(Love Is) A Bitchslap

Shoot some whiskey, light a cigarette and eye the spandex-clad babe across the room. Sebastian Bach's solo album "Angel Down" has finally arrived, and it's everything a Saturday night in a Jersey bar full of trouble should be. Since he's been busy with Broadway, TV and touring, this record has been eight years in waiting. Bach's delivery of lead single "(Love Is) A Bitchslap" assures that he's still oozing 'tude: His growling about "I got a knock-down draggin' out fight in my mind" recalls Skid Row's walloping "Piece of Me." Axl Rose pays accompaniment with his own signature whines —and he's one of the few frontmen whose piercing vocals truly complement Baz's gritty wails. Revved-up guitars and skewering solos make this feel like 1989 all over again, in the best way (read: no overblown Aqua Net production tricks).—Christa L. Titus