Speed of Darkness

Last updated

Speed of Darkness
Speed of Darkness coverFM.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 31, 2011
RecordedEcho Mountain, Asheville, North Carolina
Genre Celtic punk, punk rock
Label Borstal Beat Records
Producer Ryan Hewitt
Flogging Molly chronology
Live at the Greek Theatre
(2010)
Speed of Darkness
(2011)
Life Is Good
(2017)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg link
Alternative Press Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Rock Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg link
Spin 6/10 link

Speed of Darkness is the fifth studio album by the Irish-American Celtic punk band Flogging Molly, released on May 31, 2011. The album was recorded at Echo Mountain, an old church building turned recording studio in Asheville, North Carolina. [2] [3] The album was produced by Ryan Hewitt, who has worked with bands Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Avett Brothers. [4] Speed of Darkness debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 chart and number four on the Billboard Independent Chart. [5] It is the band's last album with drummer George Schwindt.

Contents

The expression speed of darkness had appeared in a 1999 book mixing physics and fiction, named The Science of Discworld , written by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen. In a 2011 interview on BBC Radio 1, frontman Dave King explained that the title track and album title was taken from a quote of Dino Misetić, the artist who designed the album cover, which appeared in the book Sarajevo Marlboro. Misetić, who grew up in the Balkans during the Balkan Wars, is quoted in the book, saying: "They taught us what the speed of light is, but nobody can teach you what the speed of darkness is." [6]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Dave King; all music is composed by Flogging Molly

No.TitleLength
1."Speed of Darkness"4:08
2."Revolution"3:13
3."The Heart of the Sea"3:43
4."Don't Shut 'Em Down"3:40
5."The Power's Out"4:39
6."So Sail On"2:47
7."Saints & Sinners"3:31
8."This Present State of Grace"2:48
9."The Cradle of Humankind"5:11
10."Oliver Boy (All of Our Boys)"4:07
11."A Prayer for Me in Silence"1:54
12."Rise Up"3:34
Total length:43:15
Bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Saints & Sinners (acoustic)" 

Reception

The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Allmusic gave the album a mostly positive review, commenting that "while Flogging Molly hasn’t done much to innovate on their sound over the past decade or so, it doesn’t feel like they have to." Spin's reception was more mixed, as they wrote that while "rabble-rousing frontman Dave King champions defiant hope amid crushing desperation" the "overly smooth production undercuts his righteous fury, suggesting the group harbors dreams of a Green Day-style commercial breakthrough."

Personnel

Flogging Molly

Additional musicians

Charts

Chart (2011)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [7] 14
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [8] 83
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [9] 71
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [10] 27
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [11] 59
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [12] 28
US Billboard 200 [13] 9
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [14] 4
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [15] 3
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [16] 4

Related Research Articles

<i>Drunken Lullabies</i> 2002 studio album by Flogging Molly

Drunken Lullabies is the second studio album by the Irish-American punk band Flogging Molly. Their first album to feature guitarist Dennis Casey, it reached number 157 on the Billboard charts. It has since been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<i>Swagger</i> (Flogging Molly album) 2000 studio album by Flogging Molly

Swagger is the debut studio album by the Celtic punk band Flogging Molly, mixed by Steve Albini. It was released in 2000.

<i>Within a Mile of Home</i> 2004 studio album by Flogging Molly

Within a Mile of Home is the third studio album by the Celtic punk band Flogging Molly. Released in 2004, the album reached No. 20 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 chart and No. 1 on the Independent Music chart. The album is dedicated to Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash, as indicated in the album's liner notes. The song "To Youth " was featured on the soundtrack of FIFA Football 2005.

<i>Blaze of Glory</i> (Jon Bon Jovi album) 1990 studio album by Jon Bon Jovi

Blaze of Glory is the debut solo studio album by Jon Bon Jovi, the frontman of Bon Jovi. The album was released on August 7, 1990, through Mercury Records. It includes songs from and inspired by the movie Young Guns II. Emilio Estevez originally requested Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" as the theme song for his upcoming Billy the Kid sequel, but Jon Bon Jovi didn’t think it was a fit lyrically and ended up composing an all-new theme song for the film's soundtrack instead.

