Skid Row - Slave to the Grind

Skidrow Slave to the Grind album is the absolute epitome of Southern American Hard rock, from the same school as Blackfoot. "Monkey Business", "Slave to the Grind", "Living on a Chain Gang", and "Mudkicker" are some of the heaviest and best songs ever recorded.

Heavy doesn't always make it good. Hard rocking doesn't always make it heavy. But it all comes together - completely together - on Slave to the Grind.The Guns 'n' Roses comparison is tempting, but GnR have a completely different style overall (with the exception of maybe "Welcome to the Jungle") and, as a vocalist, Axel Rose sounds positively weedy and strangled next to Mr Bach's mighty lungs. It must also be noted that Slash's solos lack the tight structures of Sabo's.

This album shares the same qualities of greatness. The whole feeling of a journey is there from start to finish - and that feeling at the end of having arrived somewhere. This is often accompanied by dissatisfaction, in the sense that it is better to travel than to arrive, and there is a powerful urge to start the whole thing over.Slave to the Grind" is far heavier and meaner than the debut album. It sounds like "Appetite For Destruction" era Guns N' Roses meets Pantera.

The songs are heavy, and in-your-face, yet also highly melodic, and filled with killer solos. Singer Sebastian Bach has a very distinct set of pipes that make him unique and set him apart from all the generic David Lee Roth wannabe singers from the late 80s.This was a real shame, because Skid Row was a great band, and their sophomore album "Slave to the Grind" remains great record.