The Holy Bible

oh yes politics... mhmm i know what's going on

Not bad, not great.

Like it!

Pretty insufferable. This sounded like a whinier, more pretentious version of Queen (and I don’t like Queen).

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.

Really enjoyed this album, was a real gut punch and with the way things are politically these days it's as relevant as ever. I have never heard of the group before so glad to have discovered them! Favourites are: Yes, 4st 7lb and ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthfornedayitsworldwouldfallapart

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

It’s not horrendous, but if you’re going to name your album “The Holy Bible,” you really, really gotta bring it. They did not. Instead it feels like a cheap attempt to shock people and draw attention to a work that deserves no attention. His vocals are, mostly, shrill and pretty grating after a very short time. Musically, it ok, I guess, but not something I care to hear again. Some of it could possibly fall into a mix of rock from the era and go relatively unnoticed, by which I mean I might not skip to another song or station, but I would probably just zone out and not pay attention to it. I feel that’s what most folks would do, too. And since I’d never heard of them, despite that time period being when I was most tuned into the rock and alt scene, it seems that’s pretty much what happened.

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?

Didn't realise how emo and good these guys were. Not sure any one song stands out but for once that's not a bad thing.

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. 👶🏻👶🏻👶🏻

Holy moly!

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

cool

STANDOUTS: Faster, I guess?? maybe? OVERALL: 1/5 sick of all these shitty rock albums.

Damn, I'm enjoying the music here a TON but I get the feeling I shouldn't listen too closely to the lyrics >.<

This was weird but I enjoyed it. Energetic 90's alt rock that brings in elements of punk, post-punk and other genres. The lyrics clearly reflect the darkness the lyricist (rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards) was going through.

Po faced misery guts of a band, generally loved by people who would be boring if you ended up sat with them in the pub. And the Welsh. This one hasn't even got any of their "hits" on it

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

I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. The musical part wasn’t the greatest but the lyrics were inventive and surprisingly literary. There were several times I found myself in an internet rabbit hole after wondering what some lyric or another meant and finding out it was an allusion to something that had its own complicated history. Extremely satisfying although you would have to be in a particularly investigative mood to get the most out of it.

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

Annoying noise.

oh right, rock is good a lot of the time

Versta er geen kloot van. En heb nou niet echt het idee dat ik er echt iets aan mis. Dit album is als je 'edgy' googled denk ik, dus ik denk dat Lenny Kravitz zijn album hierop gebaseerd heeft. Nee ik vind dit album niets. Het is niet slecht of dramatisch, maar het is gewoon saai en nietszeggend. Ik kan hierna even geen scheurende gitaren of schreeuwende zeikerds meer horen.

Adore this record, such a shame they only ever made one even nearly this good. Generation Terrorists easily their next best but doesn't approach this as a whole artistic achievement. RIP Richey. From the opening melody of Yes I'm totally drawn in and back to the first time I ever heard it. Love that this is tagged as britpop, this is NOT britpop, lol. While everything else was focused on reproducing the sound of the 60s the Manics went digging around the jagged edges of 1978-1982. And they saw that it was good. Some lyrics probably haven't aged well, but much of this was the product of a very troubled mind so there needs to be allowances for that. A shame Nicky has turned into such a lib dem kind of guy, he used to be so cool. The music as well, James and Sean were never this visceral, before or again. I find it oddly summery, despite all the darkness, particularly She is Suffering, I always crave it more during hot weather, and this has come out on a gorgeous 23 degree May day. Every song is absolutely fantastic. Just all of it. Fucking brilliant. Definitely one of my all time favourites. Immediately lost interest in the band after Everything Must Go, as far as I can tell they haven't done anything really decent apart from Masses Against the Classes after that. But they did make this, and for that I'm always grateful. Who's responsible? They fucking were.

I was not expecting this to be as good as it was. A solid rocker

I don't care how deep or cutting your lyrics are if I can't understand most of them because of your numbly mumbly wailing and muddy sound mixing. Don't bother looking them up, though; they're edgelord word salad, the kind of peurile nastiness an angry teen might write when they first discover the world is full of bad people. A few good licks and overall decent composition save this album, but I can't imagine ever willingly listening to it unless I decided to commit a public crime and want to give the media something controversial to chew on in the aftermath. "The suspect was reportedly blaring the music of mentally ill Welsh self-harm-rocker Richey Edwards, though authorities are refusing to speculate on whether this influenced the baffling spree of unimaginative mayhem or merely underscored it."

