Signed and Sealed in Blood

After dabbling in a more narrative style with their 2011 concept album Going Out in Style, Dropkick Murphys get back to their raucous roots on their eighth album, Signed and Sealed in Blood. Blazing their way through 12 tracks of ripping Celtic punk, Dropkick Murphys are still partying on after all these years with songs that feel as though they should be listened to while drunkenly singing with a bar full of like-minded, and likewise intoxicated, friends. What's really stirring about Dropkick Murphys after all this time is that their music isn't so much a celebration of being Irish, but a celebration of celebrating. "The Boys Are Back" is the perfect prelude to a night on the town you're not likely to remember in the morning, and the rest of the album follows suit with an energy that mixes in just the right amount of mirth, mayhem, and maudlin, making Signed and Sealed in Blood an album that's sure to please Murphys fans both old and new. ~ Gregory Heaney