1994 In Review: Manic Street Preachers - "The Holy Bible"

It doesn't take a great deal of creative effort to paint a picture of darkness; in fact, if you look at the musical climate The Holy Bible comes from, it was practically par for the course in 1994. However, the art squarely came into focus for Manic Street Preachers; their third album is also the last to be played on by guitarist and frequent lyricist Richey Edwards. Suffering from severe depression while battling substance abuse and anorexia, Edwards would disappear five months after The Holy Bible's release; his body was never found.

It's an incredibly tragic end for such a talented creative force, and it's one that casts a long shadow over this album; mixed in among recurring political and social commentaries are horrifying accounts of gender anxiety, suicidal depression, self-harm and mortal anorexia. It's a relentlessly bleak, terrifying and hopeless album, and Edwards' disappearance only serves to amplify its dark emotions.

From a purely musical standpoint, The Holy Bible was the Manics' coming out party, staying true to their core sound while infusing the songs with massive, powerful melodies; many tracks burst to life with nervous energy, perhaps in an attempt to cancel out the gloom. With different subject matter, these songs might be universally adored anthems. As it stands, The Holy Bible is still home to some of the Manics' most overwhelmingly excellent performances, from the energetic bombast of Yes, Revol and Faster to the angry and politically charged scorchers Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart and P.C.P.

Retrospect has elevated the album's lower emotional points, like She Is Suffering and Die In The Summertime, to near legendary status; There's no denying they still pack a hell of an emotional punch, and one that carries more weight today than they did in 1994. It's certainly true of 4st 7lb; named after the mortal weight for anorexics, this is pretty much the textbook definition of a haunted song. The lyric sheet reads as the diary of a person who feels more beautiful the closer they are to death; it's frightening in its portrayal of anorexia, and should serve as required listening for anyone struggling to understand it.

The performances, the subject matter and the presentation (I can't recall better uses of song-prefacing sound bites as on this album) make The Holy Bible a difficult album to throw yourself into, but its rewards are plentiful and it perhaps resonates with more potency than any other album released in 1994. It's certainly withstood time better than the much ballyhooed albums by Oasis and Blur that also turn 20 this year, albums that hogged all the UK headlines and sparked a passionate, divisive Britrock rivalry. In a time when everyone was being asked whose side they were on, to choose Oasis or Blur, Manic Street Preachers delivered a better reason than anyone to reply "neither".

They've gone on to release nine more albums without Edwards, and they've endured it all, but it's never been quite the same. There's a line in Mausoleum that sums the album up perfectly for me, where James Dean Bradfield sings, "life can be as important as death". It's a simple enough line but it, like The Holy Bible, might just be the band's most enduring statement.

August 29, 1994 • Epic (UK)

Highlights She Is Suffering • Revol • Die in the Summertime