JUNKYARD – Old Habits Die Hard [The Lost Album] (2019)

JUNKYARD opens the vault and blows the dust off a collection of recordings slated as the follow up to their second effort 1991’s ‘Sixes, Sevens and Nines.” Recorded in Los Angeles in 1992, “Old Habits Die Hard” features the original members Brian Baker, David Roach, Chris Gates, Todd Muscat and Patrick Muzingo.
The cover artwork of Junkyard’s classic ‘Sixes, Sevens and Nines’ featured a hand on a set of cards, cigarette between fingers and a bottle or glass out of focus on the table in the background, and so it’s fitting that this long-shelved follow-up to that pays homage visually.

One of my favorites from this CD is ‘Tried & True’, which was actually re-recorded and re-released as a single back in 2003 but failed to really kick-start things for the band again who had reformed in 2000 with Baker, Roach, Muzingo and Muscat on board as well as Tim Mosher (guitar/vocals) who replaced Gates.
These days of course we have a new line-up making new music and playing and all is good with the world again, and this ‘lost / unreleased tapes’ I guess serves a number of purposes and also answers that ‘what might have been’ question that hug in the air when Geffen dropped the band in 1992.

The track selection here were taken from two recording sessions, and both are faithful to Junkyard’s known style. The sound quality is very good.
If you’re a fan there really is no drop off in the quality of material from their second record, making the cut from Geffen just a sign of the times. As we all know many a shitty band got a deal in the 90s simply by de-tuning, failing to crack a smile and adopting a uniform of torn jeans and baggy plaid shirts.

If like me you love bluesy-tinged US hard rock with a little growl and plenty of bite and definitely, positively, refreshingly no frills, then all the material on “Old Habits Die Hard” will rock your day.
As said, the sound quality is very good, for sure most of these tracks are finished material.
Highly Recommended

01 – Introduction
02 – Pushed You Too Far
03 – Out Cold
04 – Tried & True
05 – Fall To Pieces
06 – Blue Sin
07 – Holdin’ On
08 – Staredown
09 – I Come Crawling
10 – Hangin’ Around
11 – Take Me Home
12 – One Foot In The Grave

David Roach – vocals
Brian Baker – lead and rhythm guitars
Chris Gates – lead and rhythm guitars
Pat Muzingo – drums
Todd Muscat – bass

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www.amazon.co.uk/Old-Habits-Die-Hard-Junkyard/dp/B07XN1JFFN