Alleycat Scratch Return To Trash City: Reimagined, Remixed, Remastered Review
Alleycat Scratch
Return To Trash City: Reimagined, Remixed, Remastered
(Deadboys In Trash City)
FNA Records
2026
If you've clicked on this review, I'm hoping you already know who Alleycat Scratch is. If you don't, don't worry, I got you.
Alleycat Scratch was one of those Glam/Sleaze/Punk bands that absolutely terrorized the Sunset Strip in the early '90s. Around my neck of the woods, people were always quick to compare them to Poison, but I never bought into that. Sure, they had the hooks and the swagger, but there was a darker, grimier edge lurking beneath the hair dye. They sounded like the kind of band that could throw the party of your life...and leave you wondering why you woke up in jail next to your girlfriend's mother.
The band never landed the massive record deal they deserved. By the time independent labels started giving them attention, the band had already slipped into cult-status territory. Still, if you were one of us stubborn souls keeping Glam and Sleaze alive through the Grunge years, you knew exactly who Alleycat Scratch was. They became one of those bands’ fans discovered through word of mouth, tape trading, and sheer determination.
I honestly can't remember when I first found them, but once I did, I was hooked for life.
I've still got my original self-released CD of “Deadboys In Trash City”, the original FNA reissue, the Demon Doll version, and my personal favorite, the gorgeous green vinyl from Italy's Night Of The Living Dead Records. It's a beautiful pressing, although somebody at the label had the brilliant idea of mixing glitter into the vinyl. It looks cool until you realize glitter and record grooves probably weren't meant to co-exist. Even so, it's still one of the coolest pieces in my collection.
So why am I rambling about a record from 1993?
Because vocalist Eddie Robison has gone far beyond your typical remaster.
Working from the original two-inch analog tapes, Eddie baked the masters, transferred everything down to the individual stems, and painstakingly rebuilt the album using modern technology, all while respecting what made “Deadboys In Trash City” special in the first place. This isn't one of those lazy "turn it up a little louder and call it remastered" jobs. You can tell an incredible amount of care, time, and respect went into every decision.
From a longtime fan's perspective, it's an absolute blast.
The songs haven't been butchered or rewritten. Instead, they've been enhanced in ways that feel natural. Additional EQ, reverb, backing vocals, subtle keyboard textures, and extra guitar layers flesh out the songs that always deserved a little more room to breathe. Let's face it, bands like Alleycat Scratch were scraping together every dollar they had just to get into the studio back then. Recording budgets weren't exactly overflowing.
The biggest surprise is how much more Punk attitude comes through this time around. The Sleaze is still alive and well, but the overall presentation feels rawer, fuller, and a bit more dangerous.
"Take A Bite Outta Me" transforms from a sticky-sweet party anthem into a full-blown come and get some cat call. "Soul Survivor," a song I always loved but felt sat slightly apart from the rest of the record, now blends seamlessly into the album's overall vibe. "Lovesick Junkie" sheds a little of its Poison influence and leans closer to something Stiv Bators might've dreamed up after an all-night bender. That same Punk energy runs straight through "Cheap City Thrills."
Then there's "Roses On My Grave."
Already a classic in my book, it's been elevated with tasteful guitar work and additional backing layers that give the song the added weight it always deserved. It never sounded bad before; it just sounds complete now.
If you're an Alleycat Scratch fan, this isn't optional.
If you've never heard the band before, congratulations, you've just stumbled onto one of the coolest hidden gems of the Sunset Strip era.
FNA Records has gone all out with this release, offering autographed editions, stickers, flags, guitar picks, and just about every collectible a fan could ask for. It's amazing to see a record that originally hit the streets back in 1993 still receiving this kind of love over three decades later.
Now quit reading, grab a copy, crank it until the neighbors threaten to call the cops...and let's tear some shit up.