03. TunnelVision (featuring John 5)
04. Dance On Your Grave
05. Caught In A Dream
06. As Long As I Got The Music
07. I'm Alive
08. Dirty Power
09. Live The Life
10. Dream Forever
11. One Good Reason
12. Lost In The Light
13. Wishin'


Former Skidrow vocalist Seb Bach returns with his latest offering, Kicking and Screaming, an apt title for one of rocks wildest characters.
Opening with lead single and title track, Kickind And Screaming, Seb really sets out his stall. Great riff driven songs dripping in melody. Seb seems to be in fine voice here, with his vocals showcasing his range, from subtle soft melodies, to rough growl to full on metal scream.
Now here we have 13 well written, finely crafted songs, performed by a very talented band, but to me it just seems that something is missing. please dont get me wrong, I have always loved Seb Bach, ever since back in the MTV hey day with Skidrow's 18 & Life and Youth Gone Wild, through Skidrows highest point todate with Slave To The Grind, and I loved Sebs last solo effort Angel Down, but this album is more Youth Gone Mild than Kicking and Screaming. I just cant put my finger on it, the songs are great, the band sonds great, and as I have already said, Seb is in fine voice, so maybe its the production. Everything is just a little too polished for my liking, robbing the tracks of that raw edge, that energy that was so apparent of Skidrows Slave To The Grind.
Again, please dont get me wrong, this is a fine album, with stand out tracks like, My Own Worst Enemy, As Long As I Got The Music, Dirty Power and Tunnel Vision, it just lacks a little something for me.

Rating - 8/10