SKID ROW Guitarist: Producer NICK RASKULINECZ 'Reminded Us A Lot Of Who We Were As Writers Back In The Day'

SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo spoke to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation" about his band's upcoming album, tentatively due in early 2022. The band is recording the LP in Nashville, Tennesse with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.

SKID ROW's new effort will mark its first release with South African-born, British-based vocalist ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I),who joined the band in 2016 following the departure of Tony Harnell (TNT, STARBREAKER).

Unlike 2014's "Rise Of The Damnation Army - United World Rebellion: Chapter Two" and 2013's "United World Rebellion: Chapter One", SKID ROW's forthcoming release will be a full-length record.

Sabo said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "After 18 months of being shut down, everyone wants to works as much as they can, us included. So we're making a record and going out and doing shows at the same time, while Nick is also working on other stuff and working on our stuff as well.

"If I were Snake Sabo 25 years ago, I would be, like, there's no way that this can work," he continued. "But we're in a different era, and it does work, and it's great. And the amount of enthusiasm that we have during this whole process has been incredible. And to be able to leave your ego at the door, which we all did, and put our trust in someone who was… Obviously, we've known who Nick is and he's got an incredible résumé, but to put your trust in kind of a stranger and go, 'Here's the songs, man. Do what you will,' and have them deconstructed and reconstructed from a guy who just has an unending flow of creativity, that is infectious, man. And all of a sudden, our eyes are opening and you're seeing a whole new world of avenues and pathways that you didn't know before. And all of a sudden, you're going, 'Yeah, that works. That's so cool.' And we're all in the room doing it together."

Regarding how the collaboration with Raskulinecz came about, Sabo said: "Nick, by his own admission, has been a fan of the band since he was younger… So he had been a fan for a while. And as it turned out, with Rachel [Bolan, SKID ROW bassist] living in Nashville, they were introduced to each other. And Nick had said to Rachel, 'Yeah, man, I'd love to make a SKID ROW record.' And Rachel was, like, 'Yeah, whatever.' And he called me up and said, 'I met Nick Raskulinecz. And he's a really cool guy. And he said he wants to do a SKID ROW record, but he's probably just saying that to be nice.' So I thought the same thing. You've got your guard up; you know how it is. And then he saw Rachel again and they talked further. And he kept saying, 'I really wanna do a SKID ROW record.' So one thing leads to another, and it actually comes to fruition. Somehow we were able to make it work.

"Nick, he reminded us a lot of who we were as writers back in the day," he continued. "And it was really interesting 'cause he'll sit there and go, 'Play a lick in this part between the end of the first chorus and beginning of the second verse, play a lick like you did in this part of 'Piece Of Me'.' And you're, like, 'Oh my God. Can you remind me how I played it?'

"So, it's one of those things. He sort of has captured the essence of who we are as SKID ROW and reimplemented it in our creative consciousness."

SKID ROW's new LP will be released via earMUSIC, the recorded music label of German entertainment group Edel AG which boasts a roster of global artists including DEEP PURPLE, Alice Cooper, BABYMETAL, THUNDER, STATUS QUO and many more.

"They've been extremely supportive," Sabo said about SKID ROW's new label. "They're all about the long haul on this record. From start to finish, this is not a two-week project or a six-month project; this is like a two-year project, if not more."

SKID ROW previously collaborated with several outside songwriters on its new material, including Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR) and Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of HALESTORM, a group that covered the title track of "Slave To The Grind" on its "ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP" in 2011. SKID ROW also worked with songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow.

In early August, SKID ROW celebrated the 30th anniversary of its classic second album, "Slave To The Grind", by performing it in its entirety at The Amphitheater at Rolling Hills Casino And Resort in Corning, California.