Posted on

dummy vinylSwedish punk rock n’ roll band Junkstars’ latest release This Means War delivers a massive dose of good old fashioned punk rock with a modern twist that will take you back to the thrashing punk days of the 80’s.

Kill The Ravens is the first track and sets the tone for the rest of the album as it brings together variations of The Ramones, Bad Religion, Black Flag, The Killers and at certain points The White Stripes. From the get go, Junkstars hold nothing back as they lure you in with raw vocals, an 80’s metal guitar riff and melodic tones to outline this song. Romance Of Death, the second track on the album continues with the same sound and with just as a catchy vibe as the first. While Monster Blood, Snakebites and Old Man’s Dead House has a bit of an Irish Pub band style to it, they all seem to just blend into one song. Although each song is undoubtedly full of energy, and to any hardcore punk fans a sure string of songs to start a mosh pit to, they didn’t really stand out.

Once you get to track six called Hometown, this becomes more of the turning point in the album. The almost 80’s metal guitar solo in concert with the authentic punk sound that Junkstars is known for come together perfectly and was the standout track on this album. Unrighteous Grave has some interesting chord changes and features a Hendrix inspired psychedelic 60’s break in the song leading into the best guitar solo on the album. Chamber Of Suffering slowed things down a little bit during the chorus so it was a nice break in the album and change of pace that lead into the title track and last song This Means War.
While this album was impressive in its’ gritty, raw recorded vocals and their undeniably righteous punk sound, it felt a bit complacent in the middle, but it did finish strong and any hardcore punk fan will adore it.

One thought on “JUNKSTARS – This Means War

What Do You Think?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.