Get Stuffed

An inconsistent effort from Germany's Mahones starts entirely on the wrong foot with the wholly unnecessary title track extolling the superiority of chicken burgers over fast-food beef patties. It's unclear whether this track is intended as a satirical statement of some sort or as a genuine pronouncement of fact by this band. The added expletives do little to inject attitude or provide validity to this ditty. "Salonika" and "Ride In (Johnson's Motorcar)" are upbeat bits of Irish folk-rock accentuated by the Mahones' excellence on instruments like fiddle, accordion, banjo, and tin whistle. The most interesting moment on Get Stuffed stems from a joint venture with another German band, Lecker Sachen, on "Salt Creek"." Like Lecker Sachen, of which vocalist Marcus Brachtendorf is also a member, this pairing combines programmed and hip-hop rhythms with traditional instrumentation, creating a unique hybrid. All told, this is merely average Celtic rock; however, the German element provides an interesting take on some of the traditional Irish numbers.