Album Reviews

Co-produced by lead singer Mike Rivkees and The Bouncing Souls’ Pete Steinkopf, The Rumjacks hit hard on their sixth album, ‘Dead Anthems’. Originally formed in Sydney, Australia, but with members now living all over the place (Italy, Germany, US,…), The Rumjacks care as little about geographical limitations as they do about musical ones.

Opener ‘Come Hell Or High Water’ is a high-energy singalong that sets the tone, ‘Smash Them Bottles’ sounds like a Celtified Bouncing Souls song and ‘Cold Like This’ is vintage Dropkick Murphys and not just because it features DKM vocalist Ken Casey. ‘Scandal’ finds the band mixing in some ska action, ‘October’ shows they are just as comfortable slowing down as they are speeding ahead and ‘Some Legends Never Die’ is a moving tribute to The Pogues’ Shane McGowan.

While hardly the first Celtic punk band, The Rumjacks have made quite the name for themselves in the sub-genre since they first whipped out a tin whistle back in 2008. ‘Dead Anthems’ will only help solidify their position right next to Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys.

Dead Anthems tracklist:

1. Come Hell of High Water
2. They Kick You When You're Down
3. Smash Them Bottles
4. Cold Like This (Featuring Ken Casey from Dropkick Murphys)
5. An Irish Goodbye on St Valentines Day
6. October
7. Father's Fight
8. Scandal
9. Road Rash
10. Eye for an Eye
11. Pulled From the Shore
12. Some Legends Never Die