FLOGGING MOLLY – SPEED OF DARKNESS

There is no other genre that merges the old with the new quite so well as Celtic post-punk. While the Boston-based Dropkick Murphy’s head the field, Los Angeles lads (and ladette) Flogging Molly do their own fine line in both Irish maudlin and down-trodden protest rock. Rise Up and Revolution classic examples of the latter, for history shows that no-one protests quite like the Irish! Speed of Darkness sees the band continue to blend use of traditional instruments and full-forward rock’n’roll in equal measure – fiddle and piano accordion sharing the stage with Marchall stacks and frenetic kick drums. Their ability to write a rousing rock anthem is well displayed on Don’t Shut Them Down – which has more than a hint of Green Day about it. While the more traditional numbers This Present State of Grace and the rousing Cradle of Humankind hark back to The Pogues – but with better teeth and some sense of sobriety. There is nothing new here for Flogging Molly, but it doesn’t seem that they feel any need to do other than what they do.

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