Hundreds of '90s bands are still kicking, which means this year is big for 20th anniversary releases.
But no group seems to be making a spookier deal about its old discography than Manic Street Preachers, who are celebrating two decades of The Holy Bible.
"We actually feel the looming presence of 20th anniversary of The Holy Bible, I think we feel it quite a lot," James Dean Bradfield told Gigwise. "We're a bit scared of it really. If we were ever a band who felt like the past defined us too much, and that our past contained too much baggage for us to haul around, I think we'd be finished. We are constantly asked about our past because so much has happened, and naturally we're on our 12th album. If you're so scared of the past like that, it's just game over."
The trio is a unique UK collective that has built a reputation as extremist (sample song title: "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next") and mysterious (primary lyricist Richey Edwards disappeared in 1995 and still hasn't been found).
When asked what made their most recent release — July's Futurology — special, Bradfield responded: "That we could still trade in a language that is still exclusively ours, that we could still want to write songs that other people are just never going to go near. I just don't think that anyone else would go near that subject matter. We never laid claim to being the most 'original' band, but I think we're unique in that sense."
Added Nicky Wire: "We are always driven to make a particular type of record, which stems from our absolute obsession and desire for music and lyrics. We wouldn't do it if we still weren't totally convinced of the romantic notion of music transporting us into a better place as human beings."
The band will make a handful of Holy Bible-centric tour stops in the UK late this year. Check 'em out:
12/08: Glasgow, Scotland @ Barrowland
12/10: Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
12/11: Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
12/13: Dublin, Ireland @ Olympia Theatre
12/15: London, UK @ Roundhouse
12/16: London, UK @ Roundhouse
12/17: London, UK @ Roundhouse
