ARTIST: RACHEL BOLAN
ALBUM: GARGOYLE OF THE GARDEN STATE
RELEASE DATE: JUNE 12TH 2026
LABEL: EAR MUSIC
REVIEWER: ANDREW TREADWELL
Bolan Gargoyle Of The Garden State
Downtime can be hated or it can be welcomed. It can send you crazy or can inspire something great. The latter is most certainly what happened for Rachel Bolan who’s debut solo album Gargoyle Of The Garden State is out June 12th on earMusic.
With Skid Row having to pump the breaks on the usual schedule, Bolan found himself with some time on his hands. As someone who was always writing Bolan decided to play some ideas for producer Nick Raskulinecz who quickly realized a lightning in a bottle moment was sitting in front of him and suggested the solo album.
Alot of people know Rachel is a punk kid at heart, but he is also a seasoned songwriter who knows a good song, is a good song, in any form and he has brough together an amazing collection of tunes, so lets look at Gargoyle Of The Garden State.
Kicking off with ‘Anything But You’, a straight up down and dirty rocker which sets the tone for the imminent ass kicking’s to follow.
‘At War With Myself’ sees Bolan joined by the brilliant Danko Jones, and the song sees you going between want to punch a wall and join in the perfectly placed singalongs.
‘Memory’ is a no nonsense punk rocker with those late 70s vibes.
‘See You On The Other Side’ sees Bolan joined by Skid Row bretheren Snake Sabo for a great upbeat rocker, and speaking of Skid Row Bretheren, lets take a moment to give a huge shout out to Skids drummer Rob Hammersmith for his stellar work on the skins throughout
‘Bridges’ ft Steve Conte of Michael Monroe written for Rachel and his wifes love of shared John Hughes movies, and the 80s pop sensibiliity of the song sees it easy fit in with a Ferris Bueller,Sixteen Candles or The Breakfast Club.
Nuno Bettencourt guests on ‘Jet Black Universe’, with its stomping vibes would make an amazing live track that’s for sure.
‘Big Stick’ sees the one, the only CMFT himself Corey Taylor step up to the mic, the track suits him perfectly. It’s a steam roller to the brain that saw Taylor knock the vocals in 45 minutes.
‘Pretty Hell’ is the love child of The New York Dolls and Sex Pisols wrapped up in a nice neat bow that displays the middle finger.
Bolan does Oasis? ‘ Rock n Roll Star’Rachel connected with the lyrics in this song about how the main character in the song isnt the guy the fan or whoever is looking in from the outside wants you to be,
they are just a normal person. Sped up cut 30 seconds off, cool solo from Scotti Hill, almost surf rock akin to his updated solo in ‘I Remember You II’.
‘Devil In White’ was a song Rachel wrote with Erica Sellers (also known as Erica Sers) is a Nashville-based musician, singer, and songwriter who fronts the punk rock band Taco Mouth, and this track is just an all out Punk Fest which highlights some driving bass from Rachel.
‘Walk Away” closes out the album, with guest Damon Johnson from Brother Cane, Thin Lizzy and Lynrd Skynrd fame, the song leaves the album on a high note with some amazing hard driving rock, which shows Bolan has a lot left to say and a lot left in the tank.
The record a pure shot of adrenaline, seamlessly blending gritty attitude with infectious hooks. Packed with brief, high-octane anthems, it blends early punk and classic ’80s rock, and more striking a flawless chord between raw rebellion and catchy harmony. Its fast-paced, its boisterous, its old-school, its alternative, its hard rock, its Bolan, and its brilliant
Track listing:
01. Anything But You
02. At War With Myself (feat. Danko Jones)
03. Memory
04. See You On The Other Side (feat. Snake Sabo)
05. Bridges (feat. Steve Conte)
06. Jet Black Universe (feat. Nuno Bettencourt)
07. Big Stick (feat. Corey Taylor)
08. Pretty Hell
09. Rock And Roll Star (OASIS cover feat. Scotti Hill)
10. Devil In The White
11. Walk Away (feat. Damon Johnson)
