The Dropkicks rages on with their celtic punk and it sounds like it has for many years; Irish folk-inspired punk with sing-a-long refrains and party and booze all over the place. A lot of melody adds to the fact that this album reached nr. 9 on the Billboard chart. An okey album to be or get happy to.

Bruce Springsteen contacted the band after the Boston Marathon bombings and asked if they could do anything together to help the victims, and so they re-recorded the best song on the album, Rose Tattoo, with Springsteen on vocals. The song raised a lot of money for the cause.

1)The boys are back (7,0)

2)Prisoner's song (6,5)

3)Rose tattoo (8,0)

4)Burn (7,5)

5)Jimmy Collins wake (6,5)

6)The season's upon us (7,0)

7)the battle rages on (7,0)

8)Don't tear us apart (6,5)

9)My hero (6,5)

10)Out on the town  (7,0)

11)Out of our heads (7,0)

12)End of the night (7,0)

Score: 6,96

Al Barr-vocals (b.1968)

Ken Casey-vocals and bass (b.1969)

Tim Brennan-guitars, accordion, bouzouki and piano

James Lynch-guitars

Jeff DaRosa-banjo, bouzouki, mandolin, guitars, piano and autoharp (b.1982)

Matt Kelly-drums

Scruffy Wallace-bagpipes

Melodic death metal band from Stockholm, Sweden here with their 8th album and they continue with their viking theme, and why not, they are from viking country and have beard and long hair... I have seen them live and that was a great experience but this album does not have good songs enough to rock me much. Seems like they had lack of ideas and there are no suprises here, but at high volume and in the right mood some songs make me play imaginary rhythm guitars and pound my head. Very well produced album with a good but maybe too polished sound that doesn't make the instuments justice, it melts into a wall of sound. Great cover!

1)War of the gods (7,0)

2)Töcks taunt -Lokes treachery part II (7,5)

3)Destroyer of the universe (7,0)

4)Slaves of fear (6,5)

5)Live without regrets (6,5)

6)The last stand of Frej (6,0)

7)For victory or death (6,0)

8)Wrath of the Norsemen (7,0)

9)A beast am I (6,0)

10)Doom over dead man (6,0)

Score: 6,55

Johan Hegg-vocals

Olavi Mikkonen-guitars

Johan Söderberg-guitars

Ted Lundström-bass

Fredrik Andersson-drums

+

Simon Solomon-guitars on 6 and 9

This is the debut album from American Dust, a band that included Marc Bell on drums, whom would join punkers Ramones in 1978 as Marky Ramone. The music on this album is far from the Ramones; this is 70's hard rock with a very heavy edge and the cover shows that these guys wanted to be known as such. Also, since it was 1971, there's some progressiveness but overall it's more straight forward heavy hard rock with good production and good playing and good songs. A shame this band did not make it bigger. I can really recommend this album!

1)Stone woman (8,0) Fiery drumming and slide guitar in this energic rocker.

2)Chasin' ladies (9,0) Damn good and intense slow rocker. Good stuff!

3)Goin' easy (6,5) Half-boring bluesy calmer song but with a nice melody.

4)Love me hard (8,0) Very heavy and crazy drumming.

5)From a dry camel (8,5) A 10-minute progressive song in two different tempos. Good!

6)Often shadows felt (8,0) Intelligent progressive rock-psychadelia.

7)Loose goose (6,0) Crazy wild instrumental rockabilly-like rock'n'roll.

Score: 7,71

Richie Wise-vocals and guitars

Kenny Aaronson-guitars and bass (b.1952)

Marc Bell-drums (b.1956)

Isn't it great that this British band that released thier 1 album in 1968 still can play and record music like this after 45 years? I have always liked this band and I have not heard any bad music from them even if the albums in the last 15 years haven't been the best they've done. With 3 members from the golden era in the 70's and 2 veterans in the game Deep Purple here manage to pull out an album full of 70's and 80's style organ/guitar based, courtesy of Airey and Morse, hardrock with superb singing from Gillan and as always a steady tempo from Glover and Paice. I particulary like the progressive and orchestral parts and also the heaviness, melody and power of the songs and most of all, the pure quality of the songwriting! Since the last album in 2005 it has passed 8 years but age has clearly done them well since they manage to make an whole lot better album than then.

This is music to enjoy for many years to come and I'm really happy Deep Purple is still alive and well!

1)A simple song (9,0) Wonderful guitar/bass-intro and great sensitive vocals from Gillan and it burst into a great 70's style Purple song. Great!

2)Weirdistan (7,5) Strange but good Knocking At Your Back Door-style heavy song.

3)Out of hand (8,5) Great use of organ/guitar and great Perfect Strangers-album style Deep Purple.

4)Hell to pay (8,0) Rainbow's I Surrender-intro to this rocker including a great organ solo and a simple scream-refrain.

5)Body line (8,5) Funky. Great up-tempo happy song.

6)Above and beyond (6,0) A bit monotone slow song with folk elements.

7)Blood from a stone (8,5) A bluesy slow song with a killer refrain, and sensitive vocals and guitars.

8)Uncommon man (8,5) Wonderful melodic calm part and powerful heavy part. Jon Lord-tribute song with orchestral intro reminding of something Lord could have written.

9)Apres vous (9,5) !!! Incredible heavy rocker! Among the best DP have ever made.
10)All the time in the world (7,5)

11)Vincent price (8,0) Nightwish-powerful intro to another great song, a bit of Alice Cooper-creepy-sounding.

Score: 8,14

Ian Gillan-vocals (b.1945)

Steve Morse-guitars (b.1954)

Roger Glover-bass (b.1945)

Ian Paice-drums (b.1948)

Don Airey-keyboards (b.1948)