The Holy Bible

An alright album but no real standouts.

I think this will never become my music. But this album was better then then the other I had to listen to.

Never listened to this band before. Having read more about the lead singer's disappearance and the subject matter for the songs, it's pretty depressing.

Not bad. Will revisit but probably will not make it to my heavy rotation

I remember being slightly afraid of this album and now I’m grown, it doesn’t feel as hardcore as I’d imagined it was back then. A great piece, rageful and so of the time.

Un album bien mid pour finir l’année

Half listened to it while washing my hair Nothing against the album personally. Might come back to it later.

Everything I know of the Manics is post-this record. Who knew they were actually quite grungy in their earlier stuff? Wasn't surprised this was quite a political album, but the heavier sound was interesting. I found it really hard to figure out the lyrics at times though, and I wanted to like it more than I did

Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible Not gonna lie, this kinda surprised me to listen, because i thought this was going to sound very technical and robust all throughout the album, but quite the opposite. Some of the songs on this albums sound really good, the rock elements mainly are what makes it great to hear. Overall, this is good! 1.- Yes = 9/10 2.- Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart = 7/10 3.- Of Walking Abortion = 8/10 4.- She Is Suffering = 9/10 5.- Archives of Pain = 8/10 6.- Revol = 7/10 7.- 4st 7lb = 8/10 8.- Mausoleum = 6/10 9.- Faster = 8/10 10.- This Is Yesterday = 7/10 11.- Die in the Summertime = 7/10 12.- The Intense Humming of Evil = 7/10 13.- P.C.P. = 8/10 FINAL SCORE: 7.6/10

Not good. Not bad.

This is another never heard of ‘em before album. Not bad, a bit gimmicky with voiceover samples etc on most of the tracks. It was the nineties and everyone was doing it so, ok. So is the album.

Another band i have seen live. Very good album but not my favourite but still worthy of a 4. It's clear that this album was heavily influenced by Edwards struggle with depression and alcoholism.

Ifamericatoldthetruthforonedayitsworldwouldfallapart may win for the longest title. This band was interesting, though I don’t know if it was a “1001 Must Listen.” It had a post-punk/post-grunge ‘00s feel that sat isomewhere in between Collective Soul and Radiohead, with a bit of Placebo and Cure mixed it. Of Walking Abortion was pretty cool as a song, and I really enjoyed the vibe of She is Suffering, immediately following. It’s interesting that I had never heard of them before. Overall, not bad! I’m probably going to give them a few more listens.

Dude! I totally thought this was going to be 90s Brit pop and it was way more Living Colour. Some political and just overall life vibes with the spoken interludes. It was way more rock heavy than I expected. Nothing particularly jumped out at me but it was pretty decent. I doubt I'll ever listen to this one again. But I wouldn't mind hearing it again.

Seems like pretty average 90s rock

Solid 90s (Brit?) rock I was not previously familiar with

Not bad

I’m glad I got one of their records since I have heard a lot about this band. There are things to like here, like the hard rocking guitar riffs and unique vocals, but I just didn’t care for most of it.

мало что осознала из музыки, зато почитала про потерявшегося участника, ух. надо их в принципе продолжать, надежды на них высокие

Not really my taste.

Not bad, some bangers.

Fitting for the current world state

I'm going to have to come back to this one.

Good alternative rock - the Manics have a good sound. I don't think there is anything that differentiates them from other bands in this genre. To me, the most interesting thing about the band is the disappearance of their lyricist/rhythm guitarist Richey James. It's a solid album.

Dark UK alt rock with a lot of edge. Unique enough to stand out from other alt rock groups of the time. I enjoyed the majority of the music but another album where I didn’t enjoy the vocals much. Lyrics are great but it’s just not my thing. Can I have a happy album today please?

Lyder meget godt! Det første jeg har hørt med MSP, meget mere punket end jeg regnede med

Ret cool lyd, lyder som britpop der bliver spist levende af post-punk

Very punk. (I found the backstory about the vocalist, Richy interesting.)

Pretty cool. I might like this album more with a few more listens but no time for that.

I didn't know anything about this band or Richey Edwards before today. He was going through a next level tortured existence. The story of his disappearance is pretty wild. While suicide by drowning is the most obvious and probable outcome, I like to think he disappeared into obscurity and somehow escaped his demons. As far as the album goes, I didn't really know what to expect, but it was actually pretty good. The political topics and mental health themes were solid (though I couldn’t really understand the lyrics so I followed along with some of them on the app), and it wasn't over the top musically. I liked how they started some of the songs with different snippets to set up the theme of each track too. Not too shabby at all!

I heard of this band and this album as a teen, and have somehow not heard a note of the Manic Street Preachers music. Not what I expected! At the start it sounds oddly like the bits of 90s Japanese rock I've heard, everything including the vocal cadence. Then later it starts to sound like something like Muse, or I'm kinda sick of the sound or something, and I don't dig it. HOWEVER, I find it touching that the band continues to split a quarter of their earnings and set up a microphone each time for a guy who disappeared in 1995, and that is worth the upgrade to 3 stars.

These guys are not what I thought they were! First half of the album stronger than the second, but carried me through nonetheless.

Better than the other manic street preachers album on this list, pretty compelling given the story of the lead singer at the time but i still did not enjoy it

Some tunes but I think it out stays it's welcome a bit.

You can tell the difference in this and post-Richey Manics. This feels better than some of the better known later stuff. Some quite dark lyrics highlighting his state of mind at the time. Not sure if I would call it an enjoyable listen at times but not a bad effort.