Surprisingly refreshing. They don’t quite sound like anyone else. Enjoyed the whole thing. Just under an hour is a bit long and it could have excited more, but I’m not complaining. 4/5

Might be my favourite album ever.

gooood

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 ;)

Didn't really get much out of this. Didn't hate anything here, but I also don't have any drive to revisit anything from here again.

Started out okay but took me FOREVER to get through it. Not a fan by the end.

This album was pretty cool overall. It sounds very much of its time, but it is also interesting relative to plenty of the alt-rock coming out in 1994. Nice and heavy guitars with tons of distortion, as was the style at the time 4/5

Really enjoyed this one. Never heard of them, singer had a bit of Freddy Mercury in him.

Get ready for manic preaching on streets or rock with a purpose

Too much Dennis de Young sounding for me although music wasn’t horrible

boring and too long.

Meh. It's just another generic fuzzwall alt album. It's not bad, exactly. But like... why is it on the list? There wasn't really anything here that I could point to and say, "That. That right there was unique and interesting." Instead, we're just subjected to an hour of wall-to-wall fuzz pedal noise and pseudo-intellectual, teenage-activist rage. You know, the kind where you shout about things and tell people all the things they're doing wrong and all they ways that they're terrible but you don't actually DO anything to help the problem? It's like they made a list of all the things people get riled up about and set up to write an album that hits them all. Hard pass.

Classic

This was an interesting album experience, as I thought the instrumentals were very pleasant and engaging, not a generic rock, but well composed for a rock band. I've begun reading the lyrics to songs for this project, as it's easy for me to zone out and not really pay attention to what I'm listening to. The lyrics, ay caramba, lots of them are graphic and/or grotesque and/or visceral. It's hard to understand the Welsh vocalist 80% of the time, especially when lots of words are crammed into one line. It's a very energetic and fast paced album with lots to criticize. "Faster" was one of my favorites as the speaker scrutinizes themselves. "This is Yesterday" especially stands out for it's lack of brutality, and it's a pleasant listen.

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.

No comment. It's not worthy of one.

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).

I think there is more of a message here and I got at firts listen, but the songs were bops! Definitely will listen again.

Loud and annoying. But at least it's not Nirvana.

Too screamy for me.

A group I’m aware of but had never heard before. Started out OK, liked the track She is Suffering, but things declined after that. The vocals were kinda screechy on a lot of tracks. Not my jam.

Not for me

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.

Hymnical, powerful, political comes without saying. Impressive how they managed to be so true to themselves and their version of straight-out-rock and having this combined with opulent crowd pleasing tunes without reeking of sellout.

This actually grew on me more and more as got deeper into listening to it. I’m definitely not a big fan of the dudes voice, but I’m sure as more time goes by I can get use to it more and more. Any ways this is definitely some really raw and gritty alternative with grunge, post punk, and punk influences. For anyone who likes the raw stripped down sound of indie rock, this will definitely be an album you’ll probably enjoy.

Um. Another one that didn't suck, but was completely forgettable. Giving them a 2. I think they were middle of the road, but I am just pissed they are on this list, so it got lowered to a 2.

Clean arrangements, competent vocals, but non-memorable top line melodies and divisive lyrics. Not for me.

Socialist left wing genius

Some fucking muscle, these guys. Dang.

By far the best MSP album, and just one of the best albums ever made.

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

goes hard

#183. This album is completely uninteresting to me. It manages to be boring and mildly annoying, but not really much else. 2/5: dumb Song added to playlist: This is Yesterday I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

really good album! I haven’t fully connected with Manic Street Preachers yet, I still feel a little distant from their sound, but I still find it pretty good! - 8/10

Intrigued enough to want to try again so I’m giving a 4

4.5

Quite and interesting album. It's easily one of the most political albums I've listened to so far in this list, but the fact that the lyrics range from that topic to Richey Edwards' eating disorders without a drop in quality is a real testament to the musicianship.

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

Underwhelming. Thats the word that comes to me when I listened to this album. Production sucked balls. The listening experience just wasn't good if that makes sense. I also did not like that they've tried to sound like an american band regarding the lyrics, like dude you are from Wales...

Meh? Not really impressed

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

just doesn't kick as hard as in the old days..

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

I didn’t understand half of what was being said

..

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

Not a fan.

Okay now!

