Classic Rock Bottom

This is the thirty-ninth album in the series I thought up all by myself and there will probably be a certain someone who's going to think there's some sort of collusion going on but you really can't collude with yourself, can you?

Subhuman Race, released in 1995, is the followup to Skid Row's Slave To The Grind (which can be found elsewhere on this here site) which was released in 1991.  This was the first Skid Row album to not reach the top ten on the U.S album chart peaking at #35, but it is the last album to hit the charts. However, in New Zealand, Japan and the U.K. it did reach the top 10 on their respective charts.  

This album has been certified gold while their first two albums were multi-platinum sellers. Interest in Skid Row was obviously waning, but there were still enough people who cared. Most probably moved on to a different type of music that was all the rage for awhile, but that type was on the way out. 

Subhuman Race continues the heaviness of Slave To The Grind with perhaps a bit more heaviness. Sebastian Bach sounds a bit different on this album as well, and this would be his last album with Skid Row. 

In a 2006 interview with Jeffrey Easton of The Metal Exiles, bassist Rachel Bolan had this to say about Subhuman Race:

That record was a nightmare. Internally the band had fallen apart but we were forced to go in and do another record and it was a nightmare with the recording, writing and producing. We worked with someone we had not worked with before after being so successful with Michael and we were used to the way he did things. I am not slighting Bob [Rock] at all, he is a genius producer but it was bad timing. I did not have the greatest time, it was nobody's fault, it was just the way things were. Also the record absolutely sucks.

Ouch. 

How does allmusic.com feel abut this album?

Skid Row waited out the grunge storm and returned in 1995 with Subhuman Race, their strongest and most vicious record to date. Abandoning most of the pop-metal posturing of their early hit albums, Skid Row strip back their music to the basics -- roaring guitars and Sebastian Bach's shriek. It wasn't a hit the size of Slave to the Grind, yet it made an impressive showing, climbing into the Top 40.

Subhuman Race

1. My Enemy
2. Firesign
3. Bonehead
4. Beat Yourself Blind
5. Eileen
6. Remains To Be Seen
7. Subhuman Race
8. Frozen
9. Into Another
10. Face Against My Soul
11. Medicine Jar
12. Breakin' Down
13. Iron Will

Availability: Used copy runs around $4.50. 

 

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I don't own this, so it's a first listen for me.  But immediately, I don't get it.  The build up to it, through Jon's writing and the allmusic.com review made me think really, really heavy.  Like a whole album of Slave To The Grind (the song).  The first song, while nothing great, does oblige.  But the second immediately has a pop metal lean to it.  Although I will say it's a pretty good song, with part of the vocals having a heavy feel.  I don't know, I'm just scratching my head already.  Let's see where it goes from here.

Bonehead is pretty heavy, but sometimes reminds me of Foo Fighters when they get heavy.  But it's not nearly as good as FF's.  Beat Yourself Blind straight up sucks. Eileen tries to be a cool song.  I guess it's okay, but nothing great.  It does continue to be pretty heavy, but it's much the same throughout.  Despite some decent riffs and the occasional interesting spot of rhythm guitars, it's just not connecting.  Into Another is a different story.  That's easily the best song here.

You are correct Sir Jon, the vocals sound just a bit different, but at that point, at least he was still singing in his full voice, unlike he does today (not ragging, just an observation). Even Face Against My Soul is much better.  Much more like old time, heavy rock and roll...as opposed to a deliberate attempt at pure heaviness.  

Overall, I can live without this.  Two excellent songs and eleven not so excellent ones.  An interesting listen for sure, but not up to par with the first two albums.

Someone should do a series on Albums that were Nightmares to make...  Next up, Chinese Democracy!!

Immediately I get the frenetic feel in the riff style as Slave, but this is far looser and the lead guitar work makes little to no sense to me.  Also, the song writing suffered, maybe that's the result of strained relationships? Or the band was tapped out, done...  Back certainly sounds better on this solo stuff, at least the posts that have been done on here (because that's all I know)  ...  I can definitely hear the down tuned guitars on Firesign, a nod to the grunge of the time? Bonehead totally loses me.

I do get drawn back in with the fuzz bass on trach4... (I do love some fuzz bass!!) Not sure the song sustains my interest though by the 2:40 mark I get interested again - weirdly this is my favorite so far...

Eileen doesn't change my favorite, though I did like the riff.  ... COWBELL!!  That's kind of like yelling "SQUIRREL!" to a dog, it makes a rock and roll nut look around and take notice!  Certainly far better than the first 3 tracks lead me to think this was going to be.

Spoke too soon, Subhuman Race was terrible!  Into Another is easily the most melodic effort on here, certainly a nice respite at the right time.  I liked Medicine Jar as well, that had that cool crunchy/grinding rhythm guitar.  Breakin' Down had a real nice vibe going, in fact I was really into and then the chorus kicked in and the production felt different and then it worked again, weird song.  I have a weird feeling its one I would dig after a few more listens.

Iron Will close this off, this being the 13th track at 7:42 it feels a bit long - even longer if you sat through the silence, but I liked this one as well.  Shocking to say but I liked this better than Slave, if you omit Tracks, 1, 2, 3, and 7 then we've got a real nice album!!

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