The Manic Street Preachers deliver their sermon on human depravity with all the subtlety of pyrotechnics at a funeral march.

I like the energy of the album. Grim lyrics are always a plus with punk-leaning music.

Good album for the times but I don’t think it holds up

Punky rock

Pretty gud

Good. odd but good

devo dire simpatico, ma non memorabile

Pretty standard Welsh rock tunes. Didn't notice any particularly standout tracks.

less yelling than I anticipated! not a single megaphone! barely street preachers at all! 2.5

I really like the sound of Manic Street Preachers. An hour of it is a bit much, but for the most part I enjoyed this album. I'm terrible at listening to lyrics, so I'll take everyone's word that they're deep and meaningful. If this album was 15 minutes shorter I might give it a 4, but it's probably going to fall to a 3 with the length.

I find the Manics a bit too serious, lack a too much melody and are not quite as clever as they think they are.

This album was better than the last MSP one that came through the rotation. I still find it weird that reviews call these masterpieces and other highly praised words. I don’t hear it.

This wasn’t bad, but I feel like it would translate better live

It’s a pretty decent 90s alt-rock album, but it is mostly significant for the personal tragedy surrounding it.

Du rock alternatif des années 90, avait normalement tout pour me plaire, mais, peut-être parce que j'en ai justement trop écouté, m'a semblé un peu générique. Je crois comprendre que concept et le sujet de l'album lui ont valu sa place dans ce classement, mais ça ne m'a pas marquée

I had only heard of Manic Street Preachers in the 90s, never listened to them. But then i realized the music on this album is great! It's right up my alley. But those melodies are atrocious! By the 7th song I didn't want to listen anymore. By the 10th song his voice started to grate on me too. Too bad for me I guess. Their fans don't seem to care (or think I'm wrong) so good for them.

I really liked it - my kind of music. They remind me a bit of Rush.

Legitimately, some of the most troubling lyrics I have heard. Not only is the content horrifying, nothing rhymes and few of the lines flow together nicely- giving rise to discomfort and concern for the author. Rarely do I hear such disregard for lyrical flow. The words almost mean more to the author than the song. However, when you try to analyze the lyrics they seem almost too complex to make sense. The author's mania feels very real and very sinister. The whole thing is haunting.

One of the angriest albums that I've ever heard -- not anger like shouty-shouty -- but bitterness in all its nihilistic rage. Its core is just cynical and dark expressions of societal displeasure. Therapy's good for you, boys. Musically, it's fine -- although I felt like it kinda goes up its own ass a little too far. Maybe once their guitarist disappeared, they were able to lighten up a little bit. Anyway, it's OK. Unexpected bangers: She is Suffering, Faster

Correctos.

Weird 80’s sound, like an album they would have played at the local head shop or skate shop. It’s pretty great and not what I expected. Almost punk, I dig it.

I never heard of these guys before. I like this better than shoegaze. And the disappearance is interesting to read about. More interesting than the lyrics.

La verdad no quede tan satisfecho con este disco, en términos subjetivos y personales, no logre conectar mucho con las canciones, ya sea por el genero y el estilo de la música, o por el contexto lirico de esta (el cual creo que es una gran razón de porque este disco es un clásico). Para mi la primera mitad del disco mostro ser más fuerte y consistente, pero luego perdió esa energía en mi opinión. Creo que le daré otra oportunidad si.

I just didn't connect with this and wondered why, again, two consecutive albums from a group that feel very similar. Maybe I missed something. I think it might have been a bit more interesting than Everything Must Go, but I'm not coming back to this one anytime soon.

Well, hmmm... I think the biggest issue was that I was not in a mood for this rock album. I mean, it was coming across as a solid rock album, but it just felt a bit removed from me.

This is pretty damn good. I can see this moving to a 4 star on repeated listenings. Still a 3 for now.

So this is what the Manics did before they become BBC Radio 2 rock whores. A welcome reminder that they were hardcore AF in their early career.

Slight turn up for the books, I was expecting to really hate this, but turns out it’s kind of passable. My past history is not being big on these guys, and I find the vocalist’s raspy shouting like nails down a chalkboard. But somehow found myself being slightly drawn in to a couple of the songs in the middle. I think musically it felt more heavy (grungy in places) than their more famous work, which suited me. From a quick post listen google it turns out Richy Edwards was the main songwriter prior to his disappearance after this album. Guess that may explain it. Scrapes a 3.

Loved it! Bit samey in places…

Better than I expected but didn't do it for me.

Their name is accurate and this is unfortunate.

It's fine. It doesn't have the big singles or immediacy of Everything Must Go, but you can see where that is going to come from.

Meh. Not bad, but not memorable. Not really my type of music, either.

Ok. Not bad. Not great

The story behind the making of the album and Richey Edward's personal issues seem to over shadow the actual record. The album starts off fast and hard and is quite listenable. It does lose energy and my interest towards the end and it's not something I would care to listen to often. The sound is fairly generic and I probably couldn't pick it out in a line, overall it's okay. It is sad this was the last album before Edward's disappearance.

Jeg hyggede mig med albummet. Flere sange som jeg godt kunne gøre igen. Blev en anelse afbrudt lytning, så nåede ikke at fordybe mig helt vildt.

Not bad, not great.

Another band I haven't heard of. Some very angry songs in a post-punk style. It was fine but I don't need to hear it again.

Look, making fun of Reagan is always great. I will always support that. But I didn’t love the music on here. It wasn’t bad I just wasn’t grabbed by any of it.

They have pretty much everything that rock band needs. Loud frontman, great instrumental players, awesome name. They are just very mid.