If I were British I would probably have more of an appreciation for this kind of music

The first song Yes is an absolute bop. Listened to it a couple times. Great song, lively, cohesive but also not repetitive.

sounds light

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

I like the instrumentation in this. Overall, it seemed a little heavy on the spoken word intros--it felt like every song had one. Unfortunately, those were some of the only words I understood. Might try to finish some day. Rating system: 1 means I didn't finish and have no intention/desire to, 2 means I didn't finish but wouldn't mind listening more, 3 means I finished it but probably won't seek out more, 4 means I finished and I liked it, 5 means it is likely to be added to my regular listening and I may seek it more similar material

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.

Preachy; overrated; average.

They shouted at me, and I hadn’t even done anything!

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

Full of pathos to the point where it actually kinda borders on being emo, but I'm not complaining. I definitely liked this, will probably be coming back to it soon.

No

I had never heard of this band before, but I think labeling it as Britpop on this site is a misnomer. I found it to be much more punkish and dark in content compared to Britpop. Great instrumentals, but unfortunately, I had a hard time understanding the vocals. I had the lyrics up while I listened so I could follow along. I think this would hit harder had I listened to it contemporaneously with its release. All in all pretty solid listen. The very tragic situation with Richey Edwards overshadows the music.

Safe to say it wants to be an f-load cooler and profounder than it actually is. Aims to be edgy, and have real teeth, but just doesn't come off and feels just about as generic as can be in terms of the lamentable genre of ALT rock, which made a major contribution to the sheer musical insufferability of the '90s. One album from this lot is more than enough (by which one means too much, and utterly undeserved); two is an outright travesty. Only plausible explanation for inclusion of 2x TMSP records is that one of the editors had a vested interest (emotional, financial, etc.) in this group.

Didn't like it when it came out, still not liking it. Lacks finesse.

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

Bleh alltför 90-tals pop-cyniskt

Probably would have had more luck with "interesting" girls (i.e. alcoholic with loose morals) if I'd claimed to be into MSP as a teen. However, JDB's vocals always irritated me, and could never understand how they ended up so popular. It's just dull unremarkable indie.

It is a great record. Uplifting music in a dark and troubled lyrical context. Loved the fresh sound for 90' rock, with awesome vocal performances and songwriting . A keeper.

This album stands out to me because it sounds a bit like Britpop at the time, influenced strongly by contemporary alt, grunge, power pop, and 70s glam. Especially in the expressive vocals. But it's very much it's own thing, with beautiful yet nostalgic melodies that carry both gothic energy and bright optimism. Strong lyrics and a versatile vocalist. Lots of tracks show innovation and style, but it still leaves much to be desired. I see more potential here. Some complaints. Way too long. The last 4 tracks were lame. It's exhausting with how loud and fast-paced it is. Some of the loud tracks don't leave much of an impression, which weighs down the whole record. "Yes" is a strong, catchy starter. Very beautiful and memorable. 5/5 "Ifwhite..." is cool and creative and shows what they can do, albeit a bit messy and anticlimactic. 4/5 "Of Walking Abortion" is a cool gothic track with a memorable energetic chorus. Awesome bridge. 4/5 "She is Suffering" is a strong emotional ballad, very grungey and catchy. A bit long, repetitive, and predictable. 3/5 "Archives of Pain" is very grungey with cool horror effects and a deep bass. A proggy track, it has a lot to offer. 4/5 "Revol" is creative and fun with a lot of personality, giving off bauhaus vibes. Wish there was more to it though. 4/5 "4st 7lb" is an epic track with excellent coordination between all the players. Really adds to that dark atmosphere. Fast-paced and dramatic with a satisfying conclusion. 5/5 "Mausoleum" is a bit forgettable and repetitive but I like the vocals and energy on this one. The loud punk ending was my favorite part. 3/5 "Faster" has a ton to offer. It's bright and catchy, both memorable and accessible. Cool ending. 5/5 "This is Yesterday" is generic 90s power pop. 2/5 "Die in the Summertime" had a sick, almost metal, guitars, but otherwise forgettable. 2/5 "The Intense Humming" is kinda cool, reminds me of The Cure with more indisutrial horror themes you'd hear in grunge. I liked the ending. But it feels incomplete and unsatisfying. Could've definitely gone bigger on this one. 3/5 "P.C.P" is generic pop punk but at least ends with a bang. 2/5 Favorites: Yes, 4st 7lb, Faster

13 year year old me in 1994 would probably have been into this record. But I never heard it or even knew of it back then. In 2024, 43 year old me listening to it for the first time just wants these guys to lighten the fuck up.

