What the fuck just happened? Skid Row. I swear, I have been going to bat for these guys for years. I’ve always stuck by them, regardless of some of the decisions they’ve made over the years with their vocalist picks. I really loved Johnny Solinger all the years he was in the band, and he was a great choice from the beginning.
In 2015, the band “let go” of Solinger, saying that he wanted to pursue his own solo career. The day they announced his dismissal, the band also announced that the new vocalist would be former TNT frontman Tony Harnell. They rushed into the studio to re-record their megahit “18 & Life” with Harnell, and the feedback was not great. After only 8 months and a handful of shows, they showed Harnell the door.
Before the door could close all the way, the band welcomed in another vocalist, ZP Theart, formerly of Dragonforce and I Am I. Now THIS was the fucking guy they needed all along. Hell, the dude might have been like 12 or something when Solinger took over, but his voice, presence, and enthusiasm were exactly what the band needed. I honestly felt like they had been reborn, and I was once again seeing one of my all-time favorite bands. I felt like they were poised to keep moving forward and deliver truly great music and live shows.
Well, that wasn’t meant to be, because in 2022, after five years and countless shows, ZP and the Skids found themselves with the “creative differences” excuse and credited it with parting ways. Once again, before ZP’s side of the bed got cold, they ushered in Swedish vocalist (and 2009 Swedish Idol winner) Erik Gronwall. The band rushed into the studio to record the ridiculously disappointing The Gang’s All Here. Unfortunately, this was where I felt like Skid Row jumped the shark.
Gronwall was in the band for five years before he exited the band due to his health, after recovering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia following a 2021 bone marrow transplant. I liked the kid. He sounded great. He looked awkward as fuck and literally looked like a kid who was sitting in with a band. There was little to no chemistry between them, and I could feel it and hear it. Due to his health, Gronwall proposed a modified schedule such as three weeks on the road followed by a month off for proper physical recovery, but the band felt that pace wasn’t feasible for their operational needs.
Ok, mistake here, right? You hired a singer who you knew had extensive health issues. He knew it, and Skid Row knew it. So why? Who didn’t step up and address that this would be a fucking issue? Apparently neither did, and in what felt like a blink, Gronwall was out of the picture.
Skid Row announced earlier in 2026 that they would conduct a talent search for their next vocalist, with Sweetwater as a sponsor. The number of audition videos posted was staggering, and they ran the gamut from absolutely amazing to “someone should’ve told you you suck.” There were some great vocalists of all ages and pronouns. After all of the submissions, the band announced in October of 2026 that they had found their guy in Broadway singer/actor Justin Sargent. Along with this announcement came a video release to showcase this new guy. They chose, of all things, to cover “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by the Who. Yeah, it’s as bad as you’d think.
I can’t go into it much, but it’s pretty clear these guys are still using their eyes to pick a singer. The dude is good-looking, and he can sing, but he has zero gusto. There’s no grit, no power, no passion whatsoever. This is the direction they’ve chosen, so hey, godspeed to them.
From the perspective of this long-time fan, I think it’s time to stick a fork in it, fellas. The plot is lost, and at this point, it’s starting to feel as comical as Spinal Tap and their spontaneously combusting drummers.
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