That cover creeps me out. Not unlistenable and fairly decent, but really not something that is a must listen to? What reasoning is being used for this list?

Understandably angst-filled but with hints of melody. Not bad.

Enjoyable but sounded kinda quiet, not sure how to explain. Reminiscent of many bands I enjoy but not sure why this is on here. I could hear some proto-SOAD, proto-Incubus, stone temple pilots.

Teenage edginess never sounded so groovy. Three walking abortions out of five. 👶🏻👶🏻👶🏻

Lo he escuchado algunas veces sin prestar mucha atención. Agradable al oído. Lo hubiera disfrutado mas si pudiera entender la letra.

cool

Experimental for ‘94. I don’t get much replay value though

Agressive and Young! I Kinda Like It!! It's like Nirvana meeting Green Day.

Yes IfWhiteAmericaToldTheTruthForOneDayIt'sWorldWouldFallApart She is Suffering Faster This is Yesterday I’m definitely not educated enough to understand every little reference but for the most part it’s pretty good. Felt very punk.

This is my second, and subsequently last Manic Street Preachers album to review. I enjoyed Everything Must Go, so I had high hopes going into this album as well. Overall, I didn’t enjoy The Holy Bible as much as Everything Must Go. The Holy Bible had some pretty solid guitar rock, but the lyrics were the main star of the show. The songwriting on this album was spectacular, and I thought the lyrics provided some great political and social commentary and critiques that were well in line with the theme of The Holy Bible. The spoken word introductions worked really well to set the mood when they were used, and the frantic pace of the lyrics were effective in conveying frustration and leveling criticisms at conservative policies. I know Manic Street Preachers are Welsh, but this album really resonated with me as an American. I often think of the nineties as a time of liberal politics and progressivism, but in reality, the amount of progress that was made was pretty minimal, and things like mandatory sentencing minimums were being enacted by what was supposed to be a left-leaning administration. This album really resonates today, as more and more people look back on the nineties through a more objective lens. Musically though, this album was pretty middle of the road. I enjoyed the songs that leaned towards strongly towards stronger melodies, like “Yes” and “This is Yesterday.” The other songs were fine, but they didn’t really stand out to me, and most of them kind of relied on the same sound. If I remember correctly, Everything Must Go had some more varied sounds and relied a lot more on different arrangements, and I think that’s why I enjoyed it more. I wanted to like this more than I did, but it wound up being a pretty middle of the road album for me.

didn't hold up for me over the last time i heard it 20 years back ;)

Will be honest, I didn’t pay a heap of attention to this album. I enjoyed it and the underlying tune.

The disappearance of one of the band members made more of an impression than the music itself. It's fine.

I enjoyed this, the vocals remind me of The Mars Volta

Solid punk rock music with some seriously bleak and disturbing lyrics. There were long stretches of this album where I couldn't actually make out what was being said, and that might be for the better. Still an intriguing listen, and one that I suspect would grow on me with repeated listens (and that scares me a little).

Putting my prejudices aside, I gave this a fair go and was pleasantly surprised. I knew what to expect and I enjoyed the messages of some songs, the tight guitar playing and the powerful voice of the singer. Probably never going to listen to it again but its still pretty good.

Good song material, somewhat 'pushy' execution.

Ehhhh 5/10

Not sure if this is punk rock. Not sure if I really enjoyed it. 5/10

This is well-made and the guy clearly went through some shit but it's just wrong place, wrong time for me to get any enjoyment out of it. This is sorta pre-pop-punk, and any interest I had in pop punk died when i was 15

Certainly an interesting album at least. Lyrics are so hard to make out though without reading them. Also I had this random feeling with some of the songs that I'm listening to some knock-off Japanese band trying to sing in English. There were some quite okay songs too though, so gonna go for a weak 3.

Much noise

I'm not familiar with this album or band at all. From the first track ('Yes') it seems like the sort of 90s rock that I don't typically go for, I prefer grungier stuff. Track two has quite the progressive name, especially for the early 90s ('ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart'), which is interesting. I'm digging the news clips throughout as well, they seem to be focused a lot on progressive political views, the third track is called 'Of Walking Abortion' for crying out loud. Musically they're kind of boring/generic, but the lyrics and political messaging are enough to make me want to listen to some of their other stuff. 3/5

Harder than I thought it was going to be - pretty good overall

Notable tracks: Yes, Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforoneday, Of Walking Abortion, Archives of Pain, Mausoleum, This Is Yesterday

This album sounds good and it’s consistent in quality throughout. It is Not something interests me but I appreciate an intensity and level of dedication to craft and theme.

Meh

I feel there are bigger albums from the manics

Okay now!

sounds light

not too bad , pretty decent but nothing mind blowing. Yes was pretty good though

How sacralicious. I think I like the Manic Street Preachers now more than before.

Nice to hear some older MSP. Started strong but got a but samey towards the end.

When your message is the bleak futility of existence but your medium is undifferentiated indie plodrock

Revisiting this there are more good songs than I remembered. Revisiting this I also have come to understand that Manic Street Preachers is a songs band and not an albums band

The most interesting thing about this album is that one of the members disappeared after this one and was officially declared dead sometime in the 2000s. A big mystery. The music is good, but I couldn't name one song or tune. I would put it on as background maybe.

I didn't form any strong connection to the album or any of the songs but I respect the artists. It seemed pretty solidly put together.

