Dropkick Murphys-11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory: After the somber ballad-driven snoozefest that was 2013's Signed and Sealed in Blood, Dropkick Murphys wisely brought back the catchy, upbeat formula that better suits their Celtic punk skill set on their ninth LP 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory. It was a good feeling to have some fun listening to a Dropkick Murphys record after being subjected to what was essentially the musical equivalent of being trapped at a funeral in South Boston for 50 minutes on their last record. There's still some serious issues with consistency ("First Class Loser", "I Had a Hat" and "Until the Next Time" are every bit as dull as the stuff on Signed and Sealed in Blood) and the near-complete absence of the aggression that made their earlier records modern punk classics is kind of disheartening, but 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory is still a decent enough addition to the Murphys hefty catalog.
3/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Blood 2.Paying My Way 3.Rebels with a Cause
Big Sean-I Decided.: Since he transformed into a serious rapper on 2013's Hall of Fame, I've felt that Big Sean has been the most mediocre rapper on the planet. His latest I Decided. spends nearly an hour solidifying the case for that argument. This is yet another semi-conscious pop rap record where Sean blandly raps about his relationship issues and his status as an "underdog" in the hip-hop community over a bunch of forgettable beats that sound like outtakes from 40's back catalog. I'll admit that there are little flashes of potential sprinkled throughout the record ("Sunday Morning Jetpack" is a legitimately great and moving song), but I know god damn well that Sean is too comfortable with where his career is at right now to actually try and take his game to the next level. I would honestly be stoked if he went back to making the type of unintentionally hilarious party songs that drove his breakout debut Finally Famous. At least then his music would have some of the personality that his recent output sorely lacks
2.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Sunday Morning Jetpack (feat. The-Dream) 2.Moves 3.Same Time Pt. 1
Overkill-The Grinding Wheel: History isn't likely going to remember Overkill as one of the finest '80's thrash metal acts, but they should go down as one of the most consistent. The New Jersey-based quintet back up their reputation as the genre's reliable workhorses with another fiery hour of vintage thrash cuts on their 18th (!) LP The Grinding Wheel. The songwriting features a nice blend of aggression and melody, the solos are exactly the type of speedy excess you want to hear on a thrash record and the hard-rock swagger of vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth is still fully in tact despite the fact that's he rapidly approaching 60. About the only complaint I have is that there's nothing on here that's as attention-grabbing as Ironbound's "The Green and Black" or The Electric Age's "Drop the Hammer Down". Regardless of its inability to match the volume of "holy shit" moments that were on their other recent releases, The Grinding Wheel still manages to be another triumph for thrash's unsung AARP wonders.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Goddamn Trouble 2.Red, White and Blue 3.Mean Green Killing Machine
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