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

Green Day here continues their winning formula of playing melodic punkrock with heavy riffing and ultra-melodic vocals. On this album they claim to take a take at garage rock and yes there ain't not many fast punk songs here. It's more of medtempo midparty songs. Some songs are pretty good while some others are too lightweight for my taste. The hit potential is always there though, but that's seldom a good thing.

1)See you tonight (-)

2)Time (7,5)

3)Stop when the red light flash (7,5)

4)Lazy bones (7,5)

5)Wild one (6,5)

6)Makeout party (7,0)

7)Stray heart (6,0)

8)Ashley (8,0)

9)Baby eyes (7,5)

10)Lady Cobra (7,0)

11)Nightlife (6,5)

12)Wow! That's loud (6,5)

13)Amy (6,5)

Score: 7,00

Billie Joe Armstrong-vocals and guitars (b.1972)

Jason White-guitars (b.1973)

Mike Dirnt(Michael Ryan Pritchard)-bass (b.1972)

Tré Cool(Frank Edwin Wright lll)-drums (b.1972)

The Bad Brains never followed any rules. Their braintwisting cut on punk is...strange, to say at least. They began already on their first album in 1982, had some confusing times in the 90's, disappeared and now their back with an album in the Bad Brains-tradition. They mix weird punk with reggae, hip hop and dub and no band can make it as crazy as this band. Is it any good? I don't know. I can't bare to listen to this for more than a few songs. I need my melodies and harmonies and a more "standard" lean on rock music. For hard core punk fans I suppose this album is a must have.

1)Into the future (6,0)

2)Popcorn (6,0)

3)We belong together (5,5)

4)Youth of today (6,0)

5)Rub and dub love (4,5)

6)Yes I (5,0)

7)Suck sess (5,5)

8)Jah love (5,5)

9)Earnest love (6,5)

10)Come down (7,0)

11)Fun (6,0)

12)Make a joyful noise (5,0)

13)MCA dub (4,5)

Score: 5,62

H.R (Human Rights) (Paul D.Hudson)-vocals (b.1956)

Dr. Know(Gary Miller)-guitars (b.1958)

Darryl Jenifer-bass (b.1960)

Earl Hudson-drums (b.1957)

On my 37th birthday Canada's The Creepshow released this high octane punkabilly album that continues the tradition of bands from the american continent playing a mix of old time rockabilly, rock'n'roll, melodic punk and hardrock. I could mention Flogging Molly and Social Distortion and ecspecially Dropkick Murphys as influences here but Creepshow lays more towards rockabilly. A good album that suits a party and is probably a great live band. Althouth it's a very short album it can't be helped that it sounds the same all through.

1)The seremon II (-)

2)Rue morgue radio (8,0)

3)Demon lover (7,5)

4)Run for your life (7,5)

5)Buried alive (7,5)

6)Take my hand (7,0)

7)You'll come crawling (7,0)

8)Nearly departed (7,0)

9)Rock'n'roll sweetheart (7,0)

10)Long way down (7,5)

Score: 7,33

Sarah Sin-vocals and guitars

Sickboy-bass

Matt Pomade-drums

Revered McGinty-organ

This album is not at all as good as the last "Social Distortion" from 1990. Overall the songs are pretty boring compared to it and it didn't seem like they had any more ideas even if it was 2 years since the last album. The songs go on and on for too long and without any variation. It peaked on nr. 76 on the Billboard-list.

See also:

115) Social Distortion-Social Distortion 1990 (Score: 7,05)

119) Social Distortion-White Light White Heat White Trash 1996 (Score: 7,13)

1)Cold feelings (7,5) Okey start. Melodic aggression.

2)Bad luck (6,5) Nothing special.

3)Making believe (7,0) Happy and punky.

4)Born to lose (6,5)

5)Bye bye baby (7,0)

6)When she begins (6,0)

7)99 to life (5,5) Too melodic and poppy.

8)King of fools (6,5) Fast and very melodic. Too melodic.

