March Metal Madness: Skid Row & Pantera

Don and Dude crash into the second round of March Metal Madness where glitter, hairspray, and street‑corner hooks square up against steel‑toed stomp and Texas‑born groove. Skyscraper choruses, talkbox licks, mosh‑pit breakdowns, and arena‑ready riffs drive a bracket showdown between a late‑80s glam breakthrough and the record that dragged metal out of the Sunset Strip and into a heavier, meaner decade.

The Albums Skid Row – Skid Row (1989) Young Jersey upstarts turn the glam formula meaner and more grounded, stacking blue‑collar storytelling, towering Sebastian Bach vocals, and streetwise riffs into a sleek debut that feels more alleyway than catwalk.

Pantera – Cowboys from Hell (1990) Former glam lifers slam the door on their past and invent their future with precision riffs, machine‑tight rhythms, and swaggering grooves that reset how heavy metal could punch, swing, and strut at the same time.

Diggin’ Albums

William Crighton – Further Down the Road (2026) Australian folk‑rock storyteller stretches his baritone over spacious, atmospheric arrangements that move at a slow burn, turning journeys through the outback and inner life into something that feels mystical and lived‑in.

Richard Marx – Richard Marx (1987) Chart‑ready 80s pop rock in its purest form, all gleaming guitars, radio‑perfect hooks, and power ballads that prove craft and polish can still hit like personal confession.

Ladytron – Paradises (2026) Liverpool synth lifers lean into bright club rhythms and detailed electronics, pairing cool, detached vocals with disco‑tinted grooves that feel like dancing through neon at the end of the world.

Tommy Emmanuel – Living in the Light (2025) Fingerstyle wizardry meets song‑first warmth as Emmanuel tracks mostly live in the studio, letting ringing acoustic lines, subtle band touches, and a generous spirit turn technical fireworks into something intimate.

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“I detest the phrase ‘hair band’ or ‘hair metal.’ It’s insulting to us. We are just a rock band – too pop to be metal and too rock to be pop.” – Joe Elliott