Band:	Skid Row
Album:	Slave To The Grind
Style:	Hard rock, Heavy metal
Release date:	June 11, 1991
Guest review by:	Doc G.

01. Monkey Business
02. Slave To The Grind
03. The Threat
04. Quicksand Jesus
05. Psycho Love
06. Get The Fuck Out
07. Livin' On A Chain Gang
08. Creepshow
09. In A Darkened Room
10. Riot Act
11. Mud Kicker
12. Wasted Time

After a truly solid debut from Skid Row, one would ask, how could we expect them to top this? Yet they did.

All aspects of the band have stepped up a notch in this album, becoming more intense; less rock and more metal! The entire atmosphere is made more dynamic from the get-go. The intro to the opening track "Monkey Business" has a quiet bluesy riff with quiet vocals that give the impression that the album ahead is going to be weak - but out of nowhere Bach unleashes a scream that breaks into a full-on hard rock anthem, setting off the intensity that barely lets down for the next 45 minutes. Just as soon as you catch your breath after the intro track, a very thrashy title track kicks in with just as much blistering intensity.

Every member of the band seemed to have cranked the volume up (and skill level). Bach is able to hit unholy pitches on his screams that have yet to been matched to this day, meanwhile Rachel Bolan's bass becomes a lot more promenant this time around, which is what gives this album that extra heaviness. The guitars, unlike most bands, seem to be following the bass instead of the convential method of having the bass underneath the mix, this is most notable in songs like "Psycho Love," "Get The Fuck Out," and "Slave To The Grind."

But alas you'll notice that I didnt rate this a 10, and there are a few reasons. The first problem being the ballad "Quicksand Jesus" is another one of those pointless nowhere ballads that is not only lacking in any powerful feeling like the rest of the album but they place it right after one of those blisteringly intense tracks I've been speaking so highly of, it becomes a bit of a bringdown. The second problem is that the "Rock Anthem" template of a song gets somewhat tired by the end of the album if you're not in the right mood.

This is easily the best album in the entire Skid Row discography, putting both anything they had released, and anything that followed to shame; a must have for any hard rock fan.