Former Dragonforce Vocalist Zippy Theart Rumored to be Joining Skid Row
In case you didn’t hear about it over the break: Skid Row split with singer Tony Harnell barely more than six months after he joined the band. Kind of amazingly, the group still says they won’t reunite with original vocalist Sebastian Bach, either because they hate money or have nothing but contempt for Canadians or some combination thereof. This means they are now in the market for their fourth frontman.
So who’s it gonna be? Well, rumor has it that Zippy Theart, former vocalist for Dragonforce, may be taking the gig. Apparently Zippy’s post-DF project, I Am I, opened for Skid Row in 2013, and I guess they hit it off or at least didn’t hate each other.
This raises two questions:
- Is Zippy the right guy for the band?
- If he isn’t, who is?
The answer to question one is, of course, a matter of opinion. That being said, it is my opinion that the answer is “no.” Zippy has the vocal range for the job, but his vocal performances to date have all been really smooth and kinda eunuch-y. In other words: Skid Row needs a disciple of Rob Halford, not Roy Khan. The difference might be relatively subtle, but it should not be disregarded.
As for question two, the answer is obvious: Sebastian Bach. Sebastian Bach Sebastian Bach Sebastian Bach. C’mon, other dudes in Skid Row. It’s what the fans want. It’s what your banker wants. And it’s inevitable, so delaying it is silly. Can you think of any decent band that has made it work with a fourth singer? You can replace guitarists forever and ever and ever. Singers? Not so much. Just ask Anthrax.
Here’s video of Zippy performing “Youth Gone Wild” with Skid Row on that 2013 tour, in case you’re curious how this might sound when you don’t go see it in person because it’s not Baz:
