28 August 2019

Welsh legends MANIC STREET PREACHERS released their third album, masterpiece
‘THE HOLY BIBLE’ on 30 August 1994, 25 years ago. To my fan ears, this dark LP is the Manics’ most absorbing, imposing and unpolished achievement of their brilliant career.
It was the unfortunate Richey Edwards‘ last record before vanishing mysteriously. His cutting and at times very introvert, controversial and angry lyrics clearly showed that Edwards‘ demons were taking over. Musically it’s an irresistibly dynamic and terrifically edgy exploit. A solid gold magnum opus that still resonates as staggering as back then!

NME wrote: “Like most works of genuine genius, it’s a world away from anything else its creators ever set their hands to. Born as a reaction to the failure of their early bid to become a Valley Guns N’Roses, its white, seething fury at absolutely everything meant they could never go to such terrifying depths again… Musically, ‘The Holy Bible’ is incredible, the result of James Dean Bradfield’s decision to rein the band back into a shitty studio in Cardiff’s red light district. Abandoning stadium dynamics and embracing new wave, industrial, art rock and goth, the likes of ‘Faster’ and ‘Yes’ stand up as furious mutant metal hybrids.” Full review here . Score: 5/5

Three (of the many) highlights…

– REVOL –

– FASTER –

– THIS IS YESTERDAY –
(live rendition – Glastonbury 2003)

Album in full…

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