![]() ![]() ![]() The Gang's All Here makes several references, both musical and lyrical, to Skid Row's past. Veteran producer Nick Raskulinecz ( Foo Fighters, Alice in Chains, Rush, Trivium) gives the album a beefy, modern-metal crunch that's befitting of Skid Row, who always wrote smarter, heavier songs than the poofy-haired pretty boys with whom they were often associated. For proof, check out the blistering album closer "World on Fire," which delivers a proper thrashing with its pile-driving riffs and melodic lead guitar lines. Bassist Rachel Bolan and drummer Rob Hammersmith lay down thunderous, midtempo grooves on "Hell or High Water" and serve slinky, back-alley boogie on "When the Lights Come On" and the cowbell-inflected title track. Dave "The Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill remain one of hard rock's most exciting and underrated guitar duos, offering a bounty of nimble, catchy riffs and squealing solos. That's only possible because the rest of the band is firing on all cylinders. Gronwall met his new bandmates four days before making his triumphant live debut with Skid Row in Las Vegas in early 2022, powering through a nostalgic, brutally demanding set with ease and panache. He brings the same confidence and firepower to The Gang's All Here, an impressive return to form that could finally liberate Skid Row from the ghost of their classic-era singer. several years ago, and he was front of mind when former singer ZP Theart got the boot earlier this year. The 34-year-old Gronwall caught Skid Row's eye when they toured Europe with H.E.A.T. and 2009 Swedish Idol winner (he auditioned with - you can't make this up - Skid Row's "18 and Life"). There's a different, conspicuously shorter haircut on the cover this time around, just right of center. It belongs to Erik Gronwall, the former singer of Swedish rock band H.E.A.T. ![]() He's even there in spirit on the cover of the band's new album, The Gang's All Here, an unsubtle nod to the five leather-clad night-stalkers who graced the front of Skid Row's 1989 self-titled debut. He's there in both parties' continual press barbs and nagging questions about their refusal to bury the hatchet and rake in cash hand-over-fist on a reunion tour. He's there in the band's set lists, which largely comprise its first two multiplatinum, Bach-led albums that made mincemeat out of his replacements for decades. The specter of Sebastian Bach has loomed over Skid Row ever since they fired the golden-voiced singer in 1996. ![]()
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