Junkyard

Hot on the heels of Guns N' Roses' skyrocketing career in the late '80s, countless bands attempted to cash in on Axl and company's sleazy, bandana-wearing, '70s-era Aerosmith shtick -- especially on the Sunset Strip. One such band was Junkyard, which returned in 2003 with a six-song EP, Tried and True, after an extended hiatus. Unlike most of their competition at the time of their first go-round, most of Junkyard's bandmembers had backgrounds in punk bands -- not arena rock. And the group's punk roots come to the surface in the riffs 'n' attitude of the album opener, "Fight," and also "Waste of Time." But not all of Tried and True is meant to played on Friday night when you're getting ready to head out with the mates. The title track is a power ballad that would have sounded oh so sweet between "I Remember You" and "Janie's Got a Gun" back in 1989, and "Simple Man" is an acoustic ballad that treads on Black Crowes territory. Fans of GNR-esque rock will be able to relate, but many would agree that Tried and True arrived 15 years too late. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide