Signed and Sealed in Blood
Dropkick Murphys
Born & Bred Records
After bringing us their most ambitious effort yet with 2011’s Going Out In Style, the Dropkick Murphys are back and louder than ever with a new studio record.
Early in the new year, the boys from Boston have released their eighth studio effort, Signed and Sealed in Blood.
While Going Out in Style was largely a concept album, the new record sees the band take a more straightforward approach with regards to songwriting and album structure.
The result is the sound of the Murphys everybody knows and loves played out over the course of 12 songs: high energy, and lots of fun.
Musically, the Dropkick Murphys still stick to their tried-and-true blend of Celtic styles and instruments with edgy, rollicking punk rock.
Opening track “The Boys Are Back” more than cements this fact, with the overdriven guitars, bagpipes, and gang vocals out in full force.
Other cuts on the album make sure to keep the spirits high throughout the duration of the listen, with your typical rock act instruments being lined up alongside more traditional fare such as tin whistles, mandolins, bouzoukis, and accordions.
“Prisoner’s Song” is a truly stomping track in a sea shanty style which makes excellent use of these instruments. “The Battle Rages On” is a track in a similar vein, and would make an excellent soundtrack to any bar brawl, while “Don’t Tear Us Apart” makes itself memorable with its strikingly simple piano hook.
Lyrically, Signed and Sealed in Blood is an excellent collection of songs that are capable of doing exactly what the band wanted them to: rile up a crowd and fill a listener with energy. Boisterous and unbridled tempos run aplenty throughout, notably on tracks such as “Burn,” and “My Hero.”
There are also a few tamer numbers, such as “Jimmy Collins’ Wake,” album highlight “Rose Tattoo,” drinking dirge “End of the Night,” and holiday tune “The Season’s Upon Us,” which details the holiday happenings of a dysfunctional family.
Let it be known that Signed and Sealed in Blood is nothing musically new from the Dropkick Murphys, but stands up as another great album alongside their more renowned efforts without question.
