ALBUM REVIEW: Child Within The Man – Sebastian Bach
SEBASTIAN BACH was born to be a rock star. From the instantly recognisable voice and natural charisma to the classic rock look and the long flowing hair – seriously that hair, the man’s 56 years old. Everything screams rock legend. He is either best known for his time fronting SKID ROW or a 13-episode stint in Gilmore Girls, depending on your age bracket. But the fact of the matter is that from glam rock to Broadway, Bach has done it all. So new album Child Within The Man finds him coasting on former glories and phoning it in right? Reader, you could not be more wrong.
In recent months, JUDAS PRIEST, SAXON and ACCEPT have all shown that artists well into the second half of their careers can still deliver the goods. The days of dining out on greatest hits albums and tours are over, and Child Within The Man is further proof that growing old quietly isn’t an option.
As if to hammer that home, the album opens with Everybody Bleeds, a fuzzy full-throttle thrill ride into the mind of its creator. Bach might not have released any new music for a decade, but immediately he proves he hasn’t missed a step. Freedom explodes into view with a GUNS N’ ROSES-style swagger, before being launched into the stratosphere by a mega guitar solo from John 5. The MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist throws everything into his cameo, shredding away like the rent’s due.
The album hits a peak on (Hold On) To The Dream, which is ironic because it initially threatens nothing of the sort. The first minute has all the hallmarks of an 80s ballad – the kind to induce an eye-roll from younger listeners, but then something magical happens. All subtlety evaporates in the form of a swaggering rock ‘n’ roll glow-up. Guitars crunch, Bach takes the song by the scruff of the neck and the drums hit stunningly hard. The final two-thirds of the song embody hard rock and everything it represents to an alarming degree. You can almost feel your feet sticking to the floor as sweat drips from the ceiling. Even aside from grandiose hyperbole, (Hold On) To The Dream might be the best song of Bach‘s solo career.
What Do I Got To Lose is co-written by Myles Kennedy and has all of the ALTER BRIDGE frontman’s signature strokes. While it doesn’t quite carry the spark of what came before it, it’s another straightforward rock banger. Meanwhile, Hard Darkness finds Bach trying something a little different. He’s spitting venom through the verses and almost sneering his way through parts of the chorus. The song’s structure screams ALTER BRIDGE but the off-kilter guitar solo doesn’t quite click.
Future Of Youth is another solid offering, this time with a guitar-wielding helping hand from Orianthi. But follow-up Vendetta represents the album’s first real misstep. The hard-hitting opening quickly strips back to something lighter with a skittering riff flying away underneath. However, the longer the song goes on the more it loses its way, almost becoming something else entirely.
The Steve Stevens-assisted F.U. is a runaway freight train of a track, truly coming alive during another thunderous guitar solo. But on the other hand, while Crucify Me does all of the right things on the surface it comes off as a TREMONTI throwaway. If you can put that out of your mind, it’s another really strong track, but the comparison is always nagging away in the background.
About To Break is built around a groove too smooth to ignore and the track is great fun for it. The album is often at its best when the band are going at 100 miles per hour, but the more deliverable pacing works perfectly here. To close out proceedings, Bach finally gives fans his 80s ballad moment. Yes, it sounds dated, and yes, it’s utterly predictable, but when taking the album as whole, it’s an indulgence you have to allow.
While previous attempts at a SKID ROW reunion have never got going, Bach might have accidentally kickstarted the conversation. The band is currently without a lead singer with Lzzy Hale standing in on live shows, and in a climate where nostalgia reigns supreme, why not try and hammer out the most obvious solution? Child Within The Man isn’t perfect, but it could prove to be the perfect audition for another popular comeback.
Rating: 7/10
Child Within The Man is set for release on May 10th via Reigning Phoenix Music.
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