Signed and Sealed in Blood
by Dropkick Murphys
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
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  1. Classic Rock Magazine
    Jun 6, 2013
    70
    This knuckle-biting howler ["The Season's Upon Us"] aside, SASIB raises the roof with good vibes and memorable songs. [Mar 2013, p.96]
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  2. Blurt Magazine
    Feb 11, 2013
    70
    Their latest, Signed and Sealed in Blood, will likely not change many opinions as it is still their same hallmark of rowdy, drink in the air, boot stomping sing-alongs.
  3. Kerrang!
    Feb 5, 2013
    80
    Signed And Sealed In Blood finds Boston's finest as raucous, rowdy and riotous as ever, without sounding hoary or hackneyed. [5 Jan 2013, p.55]
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  5. musicOMH.com
    Feb 1, 2013
    70
    When the stories are this well told, it doesn’t matter that Dropkick Murphys keep re-writing them.
  6. Rock Sound
    Jan 22, 2013
    80
    It's the Bostonians' simplicity that's most endearing though, and this is a terrific, hangover-inducing return to form.
  7. Consequence
    Jan 18, 2013
    70
    All told, Signed and Sealed In Blood is an album every bit as hardboiled as its title would suggest.
  8. American Songwriter
    Jan 8, 2013
    70
    Signed and Sealed In Blood is a record that should thrill the diehards even as the band evolves and escapes enslavement to the sound of their past success.
  9. PopMatters
    Jan 8, 2013
    60
    Here they sound confident on the solid ground they've built over their previous albums and avoid feeling too comfortable, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.
  10. Los Angeles Times
    Jan 8, 2013
    75
    [Signed and Sealed in Blood] demonstrates that for this long-running Boston band, loving and fighting aren't opposites but rather complementary manifestations of the only thing that matters: passion.
  11. Rolling Stone
    Jan 8, 2013
    70
    This one may be their most devil-may-care, mixing hardcore blitz, Pogues instrumentation and Thin Lizzy swing.
  12. Sputnikmusic
    Jan 8, 2013
    60
    Signed and Sealed in Blood is a pleasant addition to the Dropkick Murphys' discography, but the reliance on their trustworthy, time-tested conservatism is somewhat unfulfilling here.
  13. The A.V. Club
    Jan 8, 2013
    83
    Dropkick Murphys have long made it their mission to tap into the raw emotion and rowdy spirit of the blue-collar streets of their hometown. Signed And Sealed In Blood gives that sound some teeth to match.
  14. Alternative Press
    Jan 7, 2013
    80
    While these songs are closer the band's beer-in-the-air beginnings, greater sophistication and songcraft are evident from the crisp melodies and infectious choruses to earworm anthems with direct, bumper-sticker sentiments. [Feb 2013, p.88]
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  15. Boston Globe
    Jan 7, 2013
    80
    The Boston-accented mash-up of Irish folk and punk is still infectious.
  16. AllMusic
    Jan 7, 2013
    80
    The rest of the album follows suit with an energy that mixes in just the right amount of mirth, mayhem, and maudlin, making Signed and Sealed in Blood an album that's sure to please Murphys fans both old and new.
  17. BBC Music
    Jan 7, 2013
    70
    Predictably but not to its detriment, Signed and Sealed in Blood delivers a mix of rousing rock songs and enough jigs and whistles to get a singsong going at one of their famous St Patrick's Day shows.
  18. The Observer (UK)
    Jan 7, 2013
    40
    Perhaps rabble-rousing reels, big, dumb, bruising guitars and flag-waving, roared choruses of bromidic triumphalism just make more sense after several pints of Guinness.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Juddha
    Jan 11, 2013
    8
    Ready for another action packed album of sing-along punk drinking songs? Then the Dropkick Murphys eighth studio album is just for you! TheReady for another action packed album of sing-along punk drinking songs? Then the Dropkick Murphys eighth studio album is just for you! The songs are a definite must for a party pre-game, or to wind down the final moments of a party. Studying music? Perhaps, but I feel like dancing more than I feel like reading/solving problems/engineering stuff/whatever you do.

    I don't know if any of these songs will replace any of those iconic Dropkick Murphys songs played on the major rock radio stations left in the USA, but SIGNED and SEALED in BLOOD definitely give "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" a run for its money.    … Full Review »
  2. De132
    Jan 11, 2013
    9
    The Murphys continue their audiable greatness with Signed and Sealed in Blood. Anthemic tracks, and great vocals from the band continue theirThe Murphys continue their audiable greatness with Signed and Sealed in Blood. Anthemic tracks, and great vocals from the band continue their consistent stellar performances and trying new things such as a Christmas song. The Dropkick Murphys are steller, and this album confirms that.… Full Review »
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