Manic Street Preachers

Albums

  • Just a snapshot for now, more to come

1994

The Holy Bible - 96%

Definitely one of the best hard rock records of the 1990’s. The Holy Bible is a true testament of what rock and roll can be, as it successfully combines personal and political philosophies, especially in its opening 1-2-3 punch of “Yes”, “Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruth…”, and “Of Walking Abortion”. This is one of the scariest spookiest, and haunting albums ever made, I’ve never heard anything quite like it, and I don’t even understand half of the mad ranting. It doesn’t invent a new genre, it’s just well done rock n roll with a twist of offensive content, like a painting smeared with bloody animal carcasses. If you know what James Dean Bradfield is saying, it will pretty much offend everybody- but at the same time, wind-shearing songs like “Of Walking Abortion”, the glorious punk of “Faster”, and the slow and deliberate “Archives of Pain” are among the most amazing ever written. It has moments of raw ugliness like the horror show of the pounding “Mausoleum”, my personal favorite song here, that leave you thinking afterwards. I cannot mention the amount of times I’ve driven fast down the highway to “Revol”, one of the most jet-fuel laden hard rock songs I’ve ever heard.

 

What makes the album last so well in comparison to its obvious influences like In Utero and Closer (joy Division) is the moment of pause and beauty that contrast the harsher slaughterhouse feels. “This is Yesterday’ is a perfect ballad like the calm before the storm, even twisted beauty like ‘She is Suffering’ makes its place here, a singular moment of female acknowledgement that may be cursed but at least they tried. I’m not sure how to describe “4st 7lb” exactly, it’s a multi part suite that is not quite  ballad though it moves like one, its more like a specter posing as a human (probably how James felt at the time ) and quite the lyrically perfect song. Often over looked at the end of the album, “The Intense Humming of Evil” shows off the bands industrial rock mastery though one could argue it’s a little long, it’s still imperative to the albums flow. “PCP” erupts at the closing, eradicating everything that came before with lighting fast playing and some superb drumming by Sean Moore.

 

The Holy Bible stands as Richey James (their lead guitarist) last album because he tragically committed suicide after this in a disappearance never solved. James wrote most of the band’s lyrics, along with some contributions from bassist Nicky Wire, while Dean Bradfield wrote the music and plays most lead guitar. The album is sort of a mainstream album in Britain and more of a cult favorite in the USA, but anywhere it exists it stands as an affront to anything considered “normal” and begs the listener to pry their eyes open and the guts of the human experience. A Genius record, it will change a person’s view on life and music if they have an open mind. 

 

Best Songs: Mausoleum, Of Walking Abortion, Faster, Revol, PCP