I am not going to go over Sebastian Bach’s history, as he is quite a controversial figure in some ways, but no matter what anyone thinks about him there is no doubt he is one of the best singers around. ‘Skid Row’ is one of the finest rock debuts ever, and I was lucky enough to see them support Guns ‘n’ Roses at Wembley Stadium in 1991 and one item stuck in my memory was how Bach was running from one side of the stage to the other and never missing a note, his breath control and stamina were simply incredible. Over the years I have heard multiple albums where he has been the frontman, but rarely has he been able to capture the drama and power of that debut from 1989, but possibly now he has.

Away from different TV shows, film and stage (would have loved to have seen him as Riff Raff, I bet that was incredible) he is back where he arguably belongs, fronting a hard rock band where he is front and centre. Bach co-wrote all 11 songs on the album, which features guest appearances from John 5, Steve Stevens, and Orianthi, who all co-wrote their respective tracks with him. The other players involved were Devin Bronson on guitars, Todd Kerns (bass) and Jeremy Coulson (drums) but according to Wikipedia his son Paris is now sat on the drum seat. This is classic Bach, from the time when Guns n Roses and Skid Row were setting the metal world on fire, and his voice has not aged at all, still hitting the notes and the screams when the need arises. The foundation of bass and drums provide a platform for the guitars which are raw, sleazy, melodic and commercial all at the same time, and then at the front we have Seb. The man is rightly an icon, one of the finest singers of his generation, and now here he is back where he belongs, with a great band behind him and a collection of songs which are going to make everyone sit up and pay notice as a new generation gets onboard. This sounds like it could have been released immediately pre-grunge and is all the better for it.

Rating: 8/10

Links:
https://www.sebastianbach.com/
https://reigningphoenixmusic.com/