From the off this promised to be one of the toughest reviews of the year, surely the toughest since Mötley Crüe’s self-titled record with John Corabi taking care of lead vocals instead of ol’ Vince. I kid you not, this is going to be a bumpy ride and yes, there will be the occasional bold statement. To those who still dance with their wives to "I Remember You" or "Home Sweet Home" (MC) while trying to convince everybody with tears in their eyes that the 80s were the best years ever, I suggest they stop reading now and buy another 'best of' from Poison. However, to anyone with more balls and guts than a squirrel and to those who like their rock more roll and sometimes uncomfortably close to the edge, I say: read on and buckle up and I will get you through this hellride.
Let me start with a statement to smooth things a bit: "Thickskin" is the one and only decent follow-up to "Slave To The Grind". Yes, boys and girls, it is! If you’re looking for siren-like vocals, then go out and buy the new Pavarotti, because this revamped version of Skid Row is fronted by a great, whiskey-drenched, dry like sand on a long hot summer day voice that goes by the name of Johnny Solinger. Don’t get me wrong, here I too am a big admirer of the old school Skid Row (with Sebastian Bach) and their self-titled debut album and "Slave To The Grind" are still on top of my rotation list. But in my humble opinion I feel that if you count yourself amongst those who are waiting for 80s bands that still look and sound the same as they did 20 or more years ago, it’s about time you go get a life. These five dudes simply look better than most of their fellow 80s hair bands and their fans put together. And what about the music, I hear you say? Well, this is rock ‘n’ roll with a capital double R, dudes & dudettes. You will find songs that wouldn’t have sounded bad on “STTG” like "Thick Is The Skin" and "Lamb" and tracks such as "Ghost", "Born A Beggar" and "See You Around" that would do rather well on American college radio if given the proper chance. These latter songs are the ones where newcomer J. Solinger sounds at his his best: very powerful yet emotional in the calm moments. Excellent stuff! And to chase the 80s freaks finally in the curtains, I have to say that opener "New Generation" reminds me of "Beautiful People" from our favourite shock-rocker Marilyn Manson, while "Mouth Of Voodoo" isn’t shy of rubbing shoulders with Rob Zombie’s best work. I guess you can imagine a broad grin on my face now. "I Remember You Two" is a fast and punky version of one of their most famous anthems. Rock ‘n’ roll! So, if you expected Skid Row pt. II, I can only say: stay away, go to a musical in a theatre near you and maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll run into S.Bach or P. Stanley. If you do, say hi from me. But if you’re not afraid of a little adventure, with the reward of a great album in the end, try this one. You won’t be disappointed. (KVK)
 

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Modulator (on 25/01/06) "Subhuman Race" is SKID ROW. This is NOT!!!   ASI (on 20/10/05) It"s not the old Skid Row but its great record. Johnny is not Seb, he is himself, both of them are great, but diferent !!! Great album boys..as always :) :) 10xxxx !!   Rach (on 6/10/04) A real disappointment this one. It's certainly not like the early Skid Row, so if that's what you're looking for, go elsewhere. These guys are not what they used to be and Johnny Solinger is trying to be another Seb Bach. Stick with the early stuff i.e. 'Skid Row' and 'Slave to the Grind'.   SL (on 26/09/03) Genre definition was an error. Just changed it to rock!   adolfo (on 22/09/03) Not a Melodic Rock album but a very good Modern Rock CD with balls. Good done boys!! --------------------------------------- http://www.rockangels.com   AORPOMPY (on 21/09/03) Melodic hardrock ? ! A great album ? ! I must have listened to another record ! This is the kind of modern rock that's called 'crap' ! Forget about this 'Skid Row' ! They should have changed their name. This is modern, alternative stuff, not my cup of tea at all ! Very, very bad !!!! AVOID !!!!

 

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