Drunk Rock review in Verbicide #15

THE BLOODY IRISH BOYS
"Drunk Rock" - Sick Sad - CD
The Bloody Irish Boys are the vision of Shayne Underwood, the primary songwriter and performer on Drunk Rock. One wouldn't think a band attempting to uphold traditional Irish sounds would emerge from Ohio, but The Bloody Irish Boys hold their own among contemporaries such as US-based Flogging Molly, or Ireland's Blood or Whiskey. And believe me-the title of this song is only the first of many drinking references. In fact, I'm almost tempted to call this a "concept album" based around getting drunk. Into the mix Shayne has thrown a pair of traditional songs, "Highlander's Farewell" (a Scottish tune) and, of course, "Finnegan's Wake," performed exceptionally well. Surprisingly, though, the highlight of this 13-track album is the final song. "The Great Irish Famine," a lengthy, heart-rending ballad eulogizing those who lost their lives in the potato blight during the mid-19th century. And lastly, there are three hidden tracks, including one about "a honky-tonkin' redneck" that caught me entirely off-guard, and an acoustic demo version of track four, "Drunk Tonight." I am looking forward to seeing where Shayne takes this band-hopefully a reputable label catches on quickly, because these guys should, and likely will, join Flogging Molly and Dropkick at the forefront of the Irish-punk genre.
(Review by Jackson Ellis, more info at Scissor Press)