Record Label: Victory Records
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I have to listen to the Tossers in doses. Not really sure why, it might be because of T Duggin’s vocals because they take time to get used to. I’ll be honest, I think his vocals get annoying or too whiny for some songs. The vocals are definitely distinctive though, and when you hear a Tossers song, you immediately can tell it’s a Tossers song. I’m kind of surprised Victory signed this band because they are a different style than what they usually have on the label.

The Tossers’ newest album “The Valley of the Shadow of Death” is their best album to date, I believe this is their fourth full-length album. They have been around for 12 years or so, rockin’ the Chicago area’s Irish rock scene. Their last album, “Purgatory,” off Thick Records had a few gems on there like “Monday Morning,” but overall I didn’t like it as much as other celtic/punk bands’ CDs. In my opinion, their music seemed kind of cluttered because they were playing the music too fast. I like their fast songs, but I think the Tossers sound the best when they have slower, mid-tempo songs and not the super fast celtic tinged punk songs. For “The Valley of the Shadow of Death,” they seem to have more control over the music and slow it down a little bit and I like that. There’s still a lot of fast songs on here, the songs just sound a lot better on here than their previous albums. There’s more a variety of styles on this album. There’s a poem read by Hugh Daly on the first half of the track “Drinking in the day” and I thought that was an interesting song. If you are fan of the Tossers, you’ll be happy with the final product. For people looking to find some lesser known Celtic punk bands, check out the Tossers on Myspace or PureVolume and listen to some songs first. If you like what you hear, then go out and get this album. I think this is the Tossers’ best album to date, and the more I listen to the band, the more I like of them.

Bottom Line: I think this is their best album to date.
Notable Tracks: Goodmornin’ Da, Criminal of Me, Out on the Road, Go Down Witch Down, Phoenix Park
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