Rocktrospectiva: The Aggresive And Succesful "Slave To The Grind" Turns 35

Released on 11 June 1991 "Slave To The Grind" was the 2nd., studio album by the US heavy metal band Skid Row. The album displayed a heavier 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 selling 134,000 copies in its opening week. It produced five singles: "Monkey Business", "Slave to the Grind", "Wasted Time", "In a Darkened Room" and "Quicksand Jesus". 

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, but the album also includes power ballads and a few lighter tracks. Some sources still classified the album as glam metal, despite its heavier sound. 

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.  

The rare Sebastian Bach's father, David Bierk, painted the cover art, which is actually a long mural, continued inside the album's booklet. 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.

Slave to the Grind received generally positive reviews by music critics, some said the album had integrity and passion, and reminded her of early Mötley Crüe and Judas Priest, others considered the album was more aggressive than its predecessor and called it one of the best examples of mainstream hard rock and heavy metal and praised Bolan and Sabo cause improved their songwriting and wrote positively about the group's attitude and humor. Slave to the Grind debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 134,000 copies in its first week. 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. 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.

 

Slave To The Grind Track List: 

 

1. Monkey Business

2. Slave To The Grind

3. The Threat

4. Quicksand Jesus

5. Psycho Love

6. Get The Fuck Out

7. Livin' On A Chain Gang

8. Creepshow

9. In A Darkened Room

10. Riot Act

11. Mudkicker

12. Wasted Time