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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Speed Of Darkness |
| 2. Revolution |
| 3. The Heart Of The Sea |
| 4. Don't Shut 'Em Down |
| 5. The Power's Out |
| 6. So Sail On |
| 7. Saints & Sinners |
| 8. The Present State Of Grace |
| 9. The Cradle Of Humankind |
| 10. Oliver Boy (All Of Our Boys) |
| 11. A Prayer For Me In Silence |
| 12. Rise Up |
Product Description
Review
When The Pogues first emerged onto the bleak musical landscape with 1984’s thrilling Red Roses for Me, the group could barely have imagined that their clattering marriage of Celtic melodrama and punk energy would give birth to a whole new musical subculture. Not just that, but an increasingly popular subculture as well. Going Out In Style, the latest album from Boston’s Dropkick Murphys (featuring an appearance from none other than Bruce Springsteen), entered the US Billboard Top 200 album chart’s top five, while there is every chance that Speed of Darkness, the fifth studio effort from LA’s Flogging Molly, will debut in the same chart at number one.
It ought to be said that a lot has come out in the wash since the day of The Pogues, to the extent that Celtic-tinged punk – Sham Rock, you might call it – might well stand as the most reactionary and creatively uninventive of all of music’s modern sub-genres. Gone are protest songs about the Birmingham Six and threats to "scare the Camden Palace poofs", while in their place stand homilies about brotherhood and other notions of blue-collar bonhomie. Even so, the lack of a cutting edge doesn’t itself mean that such songs aren’t lacking in charm, and each one of the 12 compositions that makes up Speed of Darkness does feature a tune that the listener can whistle.
Flogging Molly are not without their nuances either, and despite the fact that 49-year-old Dublin-born frontman Dave King once played in heavy metal also-rans Fastway, it doesn’t detract from the sense of authenticity he bestows upon his band’s music. "I spent 27 years in this factory / Then the boss man says you’re not what we need," he spits on the defiant Revolution, while on Don’t Shut ‘Em Down he sings of "life in a modern town" where "the windows [are] smashed open and the doors kicked out". In an emotional more than an intellectual sense, on record this is convincing stuff, the sentiment coming powered on often manically paced flurries and the strongest of melodies. But as with The Pogues, you can bet your last orders that it’s in the live arena that Flogging Molly are at their most convincing.
--Ian Winwood
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
CD Description
Putting their own unique punk rock twist on traditional Celtic music, Flogging Molly have returned with a new album and live show set to rock audiences from Los Angeles to London and beyond. Inspired to write by what they saw happening in the American and global economy (the album takes some of its influences from Dublin-born frontman Dave King's current hometown of Detroit), `Speed Of Darkness' is an album that moves this hard playing straight talking rock `n' roll band into a whole new territory.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
No doubt I'm among a hardy bunch of seafarers of the mind who have been waiting for Flogging Molly's latest offering with more than a glimmer of excitement. As soon you press play you'll probably be relieved to hear that all is the way you hoped it to be when the title track and album opener 'Speed of Darkness' kicks in; a nice n' heavy pirate-punk fiddly offering if ever there was.
I did grimace when track 2 'Revolution' started, as it has all the makings of a cheesy skater-punk pop song. The tune continues to be cheesy throughout, though I'm not sure if it is now actually growing on me or that I've simply just come to just accept it for what it is. Herein lies the issue with Speed of Darkness...
It is most definitely a mixed bag, but that doesn't mean the album isn't enjoyable. There's enough of the hard stuff here to keep fans of their classic sound happy (the stand-out track of the album for me being 'Saints & Sinners' which I believe to be up there with Flogging Molly's best work) The slower numbers are pretty good too. It's just a shame there's more than a sprinkling of cheese throughout the album which you might have to get over.
I'm usually mindful not to make sloppy Pogues comparisons with Flogging Molly, but on the rare occasion Speed of Darkness does sound distinctly like the Pogues. Sometimes there's even a Levellers feel to it also, albeit the Levellers during their rubbish phase when they were trying to be accessible and chart friendly. In a similar vein, I feel this album is attempting to be more of a chart friendly all-rounder too, which I would normally view as dubious if it weren't for the fact that I can't help liking it.
