FLOGGING MOLLY should be a household name by now.
Three years ago, they released their last studio album, and in 2010, they followed it up with a fantastic live album that impressed with both its sound and visuals.
FLOGGING MOLLY even played a few club shows in Germany (venues with a capacity of up to 4000), which is not very common, as the band led by singer Dave King is usually found at large festivals, at least in Europe.
Now, with “Speed of Darkness,” the band presents its fifth studio album. I was as excited as a bowstring pulled tight, wondering what the new record would be like.
Irish folk punk is what the band is known for, although they have always positioned themselves more diversely than other bands in the genre. From folk, punk, to singer/songwriter songs, the band has consistently offered a wide spectrum to interested listeners since their inception. This certainly explains the band's success, as their audience includes punks, skinheads, folk enthusiasts, and many people you would never normally see at concerts.
With “Speed of Darkness,” the band has created a work that wants to be discovered, heard, felt, and lived. It’s a work that I couldn’t warm up to on my first listen. Now, the album is on heavy rotation in my system, and with each listen, I like it more.
The opener “Speed of Darkness” is still typical for the band and makes you want to bounce around your apartment in excitement. Great melody, solid tempo, catchiness, and the voice of Dave King gives the song its unique character.
On this record, the lyrics are a very important point. The band not only spent several months recording in Detroit, a city that has now become synonymous with the decay of industry in the USA, but they also allowed themselves to be influenced by the very special aura that this city now radiates. The songs are strongly tied to the events of the economic crisis and repeatedly take individual stances, as in the song “Revolution,” one of the strongest tracks on the album. A song whose lyrics are as simple as they are brutal. It’s about a worker who is no longer needed at some point. A song that captivates in its simplicity and is sure to become a major live hit, not only because you can sing along beautifully with “The Revolution should begin,” but because the entire song is simply a folk punk smash hit.
With the other songs “The Heart of the Sea” and “Don’t Shut ‘Em Down” (which also has a video http://www.clipfish.de/musikvideos/video/3583957/flogging-molly-dont-shut-em-down/), both are also great in their own right, but these songs need a bit of time to unfold. A booklet would be helpful here, as it would allow for more in-depth discussion of the lyrics, but we reporters are already happy when there’s a proper CD available.
On the album, FLOGGING MOLLY offers an extremely wide range of songs. While they all have their roots in Irish folk (punk), they are not necessarily classic genre representations. These are songs that will appeal across all musical tastes and will bring FLOGGING MOLLY even more fans. This is certainly commendable, as if the lyrics of “Speed of Darkness” are not only heard but also reflected upon and questioned, perhaps even more people will stand up against this inhumane political and economic system driven by maximum profit.
It is a very human, moving record that FLOGGING MOLLY is releasing with “Speed of Darkness.”