9)Sometimes I do (6,0)

10)This time darlin' (5,0) Kind of a ballad. Why?

Score: 6,35

Mike Ness-vocals and guitars (b.1962)

Dennis Danell-guitars (1961-2000)

John Maurer-bass (b.1964)

Christopher Reece-drums (b.1959)

This band from Malmö, Sweden plays in-your-face upolished, shout-vocals garage-rock. It's full on rock'n'roll but it gets too much and way too messy for me.

1)Intro (-)

2)Banned from the mall (5,0)

3)Fields of sunshine (5,0)

4)Fuck off! (4,0)

5)Passing out (4,0)

6)Chaos (4,5)

7)Collision course (5,5)

8)Crime fucking hardcore city (4,0)

9)Food for worms (5,0)

10)Pass me by (4,5)

11)The serbian dream (4,0)

12)Young adult retirement (3,0)

13)Fylla o fajt (4,0)

Score: 4,38

Kalle-vocals

Petter-guitars and vocals

Steffe-bass

Smeken-drums

See also: Social Distortion-Social Distortion 1990 (Score 7,05)

This, the 5th album by the californian melodic punkers continued in the same vain as the previous albums. It's the last to feature the guitarrist Dennis Danell who died in 2000. He was only 38 years old. The album peaked at nr.27 on the Billboard which was their best chart position so far. Chuck Biscuits is credited as the drummer and member of the band but he did not play on the album. He is a original member of Danzig. Instead Deen Castronovo played drums on the album and he had previous to the album played with Wild Dogs, Tony Macalpine, Bad English, Joey Tafolla, Hardline, Ozzy Osburne and Steve Vai among others.

I like this album slightly more than their 1990 album mentioned above since it's a bit harder and heavier, which I consider a good thing since they sometimes sound a little too melodic for my taste. But I still feel that it could have been so much better.

1)Dear lover (8,0) A very good midtempo start of the album.

2)Don't drag me down (8,0) Good melodic punk!

3)Untiteled (6,0) Nothing special at all, actually quite boring compared to the previous songs.

4)I was wrong (6,5) Exactly the same slow tempo as the song before but with a better melody and refrain.

5)Through these eyes (7,0)

6)Down on the world again (8,0)

7)When the angel sing (6,0) Slow and not very entertaining.

8)Gotta know the rules (7,5)

9)Crown of thorns (7,5) A very nice slow rocker.

10)Pleasure seeker (7,5)

11)Down here (w/ the rest of us) (6,5) Too many of these slow songs. The album looses tempo.

12)Under my thumb (7,0) A cover of a Rolling Stones-song.

Score: 7,13

Mike Ness-vocals and guitars (b.1962)

Dennis Danell-guitars (1961-2000)

John Maurer-bass (b.1964)

Chuck Biscuits-drums (b.1965)

Deen Castronovo-drums (b.1965)

On this album this american melodic punkband mixes rockabilly, country and melodic punk but also with some faster and more aggressive songs. On the photos they look like a rockabilly-band. The album is their most successful and peaked at nr.128 on the Billboard. They were even played at rock radio and MTV. I personally like the heavier and faster songs, the melodic ones are sometimes too melodic and tame. But this is an okey album!

1) So far away (8,5) Kickstart with power, nice guitarsolos and a superstrong melody and refrain.

2)Let it be me (7,5)

3)Story of my life (6,5) Uptempo and happy-happy melody.

4)Sick boys (6,5) Same as above.

5)Ring of fire (Johnny Cash) (5,5) Why?

6)Ball and chain (6,5) Very melodic and midtempo song.

7)It couldabeen me (7,0) Bluesy rocker with harmonica.

8)She's a knockout (8,0) Another superb punkrocker.

9)A place in my heart (8,0)

10)Drug train (6,5) Heavy bluesrocker and again with harmonica. Bad refrain though.

Score: 7,05

Mike Ness-vocals and guitars (b.1962)

Dennis Danell-guitars (1961-2000)

John Maurer-bass (b.1964)

Christopher Reece-drums (b.1959)