Editing Slave to the Grind (section)

==Critical reception==
{{music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="AM">{{cite web|last=Huey|first=Steve|title=Skid Row – Slave to the Grind|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/slave-to-the-grind-mw0000264528|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=June 5, 2016}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref name="Chicago">{{cite web|first=Brenda|last=Herrmann|title=Skid Row – Slave to the Grind (Atlantic)|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1991/07/11/skid-rowslave-to-the-grind-atlantic-starstarstar/|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=July 11, 1991|access-date=February 21, 2013}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Christgau's Consumer Guide]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating-Christgau|dud}}<ref name="CG">{{cite web|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=skid+row|title=CG: Skid Row|access-date=February 19, 2013}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Martin Popoff|Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal]]''
| rev4Score = 9/10<ref name="martin" >{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | author-link1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties | publisher = [[Collector's Guide Publishing]] | date = August 1, 2007 | location = [[Burlington, Ontario]], Canada | pages=401–402 |isbn = 978-1-894959-62-9}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|year=2007|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|page=2899|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|edition=5th}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev6score = A−<ref name="EW">{{cite magazine|last=Garza|first=Janiss|title=Slave To the Grind|url=http://www.ew.com/article/1991/06/21/slave-grind|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=June 21, 1991|access-date=February 19, 2013}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Kerrang!]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Zell |first=Ray |date=June 8, 1991 |title=Rekordz |magazine=[[Kerrang!]] |location=UK |publisher=[[EMAP]] |issue=344 |page=18}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[NME]]''
| rev8score = 1/10<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hobbs |first1=Mary Anne |title=Skid Markers |journal=NME |date=June 15, 1991 |page=38}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev9score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine|last=Fricke|first=David|author-link=David Fricke|title=Skid Row: Slave To The Grind|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/skidrow/albums/album/208366/review/6068237/slave_to_the_grind|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=August 22, 1991|access-date=February 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071002080051/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/skidrow/albums/album/208366/review/6068237/slave_to_the_grind|archive-date=October 2, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

''Slave to the Grind'' received generally positive reviews by music critics. ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''{{'}}s Daina Darzin said the album had integrity and passion, and reminded her of early [[Mötley Crüe]] and [[Judas Priest]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Darzin|first=Daina|title=Skid Row – Slave to the Grind|journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|date=August 1991|page=99|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OR4h_dORXcUC&q=skid+row+slave+to+the+grind+spin&pg=PA99|access-date=June 6, 2016}}</ref> [[Martin Popoff]] called the album "a surprising and welcome jolt to the system", with Skid Row "proving their mettle, their self-worth, their guts" on songs taking the listener "to dark unsettling places where reflection collides with worry."<ref name="martin" /> [[AllMusic]]'s Steve Huey said ''Slave to the Grind'' was more aggressive than its predecessor and called it one of the best examples of mainstream hard rock and heavy metal.<ref name="AM"/> Brenda Herrmann of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' observed that Bolan and Sabo improved their songwriting and wrote positively about the group's attitude and humor.<ref name="Chicago"/> Conversely, ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s [[David Fricke]] thought Skid Row had not matured lyrically at all, rehashing the [[glam metal]] cliches. However, he complimented Wagener's production and the band's interplay and sound.<ref name="RS"/> [[Robert Christgau]] was less enthusiastic and graded the album a "dud", indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought".<ref name="CG"/> Janiss Garza of the ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' praised the ballads' lyrical depth and the fury of "Riot Act" and the title track, giving the album an A−.<ref name="EW"/>

''Slave to the Grind'' debuted at number one on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], selling 134,000 copies in its first week.<ref>{{cite web|last=Holden|first=Stephen|title=Billboard's New Charts Roil the Record Industry|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/22/arts/billboard-s-new-charts-roil-the-record-industry.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 22, 1991|access-date=June 8, 2016}}</ref> The album was the first to debut atop the ''Billboard'' 200 in the [[Nielsen SoundScan]] era, since it was uncommon for albums to open at number one before SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|title=Billboard 200 Turns 60!|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7271910/happy-birthday-billboard-200-chart-album|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=March 24, 2016|access-date=June 8, 2016}}</ref> Previously, the only albums to debut at number one had been [[Elton John]]'s ''[[Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy]]'' in 1975 and [[Michael Jackson]]'s [[Bad (album)|''Bad'']] in 1987.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy / Elton John |url=https://elpee.jp/album/Captain%20Fantastic%20and%20The%20Brown%20Dirt%20Cowboy/Elton%20John/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=elpee.jp |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bad / Michael Jackson |url=https://elpee.jp/album/Bad/Michael%20Jackson/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=elpee.jp |language=en}}</ref>