Bach's most accessible and greatest achievement since SR.

Since his ascension into popular culture as "The Voice" for the massively successful Skid Row, Canadian born Sebastian Bach remains a popular concert draw. It seems however, that with every subsequent release under his own moniker, Bach manages to alienate just as many fans as he garners.

Since those salad days in the late 1980s, Bach has not only released a number of solo albums but has expanded his resume to include stints on Broadway ('Jekyll & Hyde') and television ('Gilmore Girls').

His first release of all-original material with 'Angel Down' (2007) featured a more extreme (aka screaming!) approach to delivering lyrics and was met with mixed results. However, out of the ashes from years of trying to distance himself from his own shadow, rises an absolute gem of an album in 'Give 'Em Hell'.

Although the vocal chord slashing screams are still present, they are kept well in-check and are used for colour to enhance the song rather than making it a focal point. Fans disillusioned with his output since his departure from SR will find '...Hell' a remarkable return to form. The vocals are solid, the songs are gloriously melodic ('Harmony' is a song title after all!) and the production (courtesy of Bob Marlette) is great.

Not only does it contain all of the earmarks of a world-class record, 'Give 'Em Hell' leaves no doubt as to it being Bach's most accessible and greatest achievement since SR. I only hope that Bach & Co. can maintain this level of craftsmanship in subsequent releases because this album represents a renaissance in his career since the gilded age of 1980s Hard Rock of which he was instrumental in defining.

Brent Rusche