Journal For Plague Lovers
封面来自英国女画家珍妮·萨维尔(Jenny Saville)作品 Manic Street Preachers这张新作所摆出的噱头就是，他们将启用失踪已久的原乐队主创加主唱Richey Edwards遗留下来的词作，除了部分文法通顺问题之外，乐队其余成员没有对Richey Edwards的词作做多大的更改。Manic Street Preachers在“黑暗三部曲”之后就一直被人怀疑不再有可能创造辉煌，而事实是失去Richey Edwards的他们仍旧有着坚毅不拔的勇气，2007年的那张《Send Away the Tigers》显然与早前的黑暗三部曲有着异曲同工之妙，晦暗的情绪当中迸发着隐忍的力量，而09年的新作《Journal for Plague Lovers》从开场的那一段电影对白采样开始，那种熟悉的“痛苦并奋斗着”的感觉就像大动脉被割裂后喷薄而出的鲜血般令人一下子被震慑和惊吓到，连Manic Street Preachers的贝司手Nicky Wire都大胆放言，这张专辑将可以媲美黑暗三部曲的最后一章《The Holy Bible》，值得一提的就是这张新专辑的封面图片也是1994年《The Holy Bible》的封面画家Jenny Saville的画作。同时，这张专辑当中还请到New Young Pony Club、British Sea Power、The Horrors、Patrick Wolf这些乐队或乐手为专辑当中的部分曲目作了后期混音。 Journal for Plague Lovers is the ninth studio album by the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It will be released on 18 May 2009 and feature lyrics left behind by Richey Edwards, who mysteriously vanished on 1st February 1995.The album cover is an original painting by Jenny Saville who also contributed artwork for The Holy Bible. The Manics posted the following message on their official website: "All 13 songs on the new record feature lyrics left to us by Richey. The brilliance and intelligence of the lyrics dictated that we had to finally use them. The use of language is stunning and topics include The Grande Odalisque by Ingres, Marlon Brando, Giant Haystacks, celebrity, consumerism and dysmorphia, all reiterating the genius and intellect of Richard James Edwards." The album will be available on CD, deluxe 2CD, download and LP.The deluxe edition includes a second disc with demo versions of all thirteen album songs. The Japanese edition of the album will be released on 13 May 2009, and feature two exclusive bonus tracks. Opening track "Peeled Apples" was played for the first time on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show on 25 March 2009.[10] During an interview with Lowe, bassist Nicky Wire said there would be no singles released off the album.[11] "Jackie Collins Existential Question Time" was aired on XFM and Kerrang Radio on 30th March.Martin Noble of the band British Sea Power has revealed that he is working on a remix of the song "Me and Stephen Hawking