Skid Row - Subhuman Race

Skid Row's 1995 album Subhuman Race - quality or not?

Was it a pathetic grunge sellout ruined by Bob Rock's meddling?  

Is it a really good album with great production that had no chance of succeeding because of when it was released?

Something else?

Let's hear ya!

I am going with - It's good! I totally missed that this when came out back in the day and only discovered it when there was a write up about Skid Row performing at Donington in Metal Edge. I ran out and bought the album immediately and liked a good bit of it but it got shelved and I rarely listened to it after that. Slave To The Grind was always my go to if I needed a Skid Row fix so it languished on the shelf. Yesterday I was listening to a podcast that does album reviews and they were doing Subhuman Race. I gave it several listens yesterday and today and I like the album much more now than I did in 1995. It's very heavy for Skid Row and the songwriting is top notch.

I only have a couple of complaints: 1) It's too long, but that's to be expected from a CD released in 1995 2) It has a stupid hidden track tacked onto the last cut (1995 strikes again!) 3) The song "Eileen" is a total Johnny-Try-Too-Hard attempt for airplay by trying to ape Alice In Chains. No thanks. 4) Too many ballads. Of course.

Other than these complaints it's a very solid album. I don't think it's as good as Slave To The Grind, but it's worth another listen.

Thoughts?

(IMHDO)

This album is a natural sounding progression that follows the pattern set from the debut to "Slave To The Grind". The songwriting had a killer 70's hard rock vibe without sounding contrived like most 80's bands did when going down that path. Was it following the trend of the day ? Hell Yeah ! Did they do it well ? Again, Hell Yeah !

Ah the memories of getting this in the mail from a pre-order. Can't say I enjoyed it from the start. But it did grow on me. Observations:

1. What made these guys unique with each album is that they piggy-backed trends of the day and injected their own twist into the template. Here we have them targeting the grunge umbrella and throwing in a ferocious heaviness.

2. It is NOT a grunge album. It is most certainly a HEAVY METAL disc. Very, very heavy.

3. In fact, it's almost too heavy. Exhausting, in fact. A lot of this is due to the highly compressed guitars with their bass cranked to max, but also Baz's OTT performance. It's a deadly combo. Thing is, I have trouble getting past the midpoint. By the time Beat Yourself Blind is over, I'm ready for a nap. Which leads me too...

4. Beat Yourself Blind is a mastertrack and the premium showcase of Sebastian Bach's range. Dude has never gotten even close to the intensity he reaches here. The riffs are maniacal and the whole thing has a death-like snarl that never lets up for, what, 6 minutes? You can just imagine Baz writhing on the studio floor, crushing the mic, and bleeding out his eyes. It's just HEAVY.

5. The weak points are the opener and the main ballad. Despite its above average riff, My Enemy is middle-of-the-road, and Breakin' Down is oddly mixed, oddly written, and contains the chord progression I just love to hate. The latter was certainly the radio-friendly song amidst the bunch.

6. Ironwill is a great closer (yes, F*ck the hidden track) and an interesting statement to close off their career. Lyrically, it seems to be a monologue from both factions on the cusp of splitting. Musically, it kind of wraps their vibe from the former albums into one onslaught. It's a fitting way to say goodbye.

It was also too long, and Scotti's solos weren't nearly as melodic and dynamic as with the first two albums (Dave sounds like Dave), showing he was pretty tired at that point. I actually enjoyed Eileen, but mostly for the surprise ending. It really is a haunting number overall.

Least favorite of the Baz years for me, but strong nonetheless and stands on its own merits.

It did nothin' for me at the time, so I haven't heard it since around 1996 - when I traded my copy in to the used-CD store. I couldn't name a track off of it now if you put a gun to my head.

Like most of the rest of the world, I was oblivious to a new Skid Row album even existing in 1995, let alone actually hearing it. Around 2004 or 2005 I was picking up and checking out a lot of the stuff I missed out on from 1993 to 1995 or so, and I bought a used copy of Subhuman Race. I didn't care for it at all. I've tried since a few times to give it fresh spins, but I just don't like it.

Skid Row pretty much ends for me with SttG (B-Sides Ourselves is fine, but you know, I rarely feel the need to listen to Skid Row doing 5 cover tunes--if anything, I'd make a SttG playlist and tack "Psychotherapy" on as a bonus track.

