On disc: Sebastian Bach

 
 Angel Down
 
- Daniel de Niz -
 
 


 
 Kicking & Screaming
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 


 
 ABachalypse Now
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 

ABachalypse Now

(Frontiers Records - 2013)



 
 

 

American singer Sebastian Bach is well-known in the metal community since his days with Skid Row, even if his solo albums couldn't get close to the successful early Skid Row albums. Now he presents his first live album - a double CD and DVD package. For reviewing we only got the CDs.



Both shows where recorded in 2012, one at Hellfest in France, the other a club show from L.A. and so I wonder why the set list is quite identical and why he didn't choose other songs from the live show to give a better look over his musical career. Sure, his fans want to hear the old Skid Row classics, but to present mainly Skid Row songs on a live album doesn't seem very smart. I can understand that he's choosing classics for a festival show, but why having 6 of the songs of the Hellfest set on disc 2? Especially as some of them are on the additional festival show you get on DVD. Both shows only offer 2 songs of his solo albums, especially at the club show he should have presented more - and perhaps he does, but they aren't on the disc.



No doubt the classics like 18 & Life are masterpieces, but to be honest I prefer to listen to the studio version, coz it gets obvious that Sebastian Bach's voice isn't as strong as in the heydays of Skid Row. He's pretty good in covering up, but he can't always mask it. The live sound is raw and helps covering flaws in Bach's performance.



For metal fans who attended the shows or how are die-hard fans of Sebastian Bach this live document is still interesting, but everybody... I don't know, if Skid Row will make you happy...



Track listing:



CD1 (Hellfest, France 2012)

Slave To The Grind

Kicking & Screaming

Here I Am

Big Guns

Piece Of Me

18 & Life

American Metalhead

Monkey Business

I Remember You

Youth Gone Wild



CD2 (Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA, USA 2012)

Big Guns

(Love Is A) Bitch Slap

Piece Of Me

18 & Life

American Metalhead

Monkey Business

I Remember You

TunnelVision

Youth Gone Wild



DVD:

both shows (CD1 and CD2)

plus live stuff from Graspop-Festival in Belgien, 2012:

Kicking & Screaming

Dirty Power

Here I Am

Big Guns

18 & Life

American Metalhead

Monkey Business

I Remember You

TunnelVision



video clips:

Kicking & Screaming

TunnelVision

I'm Alive

 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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Kicking & Screaming

( Frontiers Records - 2011)



 
 

 

It's been a few years since former Skid Row fronter Sebastian Bach presented a new album, now the follow-up of Angel Down is getting in stores. The new album is called Kicking And Screaming. The blond singer choose to kick off with the title track, a song which could have been recorded while he was still fronting Skid Row... A heavy, guitar-driven rocker. Guitar and bass was played by Nick Sterling and Bobby Jarzombek was hitting the drums. A video clip was done for the title track, so you might already heard Kicking And Screaming... For track #2 they speed up a bit, but also have slower, quite melodic passages embedded in My Own Worst Enemy. A modern heavy rocker is Tunnelvision which shows a different facet of Bach, this one might get some airplay on rock radio stations.... Beside some modern sounds it has a dash Skid Row in it - which isn't a big surprise. For As Long As I Got The Music they ease off a little, but so far I miss something really memorable on this album. All fine tune to listen to, but no real ear catchers. Then it's time for I'm Alive, guitar and vocals lead you into this balladesque one, even if later in the tune you'll head some heavy riffs and powerful drums. The heavy, riff-based track Dirty Power revives the Skid Row days once again. My personal favorite is One Good Reason, a heavy rocker with a memorable vocal line and the typical Bach screams. The closer is called Wishin', the 3rd balladesque tune on Kicking And Screaming and in my opinion the best of the three ballads.



Rockers and balladesque tunes on this album, but I miss a goosebump-moment... Perhaps my expectations are just too high... Anyway, Sebastian Bach and his mates delivered a decent album and to get an idea I recommend to check out the EPK!









 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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Angel Down

(EMI - 2007)



 
 

 

The long awated album by the former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach. After several projects like Last Hard Men and Sebastian Bach & Friends this is his first full-lenght album as a solo artist since his departure form Skid Row in the mid-90s.

With Roy Z (Bruce Dickinson, Halford) as producer, Bobby Jarzombek (Halford, Spastik Ink., ex-Riot) on drums, Mike Chlasciak (Halford) on guitars, Steve DiGorgio (Sadus, ex-Death, ex-Testament and many more) on bass, he achived what is one of the best american hard rock albums in many years. Guest vocals by Axl Rose in Back In The Saddle (Aerosmith cover), (Love Is ) A Bitchslap and Stuck Inside.

Most of the songs are catchy hard rock with the trademark riff sounds (e.g. You Bring Me Down, Angel Down) Roy Z always provides to the bands he produces. This is the closest he has taken us to Slave To The Grind, but with the fresh, more modern sound. Bach's voice sounds in good shape, he can sing both melodic and hard rocking as well. His style is still the same.

You Don't Understand, Angel Down, Negative Light, American Metalhead are among the best, but there are actually no fillers, all songs are at least worth-listening to. In the relieving ballads By Your Side and Falling Into You Sebastian's voice gives a glimpse back to those late 80's songs which moved so many people... It'is pretty straight hard rock which borders heavy metal quite often. It has the simple attitude to rock and have a good, as it was used and supposed to be for rock fans.
 
 










Daniel de Niz


  
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