Sebastian Bach was one of the great lost voices of rock and roll. After splitting with Skid Row following the subpar Subhuman Race album, he vanished into the netherworld of tribute albums, Broadway productions, and reality TV shows. Which is understandable given his larger than life, see me, see me, persona. However, it was sad to see someone who defined the phrase ROCK STAR slumming it in shows like Celebrity Rap Superstar, SuperGroup, Gone Country and I'm A Faded Celebrity, Get Me Publicity. It made his stint on the ever fabulous Gilmore Girls seem highbrow by comparison.
When he wasn't on television, you could usually find him on Broadway. He took the title role in Jekyll & Hyde, played Riff Raff in the The Rocky Horror Show and even shook his mane as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. Now that's all fine and dandy, but what those of us of a certain age want, is for Sebastian to rock. And, at last, he has.
Angel Down is his first proper solo album, fifteen years in the making, after the live Bring 'Em Bach Alive! and the covers roundup Bach 2: Basics, and it sees Bach bringing a metal sensibility to his hair metal roots. He probably sees it as the natural follow up to Slave To The Grind, and it comfortably sits as a close relation to that album. Shame then that the production work of former Halford guitarist Roy Z is so one dimensional and predictable. The second half of the album, in particular, gets lost in a welter of poor mixing. The preponderance of ex Halford personnel (the album also features Metal Mike Chlasciak and Bobby Jarzombek) just highlights how Halford, and now Bach, were and are, slumming it.
But I know what you really want to know, and I've just been teasing you. Yes, Axl Rose makes his long overdue return to the world of recorded music on three tracks. Strangely, they all appear back to back near the beginning of the album, almost as if Bach wanted to get them over and done with. The two kick off their 21st century Everly Brothers turn with a romp through Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle", which is serviceable if uninspired, apart from the vocals, which rock big time. "(Love Is) A Bitchslap" is very 1988 Guns n' Roses, and will have fans of that sound getting ever so slightly moist. "'Stuck Inside," is just a rather dull grunge lite shriekathon which goes nowhere in particular. So, there you go. They should add a few sales, and I'm sure that was the whole point.
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Article comments
1 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Dude...Are you trying to say that having Bobby Jarzombek on the kit is,um,"slumming" it?? You definitely need to rent a clue if that's what you meant!
I question why Bobby is "slumming" it with this useless hack instead of touring with Iced Earth.
Oh, and if Mr. Bach thinks showcasing Axl's horrific, craptastic vocals on his album is a good thing then maybe he should include that trainwreck of a singer Brian Johnson as well.
I can't understand why it takes these so-called rockers this long to release new material & it still sounds like complete horse sh!t.
2 - Chris Beaumont
I love this album.
3 - Stuart A Hamilton
Because Brian aka Guppusmaximus, the Halford albums were absolutely dreadful, performance and production wise.
4 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Because Stuart A. Hamilton, the Halford albums weren't pop magic that couldn't be reproduced in a live setting engineered by fools who waste too much time with pro-tools?!
People in the metal community want to hear a CD that's as close to the actual band as possible. Slick production values belong to the untalented top 40 hacks who couldn't hold a note with a forklift.
I have no idea what Mp3s you may have listened to but the Halford albums sounded pretty damn good considering they weren't on a major label.
Sebastian Bach should've worked on some solid METAL material before working with these guys, instead he laid down some pathetic Hard Rock and was damn lucky that he was able to employ these good musicians.
5 - Veedlmyer
These guys have talent beyond yours. You write what you think is great, they write and PLAY what they think is great. They get to do way much more with their talents than you do with a keyboard.
Maybe you need a new and better hobby?
6 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Yea,Veedlmyer, because this is all I do. Man, you know so freakin much. It's obvious that what I write touches a sore spot with you. That's talent, my friend... I think I will stick with it.
7 - chook
Man u don't know wat the hell u r talking about......
Have u seen Bas belting these tunes out live....prob not..Get a clue the only reason we can't personally attack u is because u know u r sooooooooo.......WRONG.......
I don't understand why ppl like u have to be so negative get a real job.....
8 - W Myers
I personally liked this album a lot. It was a long time coming, but good none the less.