Skid Row - The Gangs All Here

Single review by; Lucy

Skid Row given a new lease of life?

Skid Row have blessed fans by releasing a brand-new single entitled ‘The Gang's All Here’, which will be the title track for a forthcoming album to be released in time for their tour with The Scorpions later this year. This is the first music that the band has released in 8 years and the first music with new singer and ex frontman for H.E.A.T, Erik Gronwall following joining the band earlier this year. The band reported that they were “beyond excited” to release the single and “a lot of hard work has been put into it”.

Although it is only the one single from ‘The Gang's All Here’, other songs reported to be on the album include: ‘Hell Or High Water’, ‘Not Dead Yet’ and ‘When The Light Comes On’.

The single itself has given Skid Row a refreshed facelift and given the band a new lease of life, as Erik Gronwall has captured the original sounds and put a much more contemporary spin on it, delighting fans with the promise of more Skid Row music to come. It is important to note however that while Gronwall is an excellent vocalist with his own huge following, you could argue that the Swedish star has brought along a European style of music to the New Jersey band which has been represented in the single and it could be comparable to other European metal bands such as Enforcer. But, while there have been subtle changes to the sound as expected when any band gets a new frontman, fans have claimed it’s the first-time Skid Row has sounded like Skid Row for decades! There have even been obvious nods to Skid Row's more classical rock era with lyrics such as; “Tricky little Vicky was the only girl he trusted”, if you are a big Skid Row fan you will know that this was a character in the single entitled ‘Rattlesnake Shake’ in 1989. You could also argue that this bit of intertextuality anchors the title “The Gangs All Here”. The tune itself is buoyant, cheerful and powerful in an extremely bullish manor which almost celebrates the reincarnation of the band. With a very prominent and strong bass line, a quick beat and some very 80s style vocals, the tune is catchy and impossible not to like.

Essentially, Gronwalls arrival in the Skid Row camp has been as huge relief to fans and it's looking like a bright future for them. The single is a brilliant tribute to classic hard rock and has done an amazing job at building up the anticipation for the oncoming album.

Dave ’Snake’ Sabo – Guitar

Rachel Bolan – Bass

Scotti Hill- Guitar

Rob Hammersmith – Drums

Erik Gronwall – Vocals