The opening track ‘Permanent Vacation’ immediately takes you back in time to the time of the Hard Rocking late 80’s for a sure footed robust and muscular sound that can’t help but trigger a little early Skid Row – replate with high screams, that bass-driven groove (that Rachel used so well to drive a song), not to mention searing guitar and solid backline, it makes all the right moves and all the right sounds.
The scorching guitar that sets alight ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ is matched by the groove and the vocal gymnastics and after a couple of songs you realise that these guys can handle a breakdown. This time though you’re staring down second album Skid Row in terms of heaviness and dynamics and in all honesty it’s all very enjoyable so far.
Do you like Skid Row? No really? Well ‘Runaway Bride’ switches back to the first album sound with a side of Crazy Lixx. It’s sometimes hard to get a certain band out of your head when reviewing especially when they pull it off well and the midtempo ‘Midnight Lovers’ has you holding that thought. It’s another winner this time with the boy meets girl story that Bon Jovi and you know who fell back on lyrically from time to time.
At the midway point we break from the real rockers for the slower balladic ‘Forever and Always’ which has a touch of Def Leppard meets Bon Jovi about it. It’s a nice song but lacks the huge hook that could have edged it neck and neck with the meatier fare here.
Were back in the groove for the lyrically aggressive ‘Skum Town’ which has a great drive and the sort of gang vocals that a lot of the Scandinavian sleaze bands do so well. It’s followed by the wonderful ‘blue sky’ rocker ‘This is My Life’ which is a real sing along rocker and one of my highlights here. The Metallic ‘Speed Demon’ ups the pace nicely and retains the great backing vocals. It’s a great ride to the end of the track before the final word goes to the growl of the “Steel Panther with a straight face” lyrics of ‘No Fucks Given’. Whatever your taken on the un-PC lyrics it’s another great song on an album that wouldn’t know a ‘dud track’ if it fell over one.
I must admit to only having taken a read of the press after giving this a listen. Before I got the record I wondered if it was the old Mark St John band but of course the spelling is different. I also wondered if it would sound like Def Leppard purely based on the name. What you have here is a band that sound remarkably cohesive, a production that is both clear and crisp and a collection of songs you feel have been road tested and honed to perfection. It’s a great record in a very good year for music and one that would have been huge 30+ years ago. If Skid Row’s new record is as good as this I will be mightily impressed. A stunning debut.
8.5 / 10