CONCERTS - Inland Invasion and Live

Other new releases:

*Badfi nger: Airwaves

*C-Loc: Camp II: The Holocaust

*Green Day: American Idiot

*Keith Urban: Be There

Irish eyes are rocking on new album

By KYM PARSONS

Daily Titan Staff

Fused with melancholy, romanticism and a mix of beer-soaked anthems, Flogging Molly’s highly anticipated third album Within a Mile From Home seamlessly blends traditional Irish music with folk-rock on 14 blistering tracks.

This follow-up to 2002’s Drunken Lullabies takes listeners back to singer Dave King’s Dublin childhood through soft, poetic and fast, energy-charged ballads.

From the album’s fi rst to last track, the eclectic combination of instruments gives off a feeling of ethnicity that similar bands, such as the Dropkick Murphys, don’t have.

With a violin, tin whistle, gui

tar, accordion, mandolin, banjo, bass, drums and the lead singer’s strong accent, this album focuses more on the band’s Irish roots than its rock, adding a new depth to their music.

In comparison to Flogging Molly’s prior two albums, Swagger andDrunken Lullabies, Within a Mile From Home suggests that the band has musically matured.

Its vocals are stronger, the melodies are well written and the instruments compliment rather than interrupt each other.

The band takes an unexpected political turn in the opening song “Screaming at the Wailing Wall” and inserts its common religious overtones in “The Seven Deadly Sins” and “To Youth.”

The versatile tone of the music

takes listeners on an emotional roller coaster from song to song. But despite the overall sadness in the band’s lyrics that fans have become accustomed to, the music alone is uplifting with its powerful, upbeat qualities as heard in “Queen Anne’s Revenge” and the title track.

Flogging Molly’s slower songs do draw attention, however, especially the more folk-like track “Factory Girls,” which features vocals by country singer Lucinda Williams.

Undoubtedly, Flogging Molly has a knack for composing songs that are simple enough to sing along with while being noticeably musically complex.

The quality of this album is practically impeccable, and evidently well worth its two-year wait.

Having been on this year’s Vans Warped Tour, what is notable about Flogging Molly is how its music is able to appeal to those from all ends of the spectrum.

From those with rich Irish blood to diehard punk fans, it is this quality about Flogging Molly that truly makes the band unique.

Megadeth, Mustaine get aggressive again

By FRANCIS SZYSKOWSKI

Daily Titan Asst. Photo Editor

Two years ago, Megadeth founder and lead singer Dave Mustaine said that the band had broken up. Now Megadeth has returned with a vengeance with its latest album The System Has Failed.

System brings back the sounds and aggression that a lot of Megadeth fans have missed hearing over the last couple of albums. The tracks “Blackmail the Universe,” “Kick the Chair,” and “Back in the Day” are the best examples of the band’s return to form, while tracks like “The Scorpion” and “My Kingdom” will satisfy those fans who enjoyed later albums.

Even the album cover, bearing the recognizable symbol/mascot Vic, is a sign to fans that the Megadeth they had come to know is back and not going anywhere.

With a lot of music, fans thinking that any band that plays loud, screams and/or wears black is a metal band.

The System Has Failed, and more importantly Megadeth, shows music fans what true metal is. The lyrics are socially conscious and the music is dark and aggressive.

The album is a far cry from Dave Mustaine’s former band’s last effort, Metallica’s St. Anger, which left many metal fans with a bad taste in their mouths.

Unfortunately, with music outlets such as MTV playing only dumb-downed pop music and running shows about people looking through each other’s bedrooms, this album will not be heard by those who should hear it.