Was ready to not like this album at all after the first few tracks, but I was pleasantly surprised that it ended strong. Top tracks: Archives of Pain, Revol, Die in the Summertime

I was expecting the album to be depressing, but it wasn't too bad. My favourite tracks were "4st 7lb" and "Mausoleum", although I quite liked the very dark "The Intense Humming of Evil".

Close to four stars. Listen to this one again, good tunes and lyrics

You hear all sorts of eventual bands in this album from 311 to Incubus. It was likely a niche during its time that gave way to an entire genre. Some rocks decently. Hints of Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction but more singularly focused than either predecessors or followers 2.75/5

Good musicianship but not my taste

I got into them later and preferred those albums but it was ok

3? One or two fo the songs really grabbed my attention, but the rest I just wanted to end.

Interesting album, more abrasive than I expected as I have only heard their later work. The production is a bit all over the place and I don’t think I’d listen again. Very sad to read about their guitarist.

Not their best album, but very nice alternative rock album

Of the 90s British rock I’ve gotten on this list - this was among the more surprising. Felt like an emo record circa 2004 - so I was a bit shocked knowing it came out in 94. It was a good listen - fairly depressing lyrics. And the story behind one of the band members disappearing is fascinating.

I imagine it was shocking at the time, but I really didn't feel the need to listen to it again.

I didn't love it but I didn't hate it.

Had never heard of this band or album - so didn't what to expect - but I enjoyed more of it than I thought I would... For the most part I liked their sound - though some of the songs were less than exceptional... Best songs IMO were "Archives Of Pain" & "The Intense Humming Of Evil"... Was going to rate this a 2, but based on the quality of those 2 songs I'm gonna give it a 3...

Very interesting and eclectic music.

Very decent

This album certainly flew under my radar when it first came out. Being from the US, I think we were inundated with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, etc. at the time, so I don't think this got much airplay. I don't remember seeing it on MTV. Listening to it last night, it is a solid rock album. Great songwriting and guitar work.

Welsh rock band? Yes, pah-leaze. Tortured, bleak and disillusioned as almost everything was back then but it's got that special something. Too bad Richey pulled an Irish goodbye but good the band prevailed and continues to produce a unique sound. Added: Yes

Bland forgettable mid 90s British meh.

Sometimes good and sometimes bad

I waited to long and can't remember a whole lot. Was alright. a mixed bag of good and bad. Will I listen to again: 25%

I kinda like the music but the "shock" lyrics don't really do it for me on this one. I think the "shock" takes away from the message. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. This one doesn't.

I liked this more than I expected to.

The Manics should have been my thing back in the day but they always left me a bit cold. Their posturing always seemed ridiculous to me, and their music is a bit dull

3.75

I remember when Richey Edwards went missing it was all over the national news and such a shock. It was the pre-anthemic stadium-filling Manics but they were finding their niche and had a growing following. Listening to this I thought it was going to hit me harder and be better than it was. It’s a bleak and interesting listen but maybe the maturer Manics have taken up more of my musical consciousness than I expected.

The band’s name is familiar, but I didn’t know any of their music before this listen. I wasn’t able to fully pay attention to the lyrics, and I suspect that if I had been, I may have rated this album a bit higher

Meh Was more interested in the story about the guitar player’s disappearance than the music.

I liked the lyrics a hell of a lot more than the music. Felt generic and bland throughout most of the album. It was enjoyable anyways.

I’ve never been a huge fan of MSP. Perhaps be she they come across as a bit too worthy in their lyrics and I just can’t get past that. Still, they haven’t needed me or my patronage to be a success so I’m sure they’re not bothered by that opinion.

I'd heard so much about this album. I hoped I'd like it more... It's fine. The singing style doesn't really vibe with me, but I like the music well enough.

Thre's so much hype surrounding The Holy Bible. The Richey story is mainly behind this. Sure, it's a good album, but not great. Gold Agaisnt the Soul had more baslls. The talking in-between the tracks has always got on my tits. It's the reason I don't listent to commercial radio.

Lazy review. 3.5 probably overall. I'll give em a 3 here

12/12/23 2:30 S Tier————————— A Tier————————— PCP 4st 7lb Archives of Pain B Tier————————— Yes Faster Revol Die in the Summertime The Intense Humming of Evil If White America Of Walking Abortion C Tier————————— This Is Yesterday

Tuesday 12/12/2023, 2:30, office S Tier————————— This Is Yesterday Mausoleum A Tier————————— Die In The Summertime She is Suffering Faster B Tier————————— Archives of Pain Yes Of Walking Abortion C Tier————————— The Intense Humming of Evil P.C.P. ifwhiteamerica Revol

Good introduction to this band although I found the back story of the singer more interesting than the album.

fun

It was ok, not what i hyped it up to be in my head. Thought it was gonna be all religious symbolism and shit but not its just rock which is cool but ok

I like their songs. Some of them are like greatest ones. But this album didn’t speak to me

Vimmainen levy! Synkkyydessä ryömitään, ehkä toisinaan vähän tarpeettomankin syvällä, mutta musana menevää ja selvästi jostain syvästä paikasta virtaavaa. 3/5

3 5

Fine punk rock style. Can't understand the lyrics yet though

A name I’ve known for a long time, but never listened to. There’s some really good stuff here. You can hear where this influences bands that came later. However for an hour long album the stuff that grabs you is a bit few and far between.

Decent

Not a big Manics fan. Solid album though.

Started great but eventually a bit dull…

I couldn't get into this album. I don't know why. I usually enjoy this style of music. I should probably revisit this album.

