Written and recorded while the world was still in the grips of the coronavirus pandemic, Checkered Past sees Tracii Guns, Phil Lewis, and company continuing with the darker lyrical tone of their preceding studio albums, The Devil You Know and The Missing Peace, while incorporating their classic rock influences into the mix. Heavier songs are mixed with bluesier, boogie inducing tracks and dark, introspective ballads, often harkening back to the band's first three albums, but also pushing forward. The track listing is divided up into 'sets' or 'suites', where a sonic style is explored across multiple songs before moving on to the next, making for a remarkable listening experience. Checkered Past shows a band invigorated and ready to bash you over the head, as well as "wow" you with some epic, slower songs, and even make you dance a bit to some rock 'n roll.