CD Review: Dropkick Murphys

11 Stories of Pain & Glory (Born & Bred Records)

Twenty-one year-old band Dropkick Murphy’s released their ninth studio album, 11 Short Stories of Pain and Glory, Jan 6.

The album was highly anticipated amongst fans, as the band has suffered a lot in their personal lives since their last album release. From addiction, to lost loved ones, to the Boston Marathon Bombing, the band lays out their emotions, expressing the pain and glory they kept underwraps over the past couple years.

Throughout the album, the band fuses punk rock and Irish music, marrying the two into pleasing sounds. “Blood,” the strongest track off the album, is a powerful anthem about triumph. “If you want blood, we’ll give you some,” screams lead singer Ken Casey, who is one of the original members.

“4-15-13” pays homage to the Boston marathon victims. “We lost our innocence today/on Patriots day,” coos Casey, who’s from Massachusetts, as well as many of the other band members. “I wanted to make this song an anthem for that cause and people fighting that cause.” Casey said in an interview with the Boston Globe. “The lyrics to that to me sum up the tragedy of it all, but also the hope.”

In a unbashful return, the Dropkick Murphy’s wrote and sung songs about their struggles and problems openly. The band picked themselves up, and proved that glory can be unearthed from pain.