<i>Whiskey on a Sunday</i> (album) 2006 compilation album by Flogging Molly

Whiskey on a Sunday is a 2006 DVD/album by the Irish-American punk band Flogging Molly. It features a mix of live and studio recordings and comes with a DVD featuring a documentary of the band. The songs featured on the album include a studio recording of "Laura", which was previously only available on the live album Alive Behind the Green Door, followed by studio acoustic and live versions of songs from their previous studio albums. The live songs were recorded at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. The artwork was done by Shepard Fairey. The documentary was directed, shot and edited by Jim Dziura. Assistant editing was done by Joe "Guisepi" Spadafora. Although primarily a DVD release, it charted at number 67 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Drive</i> (Alan Jackson album) 2002 studio album by Alan Jackson

Drive is the tenth studio album by American country music artist Alan Jackson. Released in 2002 on Arista Nashville, the album produced Jackson's highest-debuting single on the Hot Country Songs charts in the number 1 hit, "Where Were You ", a ballad written in response to the September 11 attacks. "Drive ", "Work in Progress", and "That'd Be Alright" were also released as singles, peaking at number 1, number 3, and number 2, respectively, on the same chart; "Designated Drinker" also reached number 44 without officially being released. In addition, all four released singles cracked the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at numbers 28, 28, 35 and 29, respectively.

<i>Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band: Live in Dublin</i> 2007 live album by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band: Live in Dublin is a 2007 video and audio offering that captures in-concert performances from the Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour recorded in November 2006 at The Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The release consists of a concert DVD, a Blu-ray Disc, and separate two-CD audio set. A "special edition" of the CD set includes the concert DVD as well. The album is dedicated to friend and Irish show-business giant, Jim Aiken.

<i>Float</i> (Flogging Molly album) 2008 studio album by Flogging Molly

Float is the fourth studio album by the Celtic punk band Flogging Molly. It was released on March 4, 2008, and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 albums chart, selling about 48,000 copies in its first week. It also reached number one on the Billboard Independent chart and number two on the Billboard Alternative chart.

<i>Good Time</i> (Alan Jackson album) 2008 studio album by Alan Jackson

Good Time is the fifteenth studio album by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released on March 4, 2008 and produced five singles on the country singles charts. The first three of these — "Small Town Southern Man", the title track, and "Country Boy" — have all become Number One hits. This album marked Alan Jackson's return to the traditional country music roots.

<i>The King Is Dead</i> (album) 2011 studio album by The Decemberists

The King Is Dead is the sixth studio album by The Decemberists, released on Capitol Records on January 14, 2011. Described as the "most pastoral, rustic record they've ever made" by Douglas Wolk of Rolling Stone, the album reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart for the week ending February 5, 2011. The song "This Is Why We Fight" reached number 19 on the U.S Alternative Songs Chart, while the song "Down by the Water" also charted in the United States. In November 2011, the band released an EP of album out-takes, entitled Long Live the King.

<i>Underwater Sunshine (or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation)</i> 2012 studio album by Counting Crows

Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation) is the sixth studio album by American rock band Counting Crows, released on April 10, 2012, on Cooking Vinyl. The album is composed of cover songs, with vocalist Adam Duritz stating, "Sometimes it's great to play someone else's music and try to make it your own. Sometimes it's great just because it's fun."

<i>Here</i> (Edward Sharpe album) 2012 studio album by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Here is the second album from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It was preceded by Up from Below. Recorded at Adios Studios, a.k.a. the Ed Shed in Ojai, California and at Studio in the Country in Louisiana, it was released on May 29, 2012 by Vagrant Records and Rough Trade Records. It received mostly positive reviews, ranking #7 on Rolling Stone's Best Albums of 2012 list, saying "Frontman Alex Ebert sings earnestly about love and spirituality, letting his mind wander pleasantly over the band's homespun harmonies and easy-going folk-psych instrumentation."

<i>Time</i> (Rod Stewart album) 2013 studio album by Rod Stewart

Time is the twenty-eighth studio album by Rod Stewart, it was released on 3 May 2013 in the UK, on 7 May in the US and Canada, and on 8 May in Japan under the title "Time: Toki no Tabibito" (タイム~時の旅人~). In May 2013, Stewart released Time, a rock album of his own original material. It marked a return to songwriting after what Stewart termed "a dark period of twenty years"; he said that writing his autobiography gave him the impetus to write music again. The album entered the top 10 in the US and entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 1, setting a new British record for the longest gap between chart-topping albums by an artist, as his last studio album to reach the top spot was A Night on the Town in 1976. The album was certified platinum in the UK on 16 August 2013 and double-platinum on 29 December 2017. Overall, the album was the No. 7 best-selling album of 2013 in the UK. In the United States, the album has sold 141,000 copies as of September 2015.

