Intro (Edit)

Skid Row is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1986 in New Jersey. The band was most successful in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s with their first two albums, which both went multi-platinum. The band has sold over 20 million albums worldwide.

The band was formed by bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarist Dave ‘Snake’ Sabo, in 1986. The two added another guitarist, Scotti Hill, after bad luck with two other guitarists. They also found drummer, Rob Affuso, and lead singer Sebastian Bach. After the band line-up was complete, they started gigging and selling out most of their shows on the New Jersey club circuit.

The band got discovered in the New Jersey club circuit by Jon Bon Jovi. He also got them signed to Atlantic Records in 1988.

In 1989, the band released their debut album called, Skid Row. The album went five times Platinum due to the success of the songs, ‘18 And Life’, ‘I Remember You’, and ‘Youth Gone Wild.’ The album went on to sell over 10 million albums worldwide. The album peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200.

Despite the instant success, the band had to deal with a lot of bitterness as well. In return for the help of Jon Bon Jovi, they had to sign into a publishing deal with a new music company. The band also had to waive their rights to all publishing royalties. All the money made, went to Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. After a public dispute, Sambora gave his share of the money back to the band.

In 1990, the band returned to the studio to record their next album. The result was 1991’s, Slave To The Grind. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 100, being the first heavy metal album to achieve that status. The album sold 4 million copies.

Two different versions of the album were released. A clean and explicit version of the album. The explicit version included the song, ‘Get The F*** Out’, where the clean version replaced that song with, ‘Beggar’s Day’.

The album also was a change in musical direction for the band. Instead of the hair / glam style, such as their debut, Slave To The Grind was a heavy metal album, with some songs borderlining the thrash and grunge styles.

In 1992, the band released an EP called, B-Side Ourselves. The EP was a cover album of bands that influenced Skid Row. The album features covers of bands such as, Judas Priest, KISS, and The Ramones. The album peaked at number 58 on the Billboard 200.

After extensive touring, tensions were high in the band. So they took a break in 1993. But in 1994, they hit the studio again to record the album, Subhuman Race. The album was released in March of 1995 and peaked at number 35. The album has sold about 1 million copies worldwide. To date, this is also the last album with ex-lead singer, Sebastian Bach and ex-drummer, Rob Affuso.

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History (Edit)

The fans opinions differ on this album. Some fans consider it their best album, while others say its the bands worst. Still, many believe the album would have been more successful if it were released earlier.

During the tour, in support of the album Subhuman Race, the band released a live album called, Subhuman Beings On Tour in 1995. The album was released only in Japan. The album features some of the cover songs from the, B-Side Ourselves – EP, recorded live.

After an argument with Rachel Bolan in 1996, Sebastian Bach was fired from the band. The reasoning is that Skid Row was called upon to open for KISS for the New Year’s Party ‘96, and Bach was all for it, when Bolan did not want to play the show. Shortly after Bach was fired, drummer, Rob Affuso, left the band as well.

During the time following, nothing was heard of by Skid Row, although they never officially disbanded. The remaining band members, Rachel Bolan, Dave ‘Snake Sabo, and Scotti Hill went on to play in a band called Ozone Monday. Surprisingly, the drummer for Ozone Monday was none other than ex-Skid Row drummer, Rob Affuso. The vocalist of the band was Sean McCabe.

In 1998, the band released a compilation album called, 40 Seasons: The Best of Skid Row. Every album is featured on this compilation. The only difference in songs are the songs from the album, Subhuman Race. The songs from that album were remixed, demos, or live versions to fit more with the other songs. The compilation album featured two unreleased songs as well.

In late 1999, the remaining members of the band, Bolan, Snake, and Hill were talking and decided that Skid Row meant too much to them to just let the band go. So they started looking for a new singer. A friend of the band suggested a singer by the name of Johnny Solinger, and after some emails, Johnny was on a plane to New Jersey to meet up with the band. Rachel Bolan said, “We knew he was the guy half-way through the first song of his audition.”

With a new singer in place, the band needed a new drummer. They chose Phil Varone, formerly of Saigon Kick. After re-forming the band, they opened for KISS on their farewell tour. Since reforming, the band has been on tour every summer since 1999.

In 2003, the band released their first studio album in eight years. The album was called Thickskin. The album was the fourth full-length studio album from the band. It was also the first album featuring the new singer, Johnny Solinger. The album was ’skipped’ by fans and critics due to the absence of Sebastian Bach.

After some personal issues, Varone left the band and was replaced by current drummer Dave Gara.

In 2006, the band released their fifth, and most recent studio album, Revolutions Per Minute. During this album, the band was reunited with Michael Wagener, who produced their debut album, and their Slave To The Grind album. The album received a lot of criticism for the band straying from its heavy metal roots. The album features a lot of punk and country influences as well.

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