Reviews

The Mahones latest release, Irish Punk Collection, may be one of the best/most unnecessary collections of Celtic punk tunes ever assembled. The Mahones - for those readers that don't know, as the U.S. Celtic punk scene is dominated by the likes of Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly - are a Toronto, Ontario, Canada based Irish punk band that has been rockin' since 1990. Their sound is more of the traditional flavor offered by Chicago's Tossers with a quickened pace.

Over the years, the band has written a number of quality tunes that stand toe-to-toe with the big names, and Irish Punk Collection puts together 16 of the best (with one live repeat). For an Irish punk fan just discovering this band, it's a great CD to own. However, for longtime fans, Irish Punk Collection is even more unnecessary than the usual "hits" compilation.

As anyone without amnesia should remember, the band just released a "hits" compilation in 2003 called Paint the Town Red. The difference, as defined by the band, is that Paint the Town Red was a "best of" anthology, while Irish Punk Collection is a compilation of fan favorites. Seven of the hits and favorites overlap, however, and the last track of Irish Punk Collection is a live repeat of the second track, "Drunken Lazy Bastard."

Again, for someone just discovering The Mahones, Irish Punk Collection is well worth the money, but one has to wonder if The Mahones are now in the rehash-and-tour cycle of their career.