Sebastian Bach: Give 'em Hell

Skid Row’s bad boy grows up – with a little help from his friends

By Dave Ling
( Metal Hammer )
published

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To quote the title of a song by his former band, Skid Row, Sebastian Bach has called out the big guns with Give ’Em Hell. Former Guns N’ Roses man Duff McKagan plays bass, locking tight with Bobby Jarzombek, the erstwhile solo drummer of Rob Halford, while John 5 (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie) and Steve Stevens of Billy Idol fame keep the riffs and solos pumping.

Bach is equally renowned for car crash behaviour as high-intensity hard rock but Give ’Em Hell is surprisingly mature. Hell Inside My Head, Dominator and All My Friends Are Dead are as headbanger-friendly as those titles suggest, but producer Bob Marlette polishes things to add rock-esque spin to Harmony, Had Enough and Temptation.

A cover of Rock And Roll Is A Vicious Game, a ballad by April Wine, is suited to the more commercial side of Seb’s delivery. Slave To The Grind it ain’t, but kudos for attempting something different.

Dave Ling
Dave Ling

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.