If you are a fan of these guys, then this is a must have. If you haven’t heard them before (do you live under a rock???) then I suggest you check out their last two full lengths on Hellcat first. This basically compiles material from 6 earlier seven inch records and splits that they were on with the original singer, Mike McColgan at the helm. Personally, I liked the DROPKICK MURPHYS better with Mike singing, rather than Al Barr, whose vocals I find to be too harsh and raspy for the band. This is a very fun and bouncy release, with almost an hour’s worth of music, finishing up with a 10 song live set from Boston’s infamous, and dearly missed club, The Rat. The live recording of “Guns of Brixton,” and the original version of “Barroom Hero,” are fantastic songs. This is definitely an album for the fans, but could convert those sitting on the fence as well.

Hellcat/Epitaph

www.epitaph.com