Skid Row – Revolutions Per Minute

Skid Row – Revolutions Per Minute / 2006 SPV / 12 Tracks / http://www.skidrow.com / http://www.spvusa.com / Reviewed 28 January 2007

Skid Row starts off their “Revolutions Per Minute” is much the same way that Velvet Underground came back into prominence. While there are hints of the same hair metal that brought Skid Row to the fore in the late eighties and early nineties, the edge which they imbue each of the songs on “Revolutions Per Minute” with is as sharp as all get out. Skid Row has came back in a strong fashion with their “Revolutions Per Minute”, to the degree that it would be pretty easy for the band to reclaim a pretty nice position on the charts again.

This edge continues during “Another Dick In The System”, even if the guitar work is a little bit on the bland side. The energy that is exerted during the track is without fault, but the band seems more to be rocking by numbers rather than trying to bring something new and vital to their fans. In fact, it sounds almost as if Skid Row are following the lead of Motley Crue during this track, which is a change from “Disease” where the band seemed to be going more along their own line. The band starts again to forge their own path wit the catchy “Pulling My Heart Out From Under Me”. The chorus is catchy as all get out without the band dropping much of the rock sound that energized the beginning of “Revolutions Per Minute”. Skid Row moves into the Irish punk rock sound with “When God Can’t Wait”. In fact, the track is so much different from what individuals expect from Skid Row that it sounds almost like another band is doing the track. I honestly though that SPV screwed up and put a Bloody Irish Boys track on here, but this is great for re-energizing listeners of this album.

Skid Row shift the focus again to become more of a harder version of a country rock band with “Shut Up Baby, I Love You”. If there uis one thing about Skid Row on “Revolutions Per Minute”, it is that the band is diverse as all get out. This iis what will drive individuals back into the Skid Row fold. There are still nods to the hair metal and hard rock style that sold them hundreds of thousands of albums a decade ago, but the refreshing of the band’s style is what will sell albums in 2006. Pick it up.

Top Tracks: Shut Up Baby I Love You, You Lie

Rating: 7.2/10

[JMcQ]