Holy shit

I hadn't heard of this band or heard any of their music before, and it is a good album. Their sound and style don't sound as different now, nearly 30 years after this album was released, because I've heard so many bands in the very broad "alt-rock" category, but I'll bet back in '94 it stood out more. It still sounds solid to me, very well composed and skillfully performed with a lot of expression, but not messy or out of control. I want to go back and read some of these lyrics. Sounds like they hit hard on some important and tough areas.

Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🥤🍔🍟 Production (2014 Remaster):🔥👌🎯 Music: 🪨🌧️🪤 Rating: ⚖️⚖️⚖️/5

Never heard them before. Just thought it was much of the same. Ok not great

Interesting to find out that most of their “hits” that I know and hate came after their main talent disappeared into a pit of his own depression and angst. Turns out the original line up was dark as fuck and pretty legit. Unfortunately, the sound reminds me too much of their later Faux-poetic shite. But at least now I’m aware their earlier work was authentic.

2.5

6.5/10 This one was a baffler. It starts out with a song that sounds like it could have been the opening for a late 90s sitcom. Poppy grunge. But then it gets weirder, more slippery in style. This album sounds like it was made by a 75% less talented Brian May and Freddy Mercury. Which is to say the singer and the guitar player are very talented indeed. The lyrics are earnestly political and the clear tone of the singers voice is set at odds against the tougher guitars. It's almost proggy at points, but still feels like it can't quite be all it can because of the gravity of the late nineties. I don't know if I like it, but it did confuse me a bit. Which, bravo!

A bit too preachy... heh heh. But actually, I enjoyed this album. Great instrumentals. Good album, overall.

Not bad! These guys are crass and can go kinda hard. Good musicianship too

Started off enjoying but got kinda tired of it by the end

Decent

It's okay. Starts to all sound the same after a while

Two listens in and I kind of enjoy it. Pretty standard 90’s alt rock fare. Good lyrics, interesting backstory to the band. Not sure I would listen again, so rating a 3 for now.

Okay. Not super exciting but certainly not bad.

Was fine

3.2

Never heard this one before. It's solid and efficient, but you find yourself waiting for a signature track that never comes. Odd that an album that performed so poorly commercially makes the 1001 list.

It's not bad but it's a bit samey and lacks any real hit. I'll need to play this a bit more...

What a strange mix of like Foo Fighters, Sex Pistols, MCR, Rage against the Machine, very weird. And before a lot of those bands did their thing. I liked it

6/10

Couldn’t get into it for some reason. Maybe in another week. Shit happens.

Hadn’t really listened before, although knew the name. Some pretty good stuff on here, but I don’t think I’ll necessarily seek it out again.

I didn't hate it, but it kinda just washed over me and left nothing behind. 3/5

1.0

Not everything hits on it, but there are a handful+ of really quality songs on here. May come back to it to see if the others grow on my as well. 6/10

I've heard a lot of hype for this album. Not bad, but I was hoping for a bit better.

Again and alright album, defs at its best with the heavier stoof. 2.5/5

This one more my speed - a little rawer, borderline thrashy in a couple of sections will contrast really interestingly with the arena rock stuff. Still, it way overstsys it's welcome and has a foot firmly in the cringe pool on multiple tracks. Hey, I had fun. Fave track: Ifwhiteamerica...

There was a time when I was listening to Manic Street Preachers - namely 2014, after they released Futurology. But this isn't how I remember my Manic Street Preachers phase - The Holy Bible feels pretty forgetable.

The album as a whole feels 90’s-generic and forgettable but there are a few standout moments.

I don't like this. It's nearly very good, but isn't. it's poor Nothing wrong exactly but I don't like the vocsls, lyrics, tone, earnestness, and tunes. Not for me.

Liked a song at a time but the whole Album was repetitive.

Correctos.

Album 86 of 1001 Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible Rating : 2 / 5 Not a bad listen. Some nice guitar, here and there. From what I understand, they lyrics can be a bit on the disturbing side, but I couldn't make out a lot of them, to be honest. The story of the leader disappearing seems to be what has kept this album going for years.

3.5 stars

I only had 2 Manics albums but had heard this one was really good. Didn't quite hit the mark for me. I was expecting it to be similar to the others, generic sounding political indie but every now and then an awesome bit of guitar work (sleepflower/slash 'n' burn). Probably unreasonable to criticise for a lack of guitar riffage but I'm doing it sorry. Stand out tracks - - Of walking abortion - She is suffering

Parts of this I really liked. Other parts really sounded like 2000s emo to me. Maybe that means this band was ahead of its time. Regardless, I think this is an album I respected more than I liked.

Somewhat similar to The Offspring's "Smash" which I suffered through a few days ago. It's also a heavier, almost metal-ish, approach in punk/grunge. The difference is that this album embraced all the pretentious elements of rock that I love. The instruments are also nice and tight unlike the loose energy from "Smash". So it's easy to be blown away by this album, especially by some ravaging bangers in it. But it's still a somewhat mid alt-rock overall, and not even the aforementioned bangers can save it that much.

It was pretty good

This album has no chill. It's seemingly always at 11, which is both good and bad. My point being.. have you tried being less manic?

Ok

This sounds like what you would use if you were making a movie set in the 90s but didn't have the budget to license a well-known band or song. Best track: (Indistinguishable)

Not too bad. 3½.

A few of the songs are just great rock tunes, but for the most part, I get the impression they were trying to be too serious about their message (for example, with all the pieces of recordings at the beginning of each track), and the actual music fell by the wayside.

had not a clue what to expect & this was definitely not it, but what a wonderful surprise! 3.5

Very average album, nothing interesting that I, or my family have found, for the fact. Just few rock songs that were pretty good and that's it, just total mediocre album. Nothing that stands out either way.

