After the absolutely smoking 'Slave To The Grind', Skid Row keep their two fingers in the face of commercialism and corporate rock by once again pummelling the senses with their right to rock. This record has often been compared, not necessarily with regards to sound, to Motley Crue's self-titled opus. Both bands keeping the bass heavy, the vocals gruff and the melodies down and dirty. I'm sure Skid Row must've lost alot of fans for veering into this primal rock 'n' roll, but for me, it was the way to go, and I give them credit for such a brutal shift of gears. As soon as 'My Enemy' rips into the skull, you know Bach is on fine form, a raucous, clattering track that sees the lanky frontman growling, snarling and grrrrring over the heavy soundtrack. Strangely, 'Firesign' at times looks back to the bands more melodic days, until of course it's cut in half by its monster chorus, leaving you wondering just how a cringe-worthy band become so cool. Okay, Skid Row aren't the relation of Corrosion Of Conformity, but like Crue they've knuckled down, put all their aggression into the making of this slab and come out with a winner. I can certainly see the comparisons with the John Corabi-fronted Crue record. 'Eileen' smears itself over the speakers, 'Remains To Be Seen' chugs by, the title track is simple a bulldozer of angst with an almost grunge-influenced chorus and the seven-minute stomp of 'Iron Will' is one of the most angry tracks the band has ever recorded. Maybe Skid Row were simply keeping tabs on how the music scene was evolving and wanted to fit in. Their sleazy roots may not have survived in harsher times, but 'Subhuman Race' is a a new predator entirely, enabling the act to shift into a new dimension they must have surely once thought was out of bounds.
8/10
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