On Friday, Irish alt-rock band The Cranberries released what will be the final studio album of their long and impactful career. The arrival of the 11-track album, In The End, comes after members announced their decision earlier this year to retire the band for good following the sudden death of singer Dolores O’Riordan in January 2018.
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The new album includes the previously-released singles, “All Over Now” and “In The End“. The instrumental portions of the album were recorded by surviving members Mike and Noel Hogan, and Fergal Lawler, in spring 2018 following O’Riordan’s death. The initial writing sessions for the material that would end up on In The End began back in the fall of 2017. Thankfully, O’Riordan had already laid down her vocal tracks prior to her death, giving the rest of the band a much-needed head start on closing what will be the final chapter in their thirty-year career.
“After Dolores’ devastating and unexpected passing in January 2018, we took some time out and put all plans on hold,” the band shared in a statement upon the announcement of their final album earlier this year. “As time passed, we began to think about how we might best honour our close friend and bandmate. This was a very painful process. We remembered how Dolores had been so energised by the prospect of making this record and getting back out on the road to play the songs live, and realised that the most meaningful thing to do was to finish the album we had started with her. We felt that this is what she would want.”
Fans can listen to the band’s final album via the Spotify player below.
The Cranberries – In The End