Audio CD review:
Mahones - Hellfire Club Sessions

Mahones - Hellfire Club Sessions

Band: Mahones Title: Hellfire Club Sessions Rating: Release Date: 23 February, 1999 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: When It Comes Around 2: This Old Town 3: Cocktail Blue 4: Jimmy Claiborne 5: There She Goes 6: Gone 7: Shake Hands of the Devil 8: Too Many Times 9: Savage Blues 10: S. Puff 11: Heaven 12: Another Night

Customer Reviews They Rock! When It Comes Around just rocks out, with the acordian and vocals etc. I do recommend this album! Mahones ballads are always great! And this album has a bit of every tempo! From songs like the ubeat Jimmy Claiborne to the slower Gone and the slow-quicker There She Goes. If you like the upbeat celtic rock check out their earlier 2, heck, GET THEM anyways! They also contain great ballads every while. So go out , grab this and track down their others and definately see them LIVE! It's always a party!. Another great album from a fantastic band If you like the Pogues or newer rowdy punk-style Irish Trad bands like Flogging Molly or Rogue's March, the Mahones fit the bill. I have to agree with the other reviews posted here that The Hellfire Club Sessions isn't as good as the first two albums, but that doesn't change the fact that this CD smokes. This CD isn't as teeth-grittingly intense as their first two, Draggin' The Days and Rise Above, but it really is excellent. Like their main influences the Pogues they appear to be branching out from their old "thousand mile an hour Irish drinking song" mold, and if anything it gives them more dynamics. For example, "Cocktail Blue" is an atmospheric boozing song, "There She Goes" is a mid-paced ode to the baffling nature of women and "Shillelagh Puff" is a Celtic air that would have fit well on the "Braveheart" soundtrack. However, there's still plenty of stomping, heavy celt-punk that harks back to their first two records, like "Jimmy Claiborne" and the awesome, sinister pummel of "Shake Hands With The Devil", which rocks. There are a couple fillers ("Savage Blues" and "Another Night", which continues in the Mahones tradition of lame album closers), but this CD is still 5 out of 5. Buy it, then go hunt down their first two. Then go see them live, as they are goddamned awesome live. Calmer side of the Mahones Draggin' the Days and Rise Again do a better job of capturing the high energy celtic/punk spirit of this band and get you hooked. I really like this album because I'm already a huge fan but it's not the album to introduce yourself to this band with. They would be better albums to buy if you haven't heard the Mahones before. Albums aside though, you can't replace the experience of seeing these guys live. . You can see a complete list of all Mahones discography, or go back to the Mahones tabs