11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory
by Dropkick Murphys
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. Punknews.org (Staff)
    Jan 18, 2017
    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. AllMusic
    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.
  3. Boston Globe
    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.
  5. Drowned In Sound
    Jan 6, 2017
    80
    Their output remains honest, unsullied and socially conscious--it’s still got all the bark and bared teeth of a Boston terrier, and the drinking songs are still out in force, but there’s a message of hope at its core that espouses all the values that are held so dear to the contemporary punk scene.
  6. Paste Magazine
    Jan 9, 2017
    79
    Loss and the possibility of redemption represent the twin themes of pain and glory fueling the Celtic-punk band’s ninth album, a collection of songs by turns bleak and triumphant--and sometimes both at once.
  7. Los Angeles Times
    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.
  8. PopMatters
    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.
  9. Rock Sound
    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.
  10. Classic Rock Magazine
    Jan 6, 2017
    70
    The band venture away from their own back yard for the first time, recording this new album in El Paso. It results in a pleasingly broader palette, from the redneck power pop of Sandlot, to the melodic and bouncy Madness-like closer We’ll Meet Again.
  11. musicOMH.com
    Jan 6, 2017
    70
    Whilst this emotional look back [fourth track Sandlot] might suggest they’ve got one foot in the grave, there’s plenty of fight left yet. In the past, this would have taken the form of furious punk, but this time around the Dropkicks have expanded their sound out into something far grander than anything they’ve attempted before.

Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Most Shared Album of 2017

User Reviews

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User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 15
  3. Negative: 1 out of 15
  1. Music_Observer
    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… Full Review »
  2. JustinHowell
    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    … Full Review »
  3. domotime2
    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.… Full Review »
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