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Staff IconGBH - Punk Junkies [reissue] (Cover Artwork)

GBH

Punk Junkies [reissue] (2005)
SOS Records

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Contributed by: GlassPipeMurder
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Published on June 19th 2007


Let's be honest here: The Brits were a little tardy to the hardcore party. There's no doubt that the Sex Pistols, the Vibrators, and the Clash helped ignite the punk revolution, but it was American bands like Black Flag and Bad Brains that put hardcore on the map. One of the first to emerge across the pond was Charged GBH, who along with Discharge took the raw aggression of early hardcore and would then infuse it with the burgeoning style of heavy metal.

Of course, that was some 20 years before the first release of 1997's Punk Junkies, and clearly a lot had changed. The GBH that appears on Punk Junkies has a thick, heavy sound, magnified by the crisp, modern production. The songs still beat by at overdrive speeds, but elements of hard rock and metal creep into the formula.

The anti-corporate anthem “Shaking Hands with the Machine” tosses break-neck thrash into the mix, topped off by archetypal British jargon and “wit“: "Welcome to the club for the ill-advised / Monkey suits and corporate lies / You had the mansions, the drugs, the cars / You sold your soul, now sell your arse." “Lowering the Standard” is spiced up with some impressive double-bass drumming and lead vocalist Colin Abrahall spits out his words with punk veracity; "Ballot box lies and alley cat morals / What do you think you’re doing / Resting on your laurels / All the greed and all the filth and backhanders / Can’t save you now, nor will I." The standout “Break the Chains” boasts a variety of rhythms that start and stop violently with group shouts of "Break the chains!" among the fast and heavy punk-metal fusion.

The nice thing about Punk Junkies is that the SOS reissue comes with three bonus tracks including “Punk Rock Ambulance,” “Three Piece Suit,” and “Happyville USA,” which were all re-recorded and released on the 2001 Punk Rock Ambulance EP.

Punk Junkies, though far from the band's breakthrough work of Leather, Bristles, Studs, and Acne and City Baby Attacked by Rats, is not far from what a developed, better produced GBH should sound like. Though certainly not as influential as the band’s earlier work, Punk Junkies is a fierce and durable effort, indeed impressive for an album coming 20-some releases into the existence of GBH.



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    Anonymous (June 21, 2007)

    woa dude. phunk junkeez rock. sex, drugs, and rap n roll.

    Sick_Nick (June 21, 2007)

    SOS does a good job on reissuing albums...

    Look at SOS's Conflict reissues for proof.

    Anonymous (June 19, 2007)

    bought this when I was much younger due to hearing the band name tossed about. Bored me to death.

    wyzo

    notfeelingcreative (June 19, 2007)

    After, the big Green Dat and Offspring explosion of the mid-90's it seems like tons of bands regrouped and put out new shit, I could never tell whether they were trying to cash in or give kids a history lesson. Anyhow, this record was ok, I enjoyed their live performace when they played with billyclub and when they co-headlined with the Circle Jerks, but this album kind of felt cold to me. I actually enjoyed "Ha HA" a bit more.

    Anonymous (June 19, 2007)

    Aside from a couple good ones, this album was - to keep it civil - not their greatest output. why it was reissued - i know not
    -Janelle

    JayTee (June 19, 2007)

    I could never get into the kind of sound this album gave off. Maybe I'll give it another shot sometime, it's been awhile.

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