Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Rachel Bolan kicks off his solo career with “Gargoyle of the Garden State”, a new release that’s sure to blow your mind the very moment it comes out on 12th June 2026!
If you miss the original Skid Row sound and have been overwhelmed by the direction that music is heading towards nowadays – well, let me tell you, the new album will bring you relief – like an oasis of rock and roll that you’re craving in a dry land of soulless music and today’s common production that causes nothing but headache. “Gargoyle of the Garden State” refreshes with its pure sound and brings a, how optimistic, feeling of witnessing a new, great chapter that proudly continues the legacy of 80s and 90s rock and roll.
The first song of the album, “Anything but you” is the one to make you put away anything you might be occupied by while playing “Gargoyle of the Garden State” in the background, and, with a slightly intrigued, somewhat surprised expression, look forward to how the album is going to unroll.
“At War with Myself” is the track you’ll find yourself humming along to, unable to hold back a smile at the clear sound it hits with from the first second.
Rachel’s sharp vocals break through the groove of “Memory” with just as much confidence and passion as he’s proved to put into his music over the years of his career. And the guitar solo here? It’s like no other.
“See you on the other Side” has Dave “Snake” Sabo guesting, which might explain why it fits the unmistakable sound of Skid Row so well. Snake, in his habit, will meet the highest expectations with new yet classic-style solo, distinctive dirty sound he brings out with blazing hammer-ons and pull-offs – if Sabo’s guitar solo was a mood to describe, it would be an emotional chaos filled with explosions of uncontrollable euphoria balanced with rage and… some kind of nostalgia.
“Bridges”, featuring Steve Conte [New York Dolls, Michael Monroe], will slow down the pace of the release for a few minutes. Now, at this point of the album you’ll take a deeper breath and know – just know – it’s been worth giving a try to the “Gargoyle of the Garden State”.
The imposing cymbals over the course of the album are at times distracting and slightly blurring the guitar riffs to which you just can’t help but crave headbanging some more, but they don’t affect the general outcome much. The production itself is rather clear – you can tell the process was well-thought and the idea of the final sound was perfectly planned from the beginning.
“Devil in the white” is very likely the heaviest track of the album – and you’re sure to be captivated by the bass line from the start. It feels like an apogee of emotions and Rachel finally being able to scream them out in this masterpiece. It’s a great example of his powerful, unforgettable, rock and roll voice that, ironically, Skid Row itself has been missing for a long time. There’s rebellion and endless passion – when you hear Bolan sing, you won’t resist the impression that he’d been wearing a smile on his face for the entire time of recording the album – it just explodes with cheerful energy.
“Walk away” closes the course of the album, leaving you yearn for more. At this point “Gargoyle of the Garden State” comes to an end, and your question is “why?!”.
Overally, each song, each single guitar riff or solo will surprise you in a different way – and none will feel like a copy of another. You’ll find yourself pressing “play” on the next track with a spark of excitement in your eyes.
Rachel stays, in an impressive way, true to his sound, to his own spirit. Hard rock is not solely the music he plays, but rather the music that runs through his veins.
He himself has summed up the album with the statement: “Gargoyle of the Garden State is not a project, it is every bit of my soul” – and once you listen to the release, you’ll understand perfectly how accurate these words are.
How can you record an album that captures so much of individuality and feelings within a bunch of sounds? Make a half-an-hour rock record express the essence of your entire life and soul, release music that has been trapped within your own personality, searching for a way to be shared with the world? And how can you give an album a classic Skid Row sound… WITHOUT copying a single Skid Row song?
I don’t know – ask Rachel Bolan!
