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11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory Image
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 15 Ratings

  • Summary: The ninth full-length release for the Celtic punk rock band was recorded in Texas and produced by Ted Hutt.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. 80
    11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory is all about our conviction, belief, the redemption we seek... and ultimately, triumph of the human spirit. Not a bad way to dropkick off the year.
  2. Jan 6, 2017
    80
    11 Short Stories finds the band serving up pint after pint of a familiar brew--the heady blend of fist-pumping anthems, traditional Irish instrumentation, and scrappy, blue-collar grit that’s made them a household name--while using their distilled strengths to break fresh ground.
  3. Jan 17, 2017
    80
    These 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory are deliberate in their intent--uplifting numbers for swaying shoulder-to-shoulder with friends before emptying out of the bars onto the dark concrete of Lansdowne on a Friday (or Wednesday) night.
  4. Jan 6, 2017
    70
    Replete with ramshackle tales of bar brawls (‘I Had A Hat’) and barely scraping by (‘Sandlot’), this ninth album feels warm and familiar--but there’s more beneath the surface.
  5. Jan 24, 2017
    70
    On its ninth full-length, these Celtic-punk bruisers keep their guitars sharp and tempos revved for songs the band’s members have said were inspired in large part by the opioid crisis that’s resulted in the deaths of dozens of their friends.
  6. Jan 17, 2017
    70
    11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory is a timely record, filled with anthems of support and community that will resonate with the band’s fanbase, and may attract new listeners looking for messages of hope and recovery.
  7. 40
    Whether they are covering You’ll Never Walk Alone or rubbishing the single life on Kicked to the Curb (“I ain’t got no honey/ She took all my money”), the music is depressingly rudimentary.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 4
  2. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Mar 22, 2017
    7
    This is a really fun and feel good album. There are a few lackluster tracks, like Rebels With A Cause (generic and unclear) and 4-15-13This is a really fun and feel good album. There are a few lackluster tracks, like Rebels With A Cause (generic and unclear) and 4-15-13 (cheesy and filled with empty platitudes, but overall, they're definitely in the minority.

    It's a very good (but not all great) album.

    -Justin Howell
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  2. Jan 9, 2017
    7
    A raucous, energetic if predictable dose of the anthemic, catchy and unique Celtic pub/punk rock that made a name for the Dropkick MurphysA raucous, energetic if predictable dose of the anthemic, catchy and unique Celtic pub/punk rock that made a name for the Dropkick Murphys that offers no surprises. Expand
  3. Jan 30, 2017
    5
    I have to be harsh here. As a huge DKM fan, this is just not good enough. Way too many mid-tempo, Bruce inspired gang vocal tunes that leave aI have to be harsh here. As a huge DKM fan, this is just not good enough. Way too many mid-tempo, Bruce inspired gang vocal tunes that leave a lot to be inspired. "I Had a Hat", "First Class Loser" are the standouts. The rest are way too obvious or just way too boring. Expand
  4. May 14, 2017
    5
    Although their intentions are good, their lack of finesse and creative drive within a massive sound resulted in a boring, underwhelming album.Although their intentions are good, their lack of finesse and creative drive within a massive sound resulted in a boring, underwhelming album. My Score: 93/180 (Deficient) = 5.2/10 Expand