<i>Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is the third album by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It was released on July 23, 2013 in North America and was released on July 29, 2013 around the world through Vagrant Records, Rough Trade Records and Communion Records. Frontman Alex Ebert stated that "These songs mean everything to me - It's the rawest, most liberated, most rambunctious stuff we've done."

<i>Love Has Come for You</i> 2013 studio album by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell

Love Has Come for You is a 2013 bluegrass music CD featuring a collaboration of 13 original songs composed by Steve Martin (music) and Edie Brickell. The album cover art is a painting entitled "After Dinner Drinks" (2008) by Martin Mull; the original work is in Steve Martin's personal art collection.

<i>The Who Hits 50!</i> (album) 2014 compilation album by the Who

The Who Hits 50! is a compilation of singles by the English rock band the Who, released in 2014 by Polydor Records. The two-disc set contains every single released by the band in the United Kingdom, with the exceptions of: "A Legal Matter" and "La-La-La-Lies" from 1966; and "Long Live Rock" and the remake of "I'm One" from 1979. At the same time it also contains every single by the band released in the United States throughout their career, with the exceptions of: "The Real Me" from 1974; the reissue of "Substitute" from 1976; and "Long Live Rock" from 1979. A condensed single-disc standard edition appeared as well, both versions in conjunction with the band's 50th anniversary and associated tour of the same name. The album is notable for containing singles generally not included on other compilation albums, such as the band's Rolling Stones cover "The Last Time" done as an act of solidarity while Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were facing jail time, along with other lesser-known singles "Dogs" and "Call Me Lightning".

<i>We Can Do Anything</i> 2016 studio album by Violent Femmes

We Can Do Anything is the ninth studio album by U.S. band Violent Femmes, released March 4, 2016. It was the band's first full studio album since 2000's Freak Magnet, after releasing four-song EP Happy New Year in 2015. “We Can Do Anything” features Boston-based drummer, Brian Viglione, best known for his work with The Dresden Dolls.

<i>Life Is Good</i> (Flogging Molly album) 2017 studio album by Flogging Molly

Life Is Good is the sixth studio album by the Irish-American Celtic punk band Flogging Molly, released on June 2, 2017. Their first studio album in six years, it is also their first album to feature drummer Mike Alonso, and their last album with banjo player Bob Schmidt.

<i>Raise the Roof</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Raise the Roof is the second collaborative studio album by British singer-songwriter Robert Plant and American bluegrass-country singer and violinist Alison Krauss. The album was released on November 19, 2021, by Rounder Records and Concord Records in the United States and Warner Music for the rest of the world. The album was nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Americana Album, Best American Roots Song for "High and Lonesome," and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Going Where the Lonely Go".

<i>Anthem</i> (Flogging Molly album) 2022 studio album by Flogging Molly

Anthem is the seventh studio album by American Celtic punk band Flogging Molly. It is their first studio album since 2017's Life Is Good, as well as the first to feature Spencer Swain on string instruments.

References

  1. Jun 2011 issue, pp.111
  2. "Flogging Molly". Flogging Molly. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  3. "Clients – Echo Mountain Recording Studio – Asheville, NC". Echomountain.net. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  4. "Discography". Ryanhewitt.com. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  5. Jurgensen, John (May 27, 2011). "Flogging Molly: Songs from Detroit via Dublin – WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  6. "Flogging Molly BBC Radio 1 Interview". Youtube.com. May 6, 2011.
  7. "Austriancharts.at – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness" (in German). Hung Medien.
  8. "Ultratop.be – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  9. "Dutchcharts.nl – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  10. "Offiziellecharts.de – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  11. "Swedishcharts.com – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness". Hung Medien.
  12. "Swisscharts.com – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness". Hung Medien.
  13. "Flogging Molly Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  14. "Flogging Molly Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard.
  15. "Flogging Molly Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  16. "Flogging Molly Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.