With this being their third full length album for Tim Armstrong’s Hellcat label, the DROPKICK MURPHYS have finally put out an album that describes their personalities as a complete band. “Sing Loud, Sing Proud,” is an absolutely enjoyable romp through the many sounds of punk rock in the past 20 years. Covering all the bases of sing-along anthems, celtic spirited ballards, and full throttle street punk, this is a very well rounded disc that also benefits strongly from the more pronounced than ever “Irish” theme. The DROPKICK MURPHYS now play as a seven-piece, which from the get go, strengthens this band’s already forceful sound. As compared to prior albums, the most noticeable difference is the fact that vocalist Al Barr has loses a bit of a gruff in his vocals and gains quite a bit more range, which translates to a much clearer sound. And oh yeah, there’s bagpipes, mandolins, tin whistles, accordians, and the like now in the mix. The “kid,” Marc Orrel, all of 17 is one of the new members in the line-up, and the effects of his exuberant guitar style are indeed welcome. To start the whole thing, “For Boston,” sets the mood bright and early, a shouting of Boston pride, hockey themed and all. It’s a fist pumper no less. The third track on the disc, “Which Side are You On,” really leaps out past the first two songs though and sends out a solid pro-union message. From there, the next few tracks stumble somewhat to find a memorable identity, but “Good Rats,” ends the drought with a great sing-along jam. The infamous Shane McGowan sings a few lines on that track in his usual incomprehensible garble, and it’s as good as gold. “Ramble and Roll,” reminded me of some of this band’s older songs with its fast-paced feel and rock and roll tinges. Another thing to mention is the tune, “The Fortunes of War,” which is dedicated and about the Texas punker Brian Deneke, and his tragic death. It’s a poignant tune on the disc, and makes our punk rock “society” feel much more important in terms of perspective. Of final note, vocalist / guitairist Ken Casey produced this sucker and he did one heck of a job as it sounds fantastic, using HDCD sound. A much more diverse album than I ever expected, and a much more fun one as well.

Hellcat/Epitaph

www.epitaph.com