I voted for Skid Row released an album in 1995? simply because it wasn't the type of music I was exposed to in 1995 at all and although i have always believed that Skid Row were FAR superior to most of their contemporaries, I just never heard it, but by the posts here I might give it a spin.

I voted "It's Good", but it's not one of my favorites. The music is fine, but Bach got a little too screamy in the vocals for me. It took me a long time to warm up to that album as a new release. It's good, but at the bottom of the deck when I'm looking to crank a little Skid Row.

I own the s/t and Slave to the Grind, but never even heard this.

I only know the songs from it that were on their 40 Seasons greatest hits. I think those are pretty good tunes and want to hear the whole album.

I hated Slave to the Grind so I never gave it a chance.

I voted "good," in the B/B+ range. I don't care for the mix, and the track list--especially the first half--is just mind-boggling.

Quote :

Breakin' Down is oddly mixed, oddly written, and contains the chord progression I just love to hate. The latter was certainly the radio-friendly song amidst the bunch.

I actually like the song, but the mix is indeed dreadful. The remix on Forty Seasons is much better in my view. Also, "Into Another" strikes me as being just as radio-friendly.

I'm not a big fan of the studio version of "Beat Yourself Blind." It sounds really stale on the album to me. That song is made for a live setting, and I much prefer the live versions on Subhuman Beings on Tour and Forty Seasons.

I just picked this up for the third time about a month or so ago. When I first heard it in 95 I thought it was horrible. Then about ten years later I bought it and actually liked it quite a bit, but eventually sold it when I was hurting for money.

I have it again and have only listened to it a few times - but it is better than when I first heard it. The first three to four songs are great - but I find it a little difficult to get through the whole album.

I'd vote something else. Has a few good cuts but not something I ever listened to a lot.

Loved it

Good. But the one I tend to listen to the least.

corplhicks wrote:

3. In fact, it's almost too heavy. Exhausting, in fact. A lot of this is due to the highly compressed guitars with their bass cranked to max, but also Baz's OTT performance. It's a deadly combo. Thing is, I have trouble getting past the midpoint. By the time Beat Yourself Blind is over, I'm ready for a nap.

I think you're onto something here. The production is so maxed out and dense that it's just too much. Bob Rock had just done Motley Crüe's Corabi album and I'm willing to bet the Skids were looking to replicate that sound so they hired Bob. But it didn't really work for them.

Also, it's my opinion that the Skid's adoration of Pantera was detrimental. They LOVED Pantera, and I've no doubt they were the inspiration behind tracks like Beat Yourself Blind. Skid Row wanted to be heavier with each release, but in doing so they got further away from their strengths.

I do love Eileen, though. That's a great tune.

Never heard the album, but I did see them play Seattle on this tour.  The opening act was Souls At Zero who I knew from years growing up on the East Coast, so I went to the show mainly to see them.  Saw part of Skid Row's set (they were fine) but headed out early to go drinking with the Souls At Zero.  

The turnout from that show was not good, I would guess the venue was about 1/3 full.  That was not a good era for metal bands to play Seattle, I saw Kreator around the same time in a tiny dive bar and there were about 19 people in the audience for that one.

Must've been about the time I saw Overkill in Portland and there was less then 40 people there.

I dig this one.

I went with "it sucks," although I really think it's just kind of meh. The songs aren't terrible, but aside from "Into Another"—which is fantastic and a total waste on this album—there is absolutely no replay value for me. If a tune comes on I might not press NEXT, but the only song I will ever intentionally seek out is "Into Another."

It's a good album. But like others have said it's the Skid Row cd I rarely reach for.

Alterna flavored album, very meh and forgettable.

Haven't played this one in over a decade.

Will give it a spin on my way to work.

Everything isn't black and white, so albums can't always be labeled as just good or bad. This one was average at best. Number one, there were too many tracks (13, including a hidden track), the band was trying to sound like an alternative band at times, and lastly the band was about to implode. Like Eyesore stated, the one song that I will always gravitate towards is "Into Another". That song is fabulous! Others songs I dig are: "Frozen", "Eileen", "Face Against My Soul", "My Enemy", and "Subhuman Race".