In summary, Speed of Darkness may not be Flogging Molly's crowning achievement, but there is enough here to keep the legions of appreciators satisfied regardless.
I did grimace when track 2 'Revolution' started, as it has all the makings of a cheesy skater-punk pop song. The tune continues to be cheesy throughout, though I'm not sure if it is now actually growing on me or that I've simply just come to just accept it for what it is. Herein lies the issue with Speed of Darkness...
It is most definitely a mixed bag, but that doesn't mean the album isn't enjoyable. There's enough of the hard stuff here to keep fans of their classic sound happy (the stand-out track of the album for me being 'Saints & Sinners' which I believe to be up there with Flogging Molly's best work) The slower numbers are pretty good too. It's just a shame there's more than a sprinkling of cheese throughout the album which you might have to get over.
I'm usually mindful not to make sloppy Pogues comparisons with Flogging Molly, but on the rare occasion Speed of Darkness does sound distinctly like the Pogues. Sometimes there's even a Levellers feel to it also, albeit the Levellers during their rubbish phase when they were trying to be accessible and chart friendly. In a similar vein, I feel this album is attempting to be more of a chart friendly all-rounder too, which I would normally view as dubious if it weren't for the fact that I can't help liking it.
In summary, Speed of Darkness may not be Flogging Molly's crowning achievement, but there is enough here to keep the legions of appreciators satisfied regardless.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Where as i have only played this a couple of times and some songs will doubtlessly grow on me,i still see it as a top album.
It starts of fast enough,with SPEED OF DARKNESS,and REVOLUTION whilst making bitter points along the way,then the album does slow down a bit for HEART OF THE SEA.
Other slower tracks on here might surprise many fans,as it isn't quite as fast and furious an album as others have been,but these slower tracks are still very much FLOGGING MOLLY. I really like SO SAIL ON and A PRAYER FOR ME IN SILENCE,with the latter being co-sung by BRIDGET REGAN,really nice stuff.
You can certainly hear moments where the band are clearly trying something new,and i would argue it works,as it still has their special touch to it all.
Other standout songs for me have got to be the brilliant THE POWER'S OUT and OLIVER BOY (ALL OF OUR BOYS),good energy with great points,and then of course SAINTS AND SINNERS is also a top song with interesting lyrics.
This album may well have taken me,and i'm sure many others by surpise,with it's bravery seperating it from past works of art,but isn't that what makes music so important?,evolution and guts to try something unexpected.
I'm not in the least bit disappointed,i can't guarantee you will love this CD as much as i do,but i would say it's a fine thing indeed.
It starts of fast enough,with SPEED OF DARKNESS,and REVOLUTION whilst making bitter points along the way,then the album does slow down a bit for HEART OF THE SEA.
Other slower tracks on here might surprise many fans,as it isn't quite as fast and furious an album as others have been,but these slower tracks are still very much FLOGGING MOLLY. I really like SO SAIL ON and A PRAYER FOR ME IN SILENCE,with the latter being co-sung by BRIDGET REGAN,really nice stuff.
You can certainly hear moments where the band are clearly trying something new,and i would argue it works,as it still has their special touch to it all.
Other standout songs for me have got to be the brilliant THE POWER'S OUT and OLIVER BOY (ALL OF OUR BOYS),good energy with great points,and then of course SAINTS AND SINNERS is also a top song with interesting lyrics.
This album may well have taken me,and i'm sure many others by surpise,with it's bravery seperating it from past works of art,but isn't that what makes music so important?,evolution and guts to try something unexpected.
I'm not in the least bit disappointed,i can't guarantee you will love this CD as much as i do,but i would say it's a fine thing indeed.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I think this is Flogging Mollys best album.
Its got some classic stompers & no fillers here.
Can we have a UK tour please. They would go down a storm.
Its got some classic stompers & no fillers here.
Can we have a UK tour please. They would go down a storm.
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