I had never heard of this band before, but am familiar enough with some of their Welsh contemporaries like Super Furry Animals and Stereophonics. I had pretty low expectations for this but enjoyed it well enough. Generally when things from the 90s I have not heard of come up they are not for me, but this was fun.

I swear I have heard the first track on this album somewhere, but can't remember where or when. This is alright. It's pretty good, but I wouldn't give it a 4. Probably a high 3. Sometimes it sounds like the lead singer is trying to do his best Freddy Mercury impression

this is exactly the music i'm talking about when i say i don't like guitars.

A bit too edgy, but that was to be expected, considering the cover. Pretty enjoyable, I liked DIE IN THE SUMMEЯTIME and AЯCHIVES OF PAIN the most.

it wasw pretty nice actually, She Is Suffering is a really good track 3.5/5 but cant rate it that so ill give it 3

This was hard to listen through, even though I suspect with more listens I'd get more into it. But it's too dark to dig deeper into right now. 3.5/5

This was a nice surprise. I've heard of this band before but I couldn't name a single one of their songs, so I wasn't sure what to expect. This rocked pretty hard but also had enough nuance and interesting lyrics to make me want to listen again. Going with 3 stars for now, but could go up to 4 on further listening, we'll see.

rock pop punk typique...bof

I don't think I'd ever listened to a Manics record when Richey was still in the band. It's good. I still think I enjoyed them more after.

A little mixed on this one, some of it is right up my ear canal in a good way, but some others are a little not my thing...so middle score for middle tastes of mine.

You can see glimmers of their greatness here. Interesting music but not emotionally gripping.

Genres: Rock Formed: 1986, Blackwood, Wales???. I like the Manics but this album didn’t do it for me. Presumably it’s the later stuff I’m familiar with.

ну так, рочок какой-то

Toutes les pires atrocités de l'humanité réunies dans un album avec un son très punk, parfois un peu plus " léger et pop " mais toujours avec un son gras et puissant, des paroles très travaillées et nécessaires pour comprendre les différents messages dispersés.

3/5

The word that came to mind on this album was velocity. It has both speed and direction.

HL: "Yes", "Revol", "Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart", "This is Yesterday" Hard to rate; the musicianship + melodies are like a 4-5 but the lyrics are like a 1-2 for me (I listened to much of it with the lyric sheet open after not getting most of what he was saying). I have a surface level understanding of the Manic Street Preachers/Richie Edwards, but it feels like his struggles were trivialized, so long as he was able to stay productive & finish the record. It's also too easy to hear elements of a breakdown after the fact; perhaps the difference between this &, say, NIN's The Downward Spiral, is that the lyricist survived the press release/tour. January 11, 2023

The Holy Bible is good, incredibly angst-ridden and very listenable, though I'd stop short of saying it's very good or anything like that because it's very one-speed and doesn't reach the heights of some of their best singles. 3.

Pretty cool. Will have to revisit.

This is the second album that I have listened to of theirs. While nothing specific jumped out at me, it was pleasant enough to listen to in the background while driving. I enjoyed this album a lot more than the first one I listened to. Reading the story of how one of the members just up and disappeared was more fascinating to me than the music.

Unremarkable. Some songs, like Archives of Pain, stuck out as quite good, but on the whole it all blended together. Not bad but didn't strike me as special, just as loud and troubled. Sorry to hear what happened.

ekki spenntur fyrir fram en reyndist talsvert betri en ég hélt. 3,5.

Heard of them before, but never listened to them. Quite liked the album. I'll look into their discography.

3/5. Pretty good punk album that could be more enjoyable but it may take a few listens. Some songs sound similar.

Liked several songs but was a little one note overall and not my style

It's like arena rock meets punk? Kinda weird, but there is enough there for me. 3/5

I found this pretty exhausting, but on the other hand I liked it more than I thought I would.

Seemed ahead of its time

Very different to their later albums. Liked it more than I thought but not sure I will listen again

These guys jam Nearly an hour long... yikes Vocals are awesome Lyrics are clever at their best but sound like an edgy suburban teenager at their worst Love being a walking abortion

Yeah cool. Never heard of these guys but feels like a ?post punk? Missing link of the jigsaw between say clash/pistols and strokes/libertines. Will be part of my rotation. Could probably do without the news coverage intervals tbh. Strong 3.

Yoooo I like the punk-y vocals with lots of l substance behind it. Maybe a bit generic sounding, could be anyone. Not to be confused with boring - makes for great listening, no dud songs. Important commentary on 90s beauty standards. 4st 7lb has spicy lyrics that I'm sure resonated with alot of ppl "I wanna be so skinny I rot from view"

didn't care too much about this, good background music

manic street preachers - the holy bible (1994) notes - reminds me of at the drive in, dismemberment plan, against me - nihilistic songs about politics, race, mental health fav song - die in the summertime - really interesting guitar stuff throughout this song, catchy chorus, cool lyrics least fav - she is suffering - not a big fan of the chorus or the verse melody

Never heard of them. Was afraid it was going to be gospel music. Thankfully it was not gospel, it was Brit-Pop. Not bad, but really not anything special. The entire album just seemed really generic. No real unique sound to them. The songs were all pretty much structured the same. Seems like you could change any one of them out, including the singer, with a random journeyman musician and you would never notice.

