helterskelter.ca

SKID ROW
1989 - Skid Row.
1991 - Slave To The Grind.
way more Helter Skelter.

January 16, 1989 - 2024: 35 years of: Skid Row.

The scene is about to get it's ass properly kicked.

These East-Coast kids were about to break the scene in half, 1988's hardrock was about to get into a serious brawl. No glamour-looks, no pretty-boys ...but dirty punks hammering some of the raunchiest hardrock yet. From the dark back-alleys of ocean-side New Jersey, we now walk into SKID ROW.

Impact is imminent as the "Big Guns" fires away. Loud rock and the new voice of anger ...the young and devoted Canadian devil Sebastian Bach. More raw metal grinds with the fast "Sweet Little Sister" and the faster "Makin' A Mess". These kids are out of control !

Obnoxious hardrock facewashes, with the new anthem of this decadent generation, the appropriately titled "Youth Gone Wild". Never taking no for an answer, the calling becomes an assault, as propagated on "Piece Of Me" and the rebelious "Can't Stand The Heartache".

This anti Sunset Strip attack is pushing hard as the now immortal powerballad "18 And Life" takes form. From acoustic to thrash, this dark street outlook to family-problems broke MTV's modus-operandi.

"My nasty reputation takes me everywhere." - Baz

Engineered and mixed by power-producer Michael Wagener, the RIAA-certified 5x Platinum, not only cracked the Charts, but gave the dominant mascara-wearers a run for their money. A hard-edged no gimmicks, no bullshit thrashy-rock band ...you just couldn't look away ...SKID ROW were the coolest band around !

Opening on tour for BON JOVI, MÖTLEY and AEROSMITH, as well as, taking part in the Moscow Music Peace Festival in wild Summer 1989, along Ozzy, CINDERELLA, BON JOVI, SCORPIONS ...and a sober CRÜE ...this event made sure the world was set for the SKID-invasion. Part Two of the global take over riot act would appear in 1991, with the band's most aggressive offering to date, the rabid Slave To The Grind CD.

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Youth Gone Wild = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RIeycixkK8
18 And Life = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghd2bkIadG4
Piece Of Me = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rArtHgO43iw
I Remember You = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjuEXKwnkLE
Skid Row = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3oeS1Z8zH4&list=OLAK5uy_m7wCXovA4fTxEPKV4SoH2YZwZsk4YJCK4
MuchMusic interview in 1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYkukJogK40
Live in Japan in 1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOAenlPK8JA
Live at the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J20sgmzukg

May 21, 1991 - 2021: 30 years of: Slave To The Grind.

"Turn on the TV coz I got nowhere to go !"

A vulgar display of power, from hardrock's most metal hardrock-band. Rebellious, raw and restless, these New Jersey boys are youth gone wild. Their immortal debut 1989 Skid Row LP raised the bar, changed the game and sold so much records, that there's nowhere else to go but repeat.

Part of the last wave of American-rock, the 1990-91 era, where some rock-gangs got heavier. Think SAIGON KICK, LOVE/HATE, FIREHOUSE, Canadian bad-boys SLIK TOXIK and the new kids from the wrong-side of the track: SKID ROW.

The slick opener of "Monkey Business" proves within seconds that a new plateau of heaviness has been reached in the realms of hardrock. Huge metal-riffs, these lads ain't a glam-band. Sebastian Bach never sounded so afire and furious: fear him, fear them !

Some thrashmetal tempo on the abrasive title-track "Slave To The Grind". Not for the weak, no time to breathe, just wall-to-wall mean metal action. The challenging "Get The Fuck Out" will give the piss-poor P.M.R.C. a run for their money and the über heavy "Livin' On A Chain Gang" is another headbanging fiesta.

While the powerballad "Quicksand Jesus" doesn't cut as deep as "18 And Life" did, it still shows some agility in the melody-department. The RAMONES influenced "Riot Act" and riff-raff of the down and dirty "Mudkicker" are front-row tickets to a bruised mosh-pit experience.

Once again produced by Michael Wagener, from RIAA-certified to once again RIAA-certified, the SKIDs are kicking more asses than ever. On tour, a match made in hell was hatched: SKID ROW with opener, the Texas tornado, the terror of PANTERA. This was the HQ-on-wheels for badassery and overall hellraising.

This ain't generic arenarock. From a punk background with added metal-muscles, definitely not from the cookie-cutter glam template, this is a new breed of American hardrock. Big guns ready for world-domination, sadly the party was cut short in Autumn '91.

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Monkey Business = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pkpsxEyi-k
Slave To The Grind = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3nycoZ-zzw
Quicksand Jesus = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2vWwKqYwko
Slave To The Grind = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d-lMBPN2nI&list=PLgcMZQdQFPtiAz8vTtgEtQEB98UPg6gTp
Interview in 1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJQ3ZNkJqX8
Live at Wembley in 1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcF4SJ2YAqQ
Scotti Hill, on guitar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Uj0IWc3CE