Sebastian Bach!

There—that's the only reference to the former Skid Row frontman I’ll make during the course of this review.

“Revolutions Per Minute” very wisely stays away from the late-'80s hard rock sound that forever carved the band's name in hair metal infamy, although Skid Row was never really a hair metal band. Nevertheless, the group's adaptation of punk rock is pretty cool, kinda like most of the acts on the Liquor and Poker Music label, or The Wildhearts—take your pick.

Singer Johnny Solinger has a crispy, gas-rock ready voice, and it’s refreshing to know the band picked someone more intent on being his own person than someone else. “Another Dick In The System” is where he proves his mettle, as his scratchy vocals complement the song's fun, tongue'n'cheek vibe.

Those looking for metal aren’t going to find it—especially during “Pulling My Heart Out From Under Me,” an alternative rock-tinged track that, had this been 10 years ago and the band had a different name, would have been a hit on radio. “White Trash” is the most aggressive thing here, complete with some social satire and old-school punk rock chorus. On “Nothing,” a stab at punk-pop, Solinger spits out a teenage-ready chorus that heads into a blistering guitar solo, only to revert back to the song’s poppy refrain.

This is definitely not your mother’s Skid Row, as Solinger pointed out in a recent interview. If you take it from the context that this is a totally different band, “Revolutions Per Minute” is a pretty solid album. If you’re looking for another “Slave To The Grind,” go find that other guy. You know, the one that body-slammed Evan Seinfeld.

» spvusa.com