Not nearly as tight as the follow-up album (which I received way back in the project). Still packs a punch with the same tight, punkish energy (and gets deliciously heavy in parts), but most tracks run for 1-2 minutes past their welcome. A bit of editing and the dismissal of the more repetitive tracks would make this a rip-roaring, undeniable LP, but as is it's still a fun listen regardless.

The band leader seems to have been a pretty tragic figure and according to his lyrics, a very angry person. The album was ok, definitely not horrible but also nothing worth re-listening to me.

This was enjoyable in parts. Like a '90s version of Billy Talent or Against Me.

it started off string i really enjoyed it but towards the end it was boring and i didn’t like the sound.

Boy this is a mixed bag. After the first ~3 songs I was loving this - aggressive yet melodic, with enough complexity to keep interest. And although there is/was nothing I actively disliked...It just didn't hold up in the long run. Is it too long? Would I have loved this in the LP-age when were were almost limited to around 45 minutes? Maybe it's that. Maybe it's the vocals - they're good ... until they're not (the more aggressive tunes near the middle of the album just don't work for me). Some of the songs have an abrasiveness that I'm sure was intended but isn't my favourite...e.g. "The Intense Humming of Evil" is slightly uncomfortable but also has some great parts in it - I think I should sum it up by saying it - along with a handful of other tracks here - sounds like a bunch of cool parts that end up not being great songwriting. But I will note "This Is Yesterday" and I think how was this not a hit? Great mid-tempo song that could probably have appealed to a variety of audiences. I don't know if I'd say it's a completely satisfying album overall, but there's a lot of good rock here ... I'll split this one right down the middle and will come back to about half the tracks. 5/10 3 stars

Holy Shit. This is fucking awesome. It's not all great, it's pretty raw, but it's enough for me to like the album.

Yes an intersting album

Overrated but pretty good nonetheless, accessible with a bit of interest and depth to the songwriting

It's not my favourite Manics album, but still filled with plenty of hard hitting tracks! 3.5

New nothing about MSP. Hadn't even heard of them. Really enjoyed this album. Broad range of styles. Better for a road trip than chilling.

They really were manic in places. I thought I’d enjoy it more than I did but it was alright, so an average 3*

The album was alright. I wouldn't say any song in particular is memorable or really remarkable. I did not feel the need to skip any songs. I will round up.

I actually really like this even if I don't know if I'll listen to it again. Brutal, grungy, deeply upsetting, deeply painful to listen to -- you can feel how fucking miserable this vocalist is throughout the album. It's hard to make out the lyrics, but when I looked them up, I really liked most of it. This shit is provocative and unflinching, especially to be from the fuckin' nineties. That said, idk, I think its biggest problems involve not having hooks on a lot of the songs. I can't really remember them. That's an issue. I'd say 3/5!

As someone only passably familiar with Manic Street Preachers' most radio-friendly hits, "The Holy Bible" was quite an eye-opener. When the opening song is about prostituting oneself, with the opening line "for sale- dumb cunt's same dumb questions", you know you're probably in for an unforgiving, self-lacerating experience. "Holy Bible" is just that, placing Manic Street Preachers straight into the pantheon of nihilistic 90s bands rising up in the wake of grunge. The subject matter here is provocative, uncompromising, and very bleak. It's inevitably tied with the tragic disappearance-deemed-suicide of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards, making for some uncomfortable listening to poison not quite unbearable music. "4st 7lb", for example, is plain unpleasant and made me think about the moral dilemma of balancing hateful art with the wellbeing of its creator (were Edwards' struggles with depression and anorexia taken seriously by anyone in the industry at the time? Or were they exploited as a publicity stunt?). "Revol" answers a question nobody needed answering: what if "We Didn't Start the Fire" was done by an angsty alt-rock 90s band? Answer: it would only have marginally more gravitas. So I've been really mixed on "The Holy Bible" and was going to give two stars after one listen, but there is a lot of merit here. Beneath the attention-grabbing toxic lyrics, some of these tracks dare to be catchy ("Yes", the chorus of "Ifwhiteamerica…" and "P.C.P" are some of the strongest examples). There's very strong musicianship (the guitar solo in "Archives of Pain", some nice shifting time-signatures, the hooky bassline in "P.C.P"). "This Is Yesterday" is as close as we get to a ballad and is one of two songs not written by Richey Edwards. It's not as radical as some of the others, but is a bit more palatable and adds a lovely touch of pathos to proceedings. Overall, "The Holy Bible" is a solid, meaty listen. It isn't all roses and sugarplums, but hey, who am I to demand what people write about?

Goes over the top in the ways you expect from 90s hardcore, but not bad. 6/10

I didn’t feel super engaged to the music but it was alright. PCP was a good song too. 6/10

There is definitely a lot going on here. The album is definitely dark... what is strangest to me is that the album sounds like you should be able to understand the lyrics, but the delivery pacing coupled with an advanced word choice makes this very hard to follow just by listening. I like the music and energy but it is a challenging listen. She is suffering stands out for me... but overall a really interesting listen.

Oh man, from Janet Jackson to this. That's a big ask... Never been much of a Manics fan, I think it's because I don't like his voice. It's always a struggle when you don't like the bit that's front and centre. I saw them on one of their early tours (You Love Us, Feb 92), when they were still in their Gn'R phase, they weren't very good. Always been a bit bored them.

I liked the instrumentation quite a bit but the lyrics were a little too much for me. So out there that I had trouble relating at all.

Best Song: Mausoleum. Really enjoyed the melody for the chorus. Worst Song: This is Yesterday. No one asked for this slow down in tempo in the middle of the album. Overall: Even though I've never heard them before, I can definitely here their influence on bands I have listened to. Although the album starts a bit slow, it picks up relatively quickly into the upbeat, dancey pop/punk/rock that it does well.

