Speed of Darkness
| Speed of Darkness | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 31 May 2011 | |||
| Recorded | Echo Mountain, Asheville, NC | |||
| Genre | Celtic punk, punk rock | |||
| Label | Borstal Beat Records | |||
| Producer | Ryan Hewitt | |||
| Flogging Molly chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    link |
| Alternative Press |   [1] |
| Rock Sound | link |
| Spin | 6/10 link |
Speed of Darkness is the name of the fifth studio album by the Irish-American Celtic punk band Flogging Molly that was released on 31 May 2011. The album was recorded at Echo Mountain, an old church building turned recording studio in Asheville, NC.[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]
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. Dino, 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. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Saints & Sinners (acoustic)" |
Personnel
Flogging Molly:
- Dave King – Lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, classical guitar, bodhran
- Bridget Regan – Violin, tin whistle, vocals (lead vocals on "A Prayer For Me in Silence")
- Dennis Casey – Electric guitar, six string acoustic guitar, twelve string acoustic guitar, vocals
- Matt Hensley – Piano accordion, button accordion, concertina, vocals
- Nathen Maxwell – Bass, vocals
- Bob Schmidt – Tenor banjo, five string banjo, bouzouki, mandolin, vocals
- George Schwindt – Drums, percussion
Additional musicians:
- Joe Kwon (The Avett Brothers) – Cello on tracks 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11
- Rich Wiley – Trumpet on track 2
- Ed Roth – Piano on track 9
- Evan Hill – Gang vocals on track 10
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 |
References
- ^ Jun 2011 issue, pp.111
- ^ "Flogging Molly". Flogging Molly. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- ^ "Clients – Echo Mountain Recording Studio – Asheville, NC". Echomountain.net. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- ^ "Discography". Ryanhewitt.com. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- ^ Jurgensen, John (27 May 2011). "Flogging Molly: Songs from Detroit via Dublin - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- ^ "Flogging Molly BBC Radio 1 Interview". Youtube.com. 6 May 2011.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness" (in German). Hung Medien.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Flogging Molly Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "Flogging Molly Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "Flogging Molly Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "Flogging Molly Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
