Over the last decade, Boston-bred Celtic punks Dropkick Murphys have reached heights that many, especially the band themselves, never thought they would. Now officially a part of the mainstream, the Ken Casey and Al Barr-led bunch have taken success in their stride, despite being branded sell-outs by some sections of the punk community, and ‘Plastic Paddys’ by others who probably never witnessed their brilliantly powerful live show. Album number nine sees them resolutely stick to their guns and use the hugely successful formula that turned them from plucky bar-room heroes to arena warriors – and it features plenty of pit anthems to please the faithful.
While I’ll admit I do miss the days when the band were ostentatiously rawer, and they’ll probably never better ‘99’s The Gang’s All Here or 05’s benchmark setting The Warrior’s Code, their first record in four years is a blast. The bullish ‘Rebels Without A Cause’ is the spiritual heir to old classic ‘The Gauntlet’, ‘4-15-13’ is an emotional and anthemic tribute to those who lost their lives during the Boston Marathon bombing, and ‘Kicked To The Curb’ is a high octane pub rocker in the vein of Eddie and the Hot Rods. Their cover of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, isn’t one for the ages – but apart from that, this is a lot of fun…