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.

An absolutely fantastic album. I love the style and the sound - but my favorite part is the deeply thought out lyrics (and interspersed audio). I really feel like the album tells a story/is sending a message in an artistic and creative way. Definitely want to check out their other stuff!

I knew nothing about Manic Street Preachers. The album didn't start great, with a first track that was just OK for me. Next came the awesomely title "Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart", which is even more apropos today than in 1994. I didn't like the song as much as I liked its title. Not a fan of the next 4 tracks. I'm curious if any other listeners here understood the basic meaning of the title "4st 7lb". I didn't know the anorexia reference, but I at least understood it meant weight and was able to convert it to pounds or kilos. With context, it's a troubling song. The rest of the album matched the rest until the final track (P.C.P.), which felt like a solid rock song. Definitely not my thing, but probably good at what it's trying to be. I won't go looking for more MSP.

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.

My kind of weird

Im unsure if I knew the name Manic Street Preachers or not. I think I remember hearing them talked about on the radio as a kid but I had no idea what to expect for their sound. It turns out the album veers between this punk and pop punk world in a way that I really appreciate. This was exactly my musical language I loved this album from top to bottom. However in my 2 listens no one song really stood out to me so I'm gonna have to go 4 stars. I am going to keep listening to this one so I hope it moves to 5 to me!

One of my favorite bands

Incomodou-me um bocado, pois apresenta uma certa semelhança com o Blind Melon. Assim, por que não estava escutando o quê gosto?

The instrumentals in the music wasn't bad, but I really couldn't understand a word they were saying. Really tough to hear the lyrics.

somewhat interesting at times.... but I don't think it even deserves to be on the list of top 100 albums released in 1994, let alone on any sort of all time list. There was just way to much other better music coming out in that era to really call this a "must listen".

Woof. No. For some reason, I thought I liked MSP but I must have been confusing them with another band because I couldn't stand this.

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

Everything sounded the same.

Not my cup of tea. Could not finish the album

I liked this quite a bit.

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".

this album isn’t bad, it’s just not anything special. i would probably enjoy it a couple of years ago, but not something i’d go for now.

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

This is some weird stuff

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

If I knew about this album when I was 15, I would have been even more of an emo nightmare than I was.

Always aware of the Manics and tried a few times to get into them but it never clicked. Although I’ve never seen them live it always struck me they were a better live band than on record. Their music suits a live atmosphere and I could see myself enjoying a live performance. But back to this record it all seemed a bit samey and not enough melody within the guitar bits (which are good) to satisfy my tastes. Not a record I would want to listen from start to finish again.

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.

one of the biggest bands to never stir the remotest urge of interest - just seems to plod along and have never got into it

4 stars. good rock.

Not their best album, but very nice alternative rock album

No analicé la letra (que parece que pudiera ser interesante). musicalmente me parece interesante, muy experimental y variado (aunque no se si es un punto a favor, ya que resulta difícil encontrar un estilo propio). En momentos la producción me parece deficiente. La voz es muy buena, con un poco mas de técnica podría ser de las mejores voces.

Sounds a lot like Sex Pistols. Not really a big fan.

Not bad. Well aware of this band but never actually listened to an album. Good enough songs but nothing really stood out or stuck with me.

Awful

Not for me.

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 really like their style. It’s raw and sophisticated at the same time.

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...

This album is great: it has a unique sound, I love the music and the vocals, and the first and last song are really good. The content of the lyrics seems to be great. I love the album art. My only gripe is that it's a bit bloated toward the middle of the album (this may lesson on future listens). All in all a good listen and this will stay in my rotation. 4/10

Very interesting and eclectic music.

Very decent

Intense humming of Evil has some absolutely horrible whistle sounds. Whoever picked these albums sure does love angry white guy band music

Not a fan.

This not much for me, kind of bland mediocre rock. Meh.

I like bands who have something to say and Manic Street Preachers certainly do. Some pretty dark lyrics here and they address some pretty harsh issues. Listens: 1 1/2 Fave Track: This Is Yesterday Rating: 4

I wanted to like this album more than I did. There were moments of absolutely genius mayhem! I absolutely loved the intense humming of evil and many of the songs intros and outros Some of the tracks were greenday, some of them were Robbie Williams and some the sex pistols. Too incoherent for me but I’m glad I listened to it.

