Customer Reviews

Purgatory

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I would sy this is one of best celtic punk albums to buy along with any other swingin utters release, the tossers play a good hybrid of genres which works well in pretty much every song its a merry album thats goes well with a barrel of guiness.

As a longtime fan of The Pogues, I bought "Communications and Convictions" on a bit of a whim. I was floored... this is an excellent band! I decided to pick up "Long Dim Road" and this one, and I'm not disappointed.

Probably a few more "ballad"-ish tunes than the other CD's I've mentioned, but no problem, they're good at those. The lyrics can be a bit convoluted at times, but why carp? This is fun, drinking party celtic/folk/punk that is just a joy to listen to. Tracks 2 and 6 stand out to me (I REALLY like mandolin!), but they are all good. The musicianship is excellent, and Tony Duggins has that drunken, slightly off-key growling vocal thing down pat. Makes me want to hoist a pint every time I crank this one up!

The Tossers are more talented and listenable than the Dropkicks or The Real McKenzies, and more traditional sounding and less mainstream than Flogging Molly. Don't get me wrong, no-one can ever even approach the magic of Shane and the boys, but I do think these guys are the best I've heard at this type of music since The Pogues.

Finally, I can't wait until the "statute of limitations" is up on my driving record, so I can cruise 100 miles or so to Chicago to hear these chaps live!!

Ahh, another American band reliving the inspiration of the Pogues. What is it I wonder? Many bands have tried their hand at this in recent years, from the clumsy attempts at paddy-whackery of the Dropkick Murphys to the more graceful and melodious Flogging Molly. It's not only in Amerikay either. "Irish" style punky folk is popping up from Sweden to Japan. The Tossers, from Chicago have been around for a while. While they're largly hit or miss, they remain one of the better bands in this genre. This is reflected in the album "Purgatory". Some songs (The first three or four) are so great and others are so cheesy you can't help but hate 'em. The singer has a really neat singing voice but sometimes the irish accent is just a little over the top. Imagine the sound Johnny Rotten mixed with the horriblness of the vocals from Black 47. It's a strange phenomenom. I love it and hate it all at the same time. Despite the absence of great traditionals (like on the ep) I'd still recomend this album. These lads definitely do it better than most. n.

I started to get into the Tossers about a year seeing them in Concert. They are very energentic and seem to love what they do. And by listening to this album really gets my blood flowing with energy and a sudden urge to start a jig. And Being from Chicago where they are from makes even that much better cause i get to see them more. But this Album is excellant and i suggest to purchase this great irish album. Soon or Later they will be up there with the pogues and flogging molly

This is the most subdued album the Tossers have released yet. While still packed with plenty of the toe-tapping, beer-guzzling, bar-fighting songs that we've come to expect from them, the album as a whole has a far more gentle feel. The political songs that only spotted the Tossers' previous albums are the norm for this album, particularly the songs "The Squall," "Chicago," and title-track "Purgatory". I personally find these songs a bit tedious, but they do demonstrate a certain sophistication that is lacking in other irish folk/punk bands. Outside of "Chicago," the Tossers seem to have traded in their fast, loud punk sound for a more subtle, rock-oriented sound. Songs that I enjoy most are "The Ballad of the Thoughtful Rover," "Nantucket Girls Song," "Caoin (lament)," "Monday Morning" (the only full-blown drinking song on the album), "Faraway," and the simple but heart-rending "Going Away". The Tossers are maturing, and their music is evolving, something which is rarely the case with traditional punk acts. I highly recommend this album. ...

i have loved the tossers and seen them for a long time. However, i was kinda disappointed when this new album came out. Dont get me wrong its not a horrible album, because its stil good celtic inspired music. This cd is to slick for me and a little over produced, and its missing alot of energy of the last cds and eps. I think the tossers need to go back to basics and replan the next album release.

If you already like Flogging Molly, the Murphys, or the Pogues, by all means familiarize yourself with the Tossers. They've been around the Chicago music scene for a while, and they deserve some recognition.

Purgatory follows closely along the lines of "Long, Dim Road," complete with 'hidden' track at the end, but it feels more polished, and continues to comment on current political situations without being too heavy or whiney. The songs vary between the stripped-down, soulful title track and the frenzied "Come Dancing," but never stray from the folk/punk 'formula.' That might be a complaint -- there really hasn't been a lot of ground broken in this sub-genre since the Pogues -- but honestly, I have no cause to make it into one. It's Celtic punky folk, or folky punk, whatever you want to call it, and frankly I don't think it needs to be anything else. Bottom line, if you're into this music, get this album. If you're unfamiliar with it, this is a good place to start.

The Tossers are one of my favorite bands and this is one of my favorite CD's by any band. A previous reviewer mentioned that it sounds over produced and lacks energy. I disagree. The Tossers have been around a while and have since learned to play their instuments very well so the music is amazing. Not over produced. And it may not have as much of the screaming vocals and speed such as older songs like "riot" and "aye sire" but you can feel the emotion of the music and vocals more than anything else i've heard from them before. The only thing wrong with the CD is there is only one cover or traditional song, "the parting glass" which is a hidden track. Still, it's definately a 5-star CD. Buy it.

Also, The Tossers are NOT a celtic punk band. People just like to label them that way to feel cool and so they don't have to admit they like celtic folk-rock. They are much closer to celtic hippy than celtic punk.

THIS ALBUM IS GREAT I HAVE ALL THE TOSSERS ALBUMS AND HAVE BEEN GOIN TO THEIR SHOWS FOR A LONG TIME. THIS ALBUM DOESNT HAVE THE PUNK INFLUENCED SONGS LIKE LONG DIM ROAD BUT IS AN AWSOME ALBUM.VERY MATURE VERY GOOD.SURE I MISS THE INTENSE SONGS THEY USED TO PLAY BUT HEY THEYVE BECOME SOMETHING GREAT AND THIS ALBUM PROVES IT.