Rating: 8/10
Release: 7 February 2025
Label: Four Four

Celtic Punk legends The Rumjacks released their sixth studio album on the 7th of February. Recorded in Asbury Park, New Jersey by The Bouncing Souls’ founder Pete Steinkopf and mixed by Kevin Bivona (guitarist for The Interrupters), this new album appears as a new chapter in the band’s history, representing a testament to the band’s unwavering spirit and relentless energy.

Musically speaking, “Dead Anthems” combines the typical Celtic Punk sound with new dynamic and fresh elements, making it a mix between innovation and tradition, while the album’s sonic landscape captures the raw energy and passion that fans have come to love, while also pushing new boundaries within the Celtic punk cannon. Among the 12 songs, four stand out: “Come Hell or High Water”, a song showcases the ability of the Rumjacks to perfectly blend fierce and hysterical punk with rich melodic influences of Celtic folk talking about the migrant past of the family of Mike Rivkees, which states “This song is about how many of our ancestors were forced to flee their native countries to give us the lives we have today”. “Cold Like This”, which boasts the collaboration of Ken Casey of the equally legendary band Dropkick Murphys, which makes the song appear as a raucous sea shanty inspired by “walking home from a Boston bar with a windchill of -20F” according to Rivkees. “Some Legends Never Die”, which is a tribute to the late punk titan Shane McGowan, which “Inspired an entire planet of songwriters to go on and write about their experiences in poetic, dark, and raw ways.” says Rivkees. “Eye for an eye”, a song with good instrumental background and very nice lyrics that can arouse strong emotions in the listener.

In conclusion, “Dead Anthems” with its sound redefines once again the boundaries of Celtic punk. Their unwavering dedication to their craft and their ability to continually evolve their sound ensures that this album will be celebrated both by devoted followers and by a new generation of fans and the collaborations with some truly iconic rockers has set a new standard for the band, ensuring that Dead Anthems is not just an album, but a happening. All hail to The Rumjacks for this new masterpiece.

Tracklist

1. Come Hell or High Water
2. They Kick You When You’re Down
3. Smash Them Bottles
4. Cold Like This
5. An Irish Goodbye On St Valentine’s 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