Every Dropkick Murphys Albums Ranked Worst To Best
5. Blackout
In a way, Blackout feels like a sophomore effort rather than a fourth album. The first two records show a progression of style and sound along with the replacement and addition of band members. The third album, Sing Loud Sing Proud, feels more like the first album of their evolved form. Similarly, Blackout feels like the rebellious second record.
Blackout's album art is like the Super Mario Bros. 2 of Dropkick Murphys records; the name may be the same, but it doesn't look like the others! The lone band member to grace the cover is now-former guitarist Marc Orrell with some multi-toned shadows against a white background. It looks more like Orrell's first experiment with Photoshop, but the music more than makes up for it.
While the first three albums gradually increased the Irish influence, Blackout pushes more straightforward punk, however the records track listing runs the emotional gamut from the comedic "The Dirty Glass" to tearjerker "Fields of Athenry".
Standout tracks that deserve mention include "Walk Away", "Black Velvet Band" and "Gonna Be a Blackout Tonight".