This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
After three albums, years of roadwork and an incalculable number of pints, long-serving Canuck Irish punks The Mahones are aging like a fine malt whiskey.
And with the raucous Hellfire Club Sessions, they may finally shed their reputation as a Pogues knockoff. Full of rootsy leanings and rocky drums, these tunes sound less like Shane You-Know-Who and co., and more like The Tragically Hip. Which is no accident — the band recorded at the Hip’s studio with drummer Johnny Fay behind the drums and the mixing board. Of course, for those who prefer the old sound, the boys oblige with a couple of classic Pig-&-Whistle, hoist-yer-Guinness howlers. Cheers.
