Warped tour lifers Flogging Molly have been Flogging away for an eternity. They're like sharks; if they stop swimming they die, and they've proven don't need to evolve to survive. Their mix is precisely the same swirl of punk petulance, hardcore stomp, and Irish folk-song righteousness. The fiddles fiddle, the bagpipes, wheeze, and Molly flogs.
Once again, Flogging Molly deliver on their newest album, Speed of Darkness. A number of good to great songs, mostly great! Highlights include the title track, Revolution, So Sail On, The Cradle of Humankind, and Oliver Boys (All of Our Boys). Really, though, it's enjoyable all the way through.
I always enjoy a new Flogging Molly album. They're a great band with a solid sound and good technique. This album doesn't disappoint, with plenty of rocking tunes and the kind of twangy celtic/folk/punk jam you've come to expect from these fellas. The opening tracks, the title track and \"Revolution\" are both hard-rocking numbers of the spirit you've come to expect. \"So Sail On\" is a lovely ballad, highlighting the lament that \"Dave King\" can bring to a tune. Overall, a worthy addition to the FM pantheon. No songs to rival \"Within a Mile of Home\" or \"Wailing Wall,\" but they're in the same ballpark.
What happened to the Flogging Molly I love and worship. This one is nothing at all like their previous ones. Drunken Lullabies and Swagger are awesome. I am very disappointed.
From another band, I'd give it 3 stars- there are some good songs, but it's disappointing coming from Flogging Molly. If you're a fan, go ahead and get it- it's not terrible. If you're exploring, get Drunken Lullabies, Within a Mile of Home, or Swagger. They are awesome.
So Dave King moved to Detroit and decided to write a bunch of songs about the place. From a band used to writing and covering songs about working class hardships, it should have come naturally, right? Turns out, the results are a lot more forced, contrived, clichéd and downright amateurish than I'm sure the band intended. No, I don't like greedy CEO's and unemployment either; but you'd think a band with as much songwriting experience as Flogging Molly's would have skipped over some of the tired and almost laughable cliches that are prevalent throughout this album. Oh well, maybe next time? In the meantime, there's the rest of this band's outstanding catalogue on which to fall back.
![Hell's Ditch [Expanded] album cover](http://images.emusic.com/music/images/album/118/414/11841423/300x300.jpg)
