Skid Row

Emerging from New Jersey with an audacious edge, Skid Row stood among the final metal acts to reach broad commercial audiences right before grunge asserted dominance in the early 1990s. Although the self-titled debut relied on conventional pop-metal riffs and themes, it achieved substantial sales through the charting tracks "18 and Life," "I Remember You," and "Youth Gone Wild"; by contrast, 1991's Slave to the Grind and 1995's Subhuman Race shifted toward heavier, thrash-oriented guitar work and distinctive compositional approaches. Led by the magnetic Sebastian Bach, internal conflicts and shifting musical fashions ultimately dissolved the original lineup by 1996, prompting Bach to pursue a thriving career on Broadway and in acting roles. The remaining members persisted under successive vocalists—Johnny Solinger, ex-TNT frontman Tony Harnell, and former DragonForce singer ZP Theart—while issuing further recordings and maintaining live activity through the 2010s. In 2022 they recruited ex-H.E.A.T. vocalist Erik Grönwall, whose expansive range energized that year's The Gang's All Here.

Skid Row originated in 1986 when bassist Rachel Bolan and ex-Bon Jovi guitarist Dave "The Snake" Sabo joined forces. Guitarist Scott Hill, drummer Rob Affuso, and the outsized Sebastian Bach completed the roster by early 1987, after which the group performed extensively in eastern U.S. clubs for the next eighteen months. Leveraging his ongoing connection with Jon Bon Jovi, Sabo secured an Atlantic Records contract for the band. Their 1989 debut, Skid Row, attained multi-platinum certification largely due to the Top 40 singles "18 and Life" and "I Remember You." Commercial gains, however, brought complications: the musicians had inadvertently relinquished most royalty rights, and Bach's erratic conduct generated further difficulties. Even so, the band's robust songwriting preserved a loyal following. Slave to the Grind arrived in 1991 and debuted at number one on the Billboard chart—an achievement then unmatched by any metal act—yet produced no significant radio singles; it earned greater critical regard and eventually reached platinum status. Like many contemporaries, Skid Row saw their audience erode amid the 1990s grunge surge. As Nirvana dominated in 1992, the band entered a hiatus, reflecting on possible dissolution while noting the ironic coincidence that Nirvana had briefly used the name Skid Row in the 1980s. They resurfaced in 1995 with the aggressive Subhuman Race, which garnered critical praise and reached the Top 40.

Strains within the group intensified during the ensuing tour, leading to a breakup soon afterward. Bach formed the Last Hard Men alongside Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin; that project ended after contributing a cover of Alice Cooper's "School's Out" to the 1996 Scream soundtrack. Proposals to record fresh material for the 1998 greatest-hits collection Forty Seasons collapsed, after which Bach launched a solo endeavor and assumed the title role in the Broadway production Jekyll and Hyde. Mid-2000 brought a reunion with new vocalist Johnny Solinger, who joined the band as openers on Kiss's farewell tour. Thickskin appeared with Solinger in 2003, followed by Revolutions Per Minute in 2006; both releases reflected a more contemporary, alternative-rock orientation. In 2013 the group signed with Megaforce and issued United World Rebellion: Chapter One, the initial entry in a projected EP series. The follow-up, 2014's Rise of the Damnation Army, marked Solinger's final recording before his dismissal in favor of ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell. Harnell departed in December 2015, succeeded by former DragonForce singer ZP Theart, who remained until 2021. Early 2022 introduced the energetic, classic-sounding single "The Gang's All Here," featuring new vocalist Erik Grönwall, previously of Swedish hard rockers H.E.A.T. The track anchored the full-length album of the same name, produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice in Chains) and released that October.