Punk junkies was recorded in 96,1st lp with now drummer scott,1ST TIME ON 2 X LP SET WITH INNER SHEET WITH WORDS AND PICS AND WORDS BY COLIN

The mid-'90s was a time of tribulation for GBH, having in quick succession been dropped by their label, fired their manager, and seen their drummer deported. Thus, when the German indie label We Bite offered them a deal, the group bit quick. The resulting album refracts much of this turbulence, ferocious in sound and delivery, and echoing with the band's frustration and fury. It's also longer, by four tracks, than their previous sets, a reflection of the extra time they'd been saddled with between full-lengths. And so across 16 numbers, GBH seethe, boil, and roil in an aural exorcism to finally conquer the demons that were dogging their lives.

In times like these, even everyday annoyances can become overwhelming, as the raging "Impounded" makes clear, the angriest song ever written about having one's car towed. And the band's bitter mood permeates everything, even the delights of "Tokyo After Dark" quickly sour, with a "Damn Good Time" to be had by none. That latter number is a dire warning about casual sex in the age of AIDS; the making of a child murderer, life on death row, and sleazy politicians also raise their wrath, while life itself is mostly misery. But it's this sheer fury that makes the album so compelling, along with the band's vociferous sound.
"We had a great time making this record," they claim in the sleeve notes. Not surprising, having finally been able to put their fury to bed. And although Punk Junkies, 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.

This 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.