Unlike many rockers turned pop culture celebrities, Sebastian Bach isn't overexposed. This is probably because his star turns are so strange. While Bret Michaels has sunk to reality dating, Ozzy Osbourne is busy dismantling his legacy, and Gene Simmons, is, well, Gene Simmons, Bach has popped up in unlikely places – Gilmore Girls, Trailer Park Boys, MTV's infamous Celebrity Rap Superstar. He's done Broadway in The Rocky Horror Show and Jekyll & Hyde, as well as the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. One almost forgets Bach is an actual rock singer.
Angel Down is his first solo album in eight years. It's his first significant musical statement since Skid Row, as his previous solo work comprised mostly covers and live cuts. It's also surprisingly strong. The record gracefully updates Bach's hair metal past with modern production and songs that qualify as actual metal. The closest reference point would be Skid Row's heaviest album, Slave to the Grind.
A big part of this heaviness is Bach's backing cast, which includes producer Roy Z, as well as metal Swiss Army knives Metal Mike Chlasciak, Bobby Jarzombek, Steve DiGiorgio, and a guitarist improbably named Johnny Chromatic. The result is perfectly played riffs that are alternately fierce and generic. With its hired guns and various songwriters, the album slightly lacks coherence. In this way, it recalls Rob Halford's solo efforts, which incidentally also feature Z, Chlasciak, and Jarzombek.
But like in Skid Row, Bach's voice makes everything OK (well, it couldn't save Subhuman Race). Though it lacks the clarity of his youth, its range is still formidable. On a steroid-fueled cover of Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle," his voice soars so high, it's almost transcendent. A fellow named W. Axl Rose also guests on the song. Yes, Bach has done what no one else has in 14 years – released a studio recording from Axl Rose. The dreaded one adds backing harmonies to "Back in the Saddle," "(Love Is) A Bitchslap," and "Stuck Inside." He sounds like Axl Rose. Meaning, he still sounds great. [Insert Chinese Democracy joke here.]
With so many cooks in his kitchen (Desmond Child contributes a predictably treacly ballad, and former sideman Ralph Santolla (Deicide, Obituary) turns in an oddly Beatles-esque stomp), Bach still dominates his record. His melodies ride riffs memorably, whether they be Eurometal ("You Don't Understand") or cock rock ("(Love Is) A Bitchslap"). "American Metalhead" isn't quite "Youth Gone Wild," but it's not far off. Bach is pushing his voice, going for anthems, and often hitting the mark. Angel Down is about four songs too long, and it noticeably flags near its end. But for its first 40 minutes, Bach is back as one of rock's most powerful voices.
7.5/10
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