There were some elements to this album that I kind of liked but it didn't ever fully assemble into something coherent for me - probably the closest track was 'She is suffering'. The lyrics are pretty messed up - it didn't feel 'deep' but more like Edge Lord word spaghetti. Don't get me wrong - I think its great to have a band that no subject is off limits, it just felt a bit pretentious, and, well, manic I guess... ok, so maybe it all makes sense afterall

Un baise-gueule assez inattendu je dois dire.

Cette bande de religieux maniques m'a complétement retourné la gueule

ho ascoltato le prima due poi mi sono stufato

Pleasantly surprised. Some good chunky power pop here. Plenty of snarl and bite to they lyrics. Fascinating albeit tragic back story. Will check this out further. Solid album.

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.

Manic is a good word to describe this band which has a really unique sound. This almost has an angular post hardcore DC feel but is difficult to nail down. As an album, it starts to wear me down a little past the halfway point, but the songs are varied enough and hold plenty of surprises to keep me intrigued and wanting to come back and definitely has some depth. Richey Edwards was an interesting figure for sure.

Easy 4 for me. To be honest, when I saw the cover, the title, and the tracklist, I felt like I might be in for a chore, but that was not the case. The story behind the album is fascinating, especially the fact that the guy who wrote most of the lyrics disappearing shortly after its release. The lyrics are extremely heavy (especially Yes and 4st7lb, two of the best songs on the album overall) and are clearly the product of someone going through a lot of emotional turmoil. They're a strength of the album, but at the same time, it's clear that they were written separately from the music because of all the liberties the singer takes with their pronunciation. But that doesn't really take a lot away from the album since the singing is such a strong instrument on its own. This is odd to say, but the singer sounds kind of like a cross between Gerard Way and Andrew Garfield in Tick Tick Boom, idk. The guitar work is also insane. There are some great songs on this thing, and some that I probably won't listen to much in the future, if at all. Crazy album, 4 stars.

This was good yuh. This guy was pissed at the UK and America

The content section on wikipedia of this album was a ride. Good album. The songs are different throughout where you don’t get bored. Lyrics are really good. And I like the sound. I love Yes, she is suffering, the intense humming of evil, and faster.

Really enjoyed it! Dark, but real.

Expected this to be better.

second track is pretty good but this feels like grunge knockoff and i am not about it.

I’ve heard the name of this band before but didn’t know what they would sound like - I think I expected cheesier Brit-pop, since I know there’s a lot of that on this list. What I got instead was dark, angry, hardcore punk with great melodies and vocals. Exactly my type of thing. In my head I was debating between giving this a 4 or a 5 but hell, this project is about celebrating new music and expanding your horizons, and I KNOW I’m going to listen to this album again. So five stars it is!

It's fine. They have stuff to say and place decent guitar rock. It's just not particularly creative or memorable.

1.5/5

Cool music. I can't understand a word they say.

Heard it a couple times before but it really struck me today just how much energy this thing has, and rock music with high energy always gets a big thumbs up from me. It maybe loses a little of that steam with it being as long as it is, but the quality never really dips and it doesn't feel like it's length, so not that much of a downside. Some really dark lyrics too, jeez.

Sometimes good and sometimes bad

I could see myself getting into this. Clearly foreshadowing some artists to come in the early 2000s

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%

Not my music.

sounded like muse with elements of punk added for good measure. lyrics critical of politics and religion. overall, a pretty kickass album.

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.

Did not move me much for being a bunch of preachers.

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

Koin tämän aamulla, aika väsyneenä, muistuu kuitenkin.. Thatcher... Ulkopolitiikassa Thatcher ylläpiti erityissuhdetta Yhdysvaltoihin, erityisesti ystävänsä Ronald Reaganin toimiessa maan presidenttinä 1981–1989. Mutta muistuu myös hyvä orginaalius.. tässä tehtiin omaa..hommaa.. töitä ja hakkuita.. .. päähäni osui se jo kerran tajuttu......................................................................................... ..........................................................ja ajatus että jos musikista haluaa pitää, se on hankalaa.... Pääni kuitenkin menetti paljon vaikka hyppeli riemukkaassa musiikissa. Kaikki biisthän kuulosti samalta.. eipä kuullosta..

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

This was a cool find — I had no idea what to expect. I didn't have time to give it one listen in one shot, checked in on it three times and heard to all of it. Here's one that's getting the bump to a 4. More a 3.5 on this listen, but I think with more time I'd really sink in. I liked the guitar work, the songs were interesting, the sound was unique, liked the singer. So yeah, I was digging it.

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

Dark album, lyrically and musically great.

Rock. Grunge

Far exceeded expectations, this is some great and catchy punk/rock music.

I had never heard of this before. I thought it was great!

That was surprisingly great

I’ve seen this album cover on a list before. I understand the story behind it. Pretty catchy music! Overall dig it. Like the vocals a lot. Solid 4/5.

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.

She is Suffering.

Have I ever heard a bad song by the Manic Street Preachers? Probably not. Everything Must Go and This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours are pretty much perfect in my humble little opinion, so I’m excited to hear this record. I don’t think I recognise and track titles here, but we’ll soon find out. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Faster, PCP As expected, this album is brilliant. There is so much energy gushing into my ears, while still being able to hold my attention when the softer tracks come. The vocals are the main delight here, and it’s rare that I say that as I usually tune more into the instrumentation. He sings with such passion and hits notes that he makes sound easy. The instrumentation is still great and interesting, but by Jove I do love his voice.

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.

Never heard this one but like it on initial listen. This feels like a album that has a lot to dive into. Not really something you put on to listen with friends over. Very heavy subject material and history surrounding. Definitely putting this on my list to listen to again but that will most likely be when I am by myself.

Completely beyond surprised by how much I loved this. The influences of metal, punk, and goth all come together to create a perfectly balanced album, flowing from the chromatic riffage of metal to the rapid power chords of punk and the quiet emotion of goth. Many songs make clever use of guitar and vocal effects and digital recording techniques, while others stick to the classic sounds of punk. The lyrical content is deep while not seeming too pretentious or naïve. I loved each song more than the last and wanted to relisten to the album later the same day.

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.

I have never understood why people sneer at Status Quo and yet laud this lot as some kind of punk super-beings. Apart from the pose of being political, this sounds like slightly louder plodding Stadium Rock in a similar vein. I like music with something to say, but to me this is the musical equivalent of Banksy: generic obvious statements set to generic obvious guitar music. Style over substance. Lighten up fellas.

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.

5. Love Manic Street Preachers!

It’s fine. Would not go out of my way to listen to it

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

1. Yes - 4 2. White America- 3 3. Abortion - 5 4. She's suffering- 4 5. Archives of pain - 4 6. Revol - 4 7. 4st 7lb - 5 8. Mausoleum- 4 9. Faster - 4 10. This is yesterday- 4 11. Die in the summertime- 4 12. The intense humming - 5 13. P.C.P - 5 4.23 Intriguing lyrics, amazing guitar work, raw vocals, loved it

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.

I understand that Richey Edwards looms large over this record, in fact that’s all I knew about this band or album. And since I find almost every lyric unintelligible, my ignorant ears would never have been aware of the songs’ subject matter if I hadn’t read how dark the themes were. Without the accompanying knowledge of the lyrics, the music was anything but despondent and upsetting. “Yes” is an all time album opener and it took me 5 tries to get past the first 4 tracks on the album because of how much I wanted to relisten to them. “She is Suffering” sounded so much like a Brett Anderson/Bernard Butler song that I looked up if Suede and the Manics had any affiliation and what do you know-they’re touring the UK in 2024 together.

I liked this a lot more than I expected and will be revisiting. This is right up my alley, with interesting lyrics and a few diverse tracks. Overall, a great pick.

An awful cover hides an intelligent and emotional bit of post punk meets metal. Absolutely brilliant. Will be exploring this discography.

Yet another British band which never crossed the pond. While the instrumentation and upbeat rock beats are appealing, one can only speculate this album did not chart in Europe or North America due to the incomprehensible and controversial lyrics. This album delves into taboo topics including "prostitution, American consumerism, British imperialism, freedom of speech, the Holocaust, serial killers, the death penalty, political revolution, childhood, fascism and suicide" which may be more than casual music goers can handle. Also, the album art is horrible and unsightly. I would never listen to this band again if it meant I didn't have to see the album art.

just what you'd expect from uk alt rock / alt punk of the era. vocals overly whingy sometimes decentish lyrics

Solid I guess, had higher expectations because the album cover is so good lpl

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

Never heard of the group before, but a pleasant surprise. Listened to it in bits and pieces, and really enjoyed what I heard. Will have to do another listen soon.

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

Was ok

Aika jotenkin keskinkertainen eikä välttämättä parhaalla tavalla ikääntynyt. On tässäkin hetkensä mutta jää nyt vähän kyllä tyhjänpäiväiseksi. 2/5

Pari ihan jees hetkeä, mutta pääosin aika tasapaksua. Tän bändin tuotanto ei vaan ehkä ole ikääntynyt kovin hyvin.

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

A real masterpiece

Nothing special but still decent music

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

Great album!

"Archives of pain" has a sick guitar solo. "Revol" is an earworm. A blend of various rock subgenres. Amazing album in general.

Not a big Manics fan. Solid album though.

Horrible singer. Still.

Nah

Images of perfection, suntan and napalm Grenada, Haiti, Poland, Nicaragua Who shall we choose for our morality I'm thinking right now of Hollywood tragedy Big Mac, smack, Phoenix, R., please smile y'all Cuba, Mexico can't cauterize our discipline Your idols speak so much of the abyss Yet your morals only run as deep as the surface Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose - The more things change, the more they stay the same. 4/5

5/5

underrated band (the other album is better 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.

Bändin nimi on sen verran tunnettu, että odotin kyllä merkittävästi enemmän tältä levyltä. En tiedä kuinka paljon olisi muuttunut jos olisi sokkona kuullut, mutta nyt jätti vaisun maun.

Ihan ok

Perfect😭😭😭

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

The Manic Street Preachers have such a great sound. Great voice and great guitars. I also appreciate them having a message in their songs.

This was a great surprise. Loved the sound of most of the songs, the rest is maybe too heavy, but I'll go back to this album many times

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

I like the style of music. I would like this more if it was a 30 minute album and not a 1hr album. I can only handle so much. Each song seemed to be too long. Archives of pain - bass line was real nice. 6 songs in and the music is growing on me. definitely need to be in the mood and not at work on a tuesday morning. alright it was pretty good. love this challenge and getting introduced to bands and artists ive never heard of.

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!

I had heard of this band, but never listened. Pleasantly surprised. Pretty good 90s sound.

Fun and insane

Absolute classic. An unmatchably bleak anti-Britpop album

90s guitar based garage rock ala strokes.

This was heavier than expected, I liked it Will listen again

I'm torn. This album is so tightly written and the tragedy behind it is compelling, but it's thematically kind of boring. Its just a good album in a genre that was saturated in good albums.

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

This is really solid - I really like the vocals and the songs have this unique sound.

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

Decent

Odd but not in a really good way. Did not enjoy

This is the stuff you play when you’re fucking sick of the world and everything around it. Love it. Lyrics are deep and very interesting, good vibes as well. Praise Richy!

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

Not a particular fan of the Manics and this album certainly didn't change that view.

som legal, tipo um smashing pumpkins com mais energia

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.

Like the M S Preachers but I only knew 1 song. Great album. Dense lyrics, impossible to decipher with Spotify lyrics

Okay. Not super exciting but certainly not bad.

Not my cup of tea, and the album only picks up near the end Rocky songs, but some of the vocals just don’t add up 1/2

This really did not feel like anything special. Uninspired melodies/chords and ultimately felt a bit boring

Was fine

Nothing really stood out. One and done.

Boring

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.

Powerful, furious, dissonant, and grand

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.

I really don't recall hearing any tracks off this album before, so it was a nice surprise to listen to it. Mix of alternative/brit pop/rock with some intellect. Overall I really enjoyed this one.

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 think first time listening to this band. Not sure what I expected but I liked it. Maybe a little to 90s for some people's tastes.

I liked this a lot. Sounds a lot like other bands I like but it's own thing at the same time. I'll add this one to the rotation, which is great for an album I was unfamilar with!

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

Decently peppy grunge vibes

Good indie punk rock

Amazing album, very diverse styles and compelling melodies and rhythms. I haven't even dived into the lyrics, but it's musically excellent.

1.0

A truly great album. Full of hard hitting riffs, extraordinary vocals and a band on the top of their game! The last with Richey, and one of their best for sure. It’s harder hitting than some of their other stuff and anyone looking for another of their classic “This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours” will be a little disappointed by this but I urge you to continue listening. Tis fucking great.

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

Nope.