The Dropkick Murphys have the unique ability to blend musical styles together and create their own sound. Even on Do or Die, they showed they were more than aggressive punk rock. Though the band is a shadow of its original line up, they are making the best music yet. They have become the first band since the Pogues to fuse celtic sounds and punk and come up with their own sound. What began with Sing Loud, Sing Proud culiminates with Blackout. Opening up with Walk Away and Workers Song, the Dropkicks prove again that they can be as loud as they want to be. The Black Velvet Band is a brilliant rendition of an old song as is the Fields of Athenry( my personal favorite song on the album with the pipes and guitars on full blast and an irresistable chorus). They take Woody Guthrie's Gonna Be a Blackout Tonite and make it their own anthem to their town (think Never Alone off Do or Die). The most unique song on the album would have to be The Dirty Glass where Ken Casey and Al Barr square off against a female vocalist in a musical dialogue of a love story, it sounds surprisingly like Fairytale of New York by the Pogues. Bastards on Parade and Time to Go are raucous tunes that prove the bar is still alive and well in the Murphys. Kiss Me im S*i&faced is a fun tongue in cheek tune as well. Overall this album is a triumph all the tracks are strong, it is their best work and one of the best combinations of punk and celtic music since If I Should Fall From the Grace of God by the Pogues.

The album isn't actually bad. It doesn't have the spirit as the previous albums but it's worthy. It has a couple of Irish traditionals done to punk rock along with the title track of "Blackout" which was written by the Gutherie clan and given to Dropkick Murphys.

It has some good moments and bad moments, but it's not a weak effort. It just may not have that same appeal as past albums to older fans. The tracks "The Dirty Glass", "The Workers Song", and "Fields Of Athenry" along with their cover of "Black Velvet Band" make it energetic.

This is where artistic style and skill culminate, the Dropkick Murphys' finest album. Deeply rooted in their Celtic Punk musical style, the Murphys show a flair for creating songs with a broad appeal, while maintaining their roots as a band that started in Quincy, Massachusetts. The Murphys possess the ability to write angst-filled rebellious lyrics and run the gauntlet to the tradtional humorous Irish song with the final track on the album. This is a must own for fans of DKM and anyone who enjoys punk, Celtic music or having pint.

I love this CD. Period.

1. Walk Away ~ 9/10 ~ great opening song, upbeat, awesome lyrics

DKM delivers in a way only they can pull off...if you ever get a chance to see them perform live, i highly reccomend it, they are insanely awesome...peace

I'm a huge punk rock listener. I listen to every punk band you can think of. Dead Kennedys, Crass, Flux of Pink Indians, Rudimentary Peni, Kraut, Rancid, Distillers, NOFX, Anti-Flag, The Unseen... I even listen to The Casualties once in a while.

Last summer, someone told me that I should check out Dropkick Murphys. He had told me they were a cool Irish sounding punk band. I decided to check them out, and I bought The Warrior's Code. I was instantly blown away with it and I needed MORE! So, I went back to the CD store a couple of days later and got Do Or Die, Sing Loud Sing Proud and this one. And let me tell ya, this is an awesome little CD here. Very fun to sing along to. I guess I'll do a song by song review of it.

1. Walk Away - 10/10 - Great song. One of my favorites.

2. The Worker's Song - 9/10 - Catchy and fun.

3. The Outcast - 10/10 - I love the lyrics in this one.

4. Black Velvet Band - 9/10 - Heavy Irish influence. Awesome.

5. Gonna Be A Blackout Tonight - 10/10 - LOVE This song and it's music video, too!

6. World Full of Hate - 9/10 - Different from the other stuff, but this is why it's great.

7. Buried Alive - 8/10 - Good punk rock sounding song. It isn't one of the best, but it still rocks.

8. The Dirty Glass - 11/10 - My FAVORITE song on this CD and by the band.

9. Fields of Athenry - 10/10 - Great rock 'n roll sounding song.

10. Bastards on Parade - 7/10 - It's okay. I like it's instrumentals a bit.

11. As One - 9/10 - The bagpipes at the beginning are awesome.

12. This Is Your Life - 10/10 - Catchy & fun, like all the songs on here.

13. Time To Go - 9/10 - Great shout along track.

14. Kiss Me I'm Sh*tfaced - 9/10 - Kinda funny. I like it!

Overall, this is a pretty damn good record. If you're a fan of punk rock or rock 'n roll, you'll love it. IF you just like music in general, you'll love it. Oh, and if you do like it, definately get Sing Loud Sing Proud. I think that that one is their best. I can't believe I didn't get into these guys sooner!

PS: I'm much older than 13.. Well, 17 isn't much older, but yeah, I'm older than 13. :p