Slave to the Grind

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Slave to the Grind is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Skid Row, released on June 11, 1991,<ref name="AM" /> by Atlantic Records. The album displayed a harsher sound than its predecessor and lyrics that avoided hard rock cliches. Slave to the Grind is the first heavy metal album to chart at number one on the Billboard 200 in the Nielsen SoundScan era, selling 134,000 copies in its opening week. The album was certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1998 for shipping two million copies in the United States. It produced five singles: "Monkey Business", "Slave to the Grind", "Wasted Time", "In a Darkened Room" and "Quicksand Jesus". Skid Row promoted the album opening for Guns N' Roses in 1991 and as a headliner the following year.

Composition and recording

Skid Row wrote most of Slave to the Grind in a New Jersey studio and demoed the tracks with Michael Wagener, who produced their previous album. Recording began in late 1990 and took place at two studios: New River in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Scream in Studio City, California. Slave to the Grind marked the band's move toward a heavier sound, with the title track verging on speed metal,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but the album also includes power ballads<ref name="AM" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and a few lighter tracks. Some sources still classified the album as glam metal, despite its heavier sound.<ref name="metaledge">Template:Cite news</ref> The lyrics were more complex, criticizing modern ways of life, authority, politics, drugs, and organized religion, among other topics. Wagener said the demoing and pre-production went well, and the title track was recorded and mixed in an hour, and was placed on the album without being remixed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

During a February 2017 interview for the Backspin segment of Yahoo! Music, vocalist Sebastian Bach revealed that the version of the title track included in the finished album is actually the original demo the band recorded during pre-production with producer Michael Wagener. The band recorded a proper version during the album sessions, but were unable to match the intensity of the demo, and therefore opted to use the former instead.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>

Cover art

Sebastian Bach's father, David Bierk, painted the cover art, which is actually a long mural, continued inside the album's booklet.<ref name="Wild">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Although it is set in the medieval era, it depicts people using modern technological gadgets. The cover was inspired by Caravaggio's Burial of St. Lucy from 1608 and shows John F. Kennedy in the crowd.

Release and promotion

When recording finished, Skid Row opened for Guns N' Roses on the 1991 North American leg of their Use Your Illusion Tour.<ref name="Wild"/> In 1992, Skid Row took Pantera and Soundgarden as supporting bands on its Slave to the Grind Tour.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two different versions of the album were released: the original and a "clean" version, in which "Get the Fuck Out" is replaced with the less-offensive "Beggar's Day".<ref name="Rivadavia">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Music videos were produced for all five singles: "Monkey Business", "Slave to the Grind", "Wasted Time", "In a Darkened Room" and "Quicksand Jesus", all of which feature on the video album No Frills Video. Skid Row's label Atlantic Records was not supportive of the group's transformation when filming the video for the title track. The label wanted a bikini model to star in the video, but the idea was turned down by the band because the song was not about female sexuality.<ref name="Rivadavia"/> A music video was also made for "Psycho Love" in 3D which featured on the video album Road Kill.

Critical reception

Slave to the Grind received generally positive reviews by music critics. SpinTemplate:'s Daina Darzin said the album had integrity and passion, and reminded her of early Mötley Crüe and Judas Priest.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Martin Popoff called the album "a surprising and welcome jolt to the system", with Skid Row "proving their mettle, their self-worth, their guts" on songs taking the listener "to dark unsettling places where reflection collides with worry."<ref name="martin" /> AllMusic's Steve Huey said Slave to the Grind was more aggressive than its predecessor and called it one of the best examples of mainstream hard rock and heavy metal.<ref name="AM"/> Brenda Herrmann of the Chicago Tribune observed that Bolan and Sabo improved their songwriting and wrote positively about the group's attitude and humor.<ref name="Chicago"/> Conversely, Rolling StoneTemplate:'s David Fricke thought Skid Row had not matured lyrically at all, rehashing the glam metal cliches. However, he complimented Wagener's production and the band's interplay and sound.<ref name="RS"/> Robert Christgau was less enthusiastic and graded the album a "dud", indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought".<ref name="CG"/> Janiss Garza of the Entertainment Weekly praised the ballads' lyrical depth and the fury of "Riot Act" and the title track, giving the album an A−.<ref name="EW"/>

Slave to the Grind debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 134,000 copies in its first week.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album was the first to debut atop the Billboard 200 in the Nielsen SoundScan era, since it was uncommon for albums to open at number one before SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Previously, the only albums to debut at number one had been Elton John's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy in 1975 and Michael Jackson's Bad in 1987.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Track listing

Template:Track listing Template:Track listing ^{{#if:| }} † Album liner notes incorrectly list the length as 4:57.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name="booklet">Template:Cite book</ref>

Skid Row

• Sebastian Bach – lead vocals
• Dave Sabo – guitars, backing vocals
• Scotti Hill – guitars, backing vocals
• Rachel Bolan – bass, backing vocals
• Rob Affuso – drums, percussion

Production

• Michael Wagener – producer, mixing
• Riley J. Connell – assistant engineer
• Craig Doubet – assistant engineer
• George Marino – mastering
• Bob Defrin – art direction

Charts

Weekly charts

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Chart (1991)	Peak position
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)<ref name=FINI>Template:Cite book</ref>	3
Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3

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Chart (2020)	Peak position

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Chart (2023)	Peak position

Year-end charts

Chart (1991)	Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	92
US Billboard 200 <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	54

External links

• Template:Discogs master