Rachel Bolan Unleashes the Gargoyle: Inside the Making of Gargoyle of the Garden State
After decades as the bassist and primary songwriter for Skid Row, Rachel Bolan has stepped into new territory with his debut solo album, Gargoyle Of The Garden State. Produced by multi-Grammy Award winner Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Rush, Evanescence, Alice In Chains, Skid Row), the album began as a simple conversation between friends before evolving into Bolan’s most personal musical statement to date.
“Gargoyle Of The Garden State is not a project; it is every bit of my soul,” Bolan said. “Like me, it knows when to be serious and also knows where the party is.”
In an interview with Erin Greatrix of This Day in Metal, Bolan reflected on the album’s origins, the creative freedom that came with making a solo record, and his hopes of taking the project on the road.
The album’s title combines two longtime inspirations. Bolan has always been fascinated by gargoyles and their symbolism, and after moving back to his home state of New Jersey, he found the perfect way to tie both ideas together.
“I was originally going to call it Gargoyle because I’ve always been fascinated with gargoyles,” Bolan explained. “Then I moved back to New Jersey during that whole time. It’s known as the Garden State, so I thought, let’s put both of those together.”
Although some questioned whether fans would understand the title, Bolan trusted his instincts.
“A lot of people dug it, and I dug it, so that’s what I called the record.”
The project itself began after Raskulinecz encouraged Bolan to revisit a collection of older demos.
“I played him some stuff that I wrote ages ago, and he said, ‘You should do a solo record. We’ll do it right here in my studio and I’ll produce it.’”
Once the label approved the idea, the writing process quickly gathered momentum.
“I was just in a creative flow and kept writing and writing. It all came together fairly quickly.”
Because the album represented a major milestone in his career, Bolan surrounded himself with close friends throughout the recording process.
“Everyone that was involved with this record was my friend,” he explained. “It was really important to get all the guys on the record because they’re my brothers.”
Bolan co-wrote the song “Devil In The White” with Nashville songwriter Erica Sellers and also collaborated with veteran keyboardist and songwriter Paul Taylor, known for his work with Winger, Alice Cooper and Aldo Nova.
The album also features an impressive list of guest musicians, including Corey Taylor, Danko Jones, Nuno Bettencourt, Damon Johnson, Steve Conte and fellow Skid Row members Scotti Hill, Dave “Snake” Sabo and Rob Hammersmith.
Although fans may hear familiar elements, Bolan stressed that Gargoyle Of The Garden State is not simply a Skid Row album under another name.
“This is stuff that I don’t think we could do with Skid Row,” he said. “What makes a Skid Row song is when all of our influences come together. This was just all my influences coming out.”
For the first time, Bolan also handled most of the instrumentation himself, including all of the rhythm guitar work, allowing him to shape the album exactly as he envisioned.
“I wanted my stamp on it,” he said with a laugh. “Am I the greatest guitar player? Absolutely not. I’m king of the bar chord, but I wanted the simplicity and the energy.”
Musically, the record draws inspiration from Britpop, glam rock, punk rock and new wave while showcasing the artists who influenced Bolan growing up, including KISS, Ramones, New York Dolls, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop and Deep Purple.
“I love when influences come out in songs,” he said. “That’s how rock and roll was born.”
Among the album’s highlights is a fresh interpretation of Oasis’ classic “Rock And Roll Star,” reimagined through Bolan’s own musical perspective.
Recording the album progressed smoothly until an unexpected food allergy temporarily affected Bolan’s voice during the vocal sessions.
“My throat just wouldn’t open up,” Bolan recalled. “It freaked me out.”
Rather than force the issue, Raskulinecz suggested they postpone the vocals and instead spend the day recording backing vocal parts while Bolan recovered.
With the album now available, attention has shifted toward bringing the songs to the stage.
“We’re talking about it right now,” Bolan said. “The plan is to get out and do some shows.”
While fellow Skid Row members won’t be part of the touring lineup, Bolan revealed that drummer Rob Hammersmith has already expressed interest in performing with the project if schedules allow.
Asked if there was one artist he would still love to collaborate with, Bolan didn’t hesitate.
“David Bowie,” he said, before adding, “Who doesn’t want to work with Dave Grohl? That would be amazing.”
Gargoyle Of The Garden State was released on June 12 and is available as a CD digipak, gatefold LP, digital download and on streaming platforms. The album marks a deeply personal new chapter for Bolan, showcasing a lifetime of musical influences while giving fans their first true look at his artistic vision outside of Skid Row.
TRACKLIST
1. Anything But You
2. At War With Myself feat. Danko Jones
3. Memory
4. See You On The Other Side feat. Snake Sabo
5. Bridges feat. Steve Conte
6. Jet Black Universe feat. Nuno Bettencourt
7. Big Stick feat. Corey Taylor
8. Pretty Hell
9. Rock And Roll Star feat. Scotti Hill
10. Devil In The White
11. Walk Away feat. Damon Johnson