The Holy Bible reminds me of my early 20s, unrequited crushes on Manics fans, missing Richie. Not my favourite album of the Manic Street Preachers, that honour goes to Generation Terrorists. This album while mostly really good, has some dull or patchy moments. That said after not listening to them for decades i am surprised but the fact this sounds like a prototype for My Chemical Romance.

Correctos.

Inte mitt favorit MSP-album. 3*

Nearly gave a 2 until Die in the Summertime, which slaps. Over-rated.

Thought provoking lyrics and buttery guitars, some catchy beats. A couple tracks made it to my playlist but I wouldn't really come back to this one.

Nice.

Good times from a competent hard rock group. Nothing groundbreaking, but I dig their sound design and use of spoken word samples.

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I gave it a go and it wasn't for me. There were some good songs but most of them are forgettable and sound the same.

Love the Manics. But this won’t be for everyone!

After reading a little background of the album, it's indeed a very sad state of affairs. It is clear whilst listening to it that there the lead singer is not in a good place mentally and physically with documented reports of self-harm, anorexia nervosa, alcohol abuse and depression. The lyrical themes reflect heavily on politics and human suffering, yet it's one of those albums if you weren't paying too much attention to the lyrics themselves you'd happily bop along to the songs themselves without realising it's true meaning. Best: Yes Worst: Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart

First time listening to Manic Street Preachers but I really enjoyed it!

Heavier than I expected.

This album was once recommended to me by a friend with good music taste, but I either didn't listen or just couldn't get into it (sorry James). Let's try again, shall we? The Manics have some great hit singles but none of them are on this album... after 3 listens I still can't replay any of the songs in my head, which speaks to a lack of hooks. Still, I like the energy and the industrial/grungy feel to the guitar work, and I enjoyed the music more and more with each listen. Haven't properly delved into the lyrics which are supposedly the strongest part of the album (they're not easy to make out, to be fair), but I am at least starting to understand the hype now.

Not a huge Manics fan but this is a decent album. 3 stars

Many of the songs on this album sounded like they should be on movie soundtracks of movies that came out between 96-99. Which for me, is a good thing. I don’t think I’d go back to this for multiple listens but it was enjoyable.

okay post-punk sound.

Musically good heavy indie rock - heavier and more raw guitar sound than Everything Must Go, which I know well and rate highly. Sadly I can't make out the lyrics, so don't get the well documented angst that the critics go on and on about. Will listen to again, but for now it's just a 3, albeit a high 3.

Me gusta Manic Street Preachers pero no soy un súper fan y por lo tanto este disco que había oído de pasada me deja un poco indiferente. Se puede escuchar pero no creo que sea imprescindible. Aunque entiendo que como legado de la desaparición de Richey Edwards forma parte de al historia del rock de los 90 y sobre todo del UK Rock. Hay canciones buenas como Faster, Revol o Archives of pain.

Well it's not If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next and I think that's its biggest problem

Some fantastic songs here (Removables, Interiors), but most of the songs here are pretty forgettable.

Fun, a bit forgettable. The story around what happened after this album is weird though

Meh, It was good, but I don't get it / know if anything stood out here for me.

didnt hate it! 3

If the intention was also to compose music, the Manic Street Preachers end up sounding like less creative. Some Songs are not my cup of tea. (6/10) Favourite Tracks: She Is Suffering

The riffs are okay and the singer has a great voice, which is important in my books, especially when your lyrics are "anti" and angry. The cover art is brave and kudos to the later songs where they change it up a bit - like intro to The Intense Humming of Evil. The issue I have is that I don't know why this album - released in 1994 - would be anything special and worthy of being on this list.

Good abs interesting sound although a bit long, great behind story. I liked it

Never listened to them before and thought this was a pretty entertaining album. The lyrics were pretty deep and at times dark. Sometimes political as well. The instrumentals were solid and had a good 90s rock punk feel but still some British influences too. The backstory on this album is also pretty interesting. Overall it was good. 7.1/10

I thought it was good but didn't really enjoy listening to it, if that's possible. You get me?

A couple of decent tracks, but a bit repetitive. The low 3, giving them the benefit of doubt.

An uneasy listen for sure, especially in light of the tragic disappearance of Richey Edwards shortly after recording. The pain comes through in a number of tracks. The punk aesthetic is sincere, the band make a good sound. The production is awful- it’s impossible to hear James Dean Bradfield’s vocals much of the time - which is stupid because the band have something to say. I suspect the record rewards with successive listens but it is tough to hear the pain.

I've somehow never heard of this band, but I liked them and I'll probably give it a few more listens in the coming days.

Didn't enjoy the vocals. Forgettable

I never enjoyed this on the level that I enjoyed Generation Terrorists or Gold Against the Soul

This album was alot to digest as is this band's history. I dig the sound: I'd believe you if told me that half these songs were unreleased Against Me! tracks. Some of the unhinged moments remind me of their countrymen Mclusky (who are fuckin great btw) and a couple other moments give off a heavier gothy vibe. I'll be revisiting this one. 🌟🌟🌟

It's ok

enjoyed it - reminded me of Ash a bit

Plain average Brit pop nothing special good but not great 3/5

I woul have enjoyed this more if I could have understood the lead singer.

Decent old age punk

Killer guitar power chords, catchy hooks and riffs, but lyrically bleak and heavy. Leant more weight by the well publicized mental and health issues the lead singer had and his disappearance (assumed dead) soon after this was released.