It’s almost as if you want people to hate the album. Accusing people who enjoy it and don’t have the same opinion as yourself as being ‘deaf’ is a bit uncalled for. It’s definitely pissed me off considering I am in fact deaf in one ear. Music is subjective after all. Maybe wind your neck in and allow people to enjoy the album without the unnecessary insults

I think this thread has been pretty balanced, plenty of people enjoying, plenty not enjoying. While the album on the whole has been received positively, Decline and Fall seems to be marmite. Personally I wish my life was so good that my biggest trouble is others enjoying music I don't personally like but such is life. Still curious to hear savemejebus and others thoughts after spending a lot of ink in the lead up. I miss Dancing Kirby's reviews, if you're going to shit on something, at least be funny about it.

It's a new album, the gloss will fade, always does.

The piano version of Late Day Peaks is so far superior to the album version it’s remarkable. Some gorgeous Dog Man Star chords from Mr. Nasmyth.

Well sorry for insulting you. Don’t know what to say but just… sorry.
Uncalled for and blunt maybe.

As for the rest, I don’t want people to dislike it. It is subjective and only give my opinion here, is that ok then?

Kyle, sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Can't imagine what it's like but sending positive vibes your way.

Giving your opinion is one thing, looking down on and making snide remarks in the direction of people who don’t share that opinion is not.

Anyway, I’m off to give the album another listen and get away from the toxic negativity

Come on, just because one airs such opinions it’s not a big trouble at all.
Historically I totally agree on this stance, why even bother, it’s just that the Manics have sunk so low compared to what they once were capable of in terms of song writing and actually also production that it gives some urge to vent that too.
And yeah, it’s all taste and opinions, like that have to be said every time expressing them.

Erm, I’m not looking down on anyone here.

Sorry to anyone was offended in any way.

I haven't really had much positive to say about the album until I heard the demos which I posted briefly about here so I kinda held off because I didn't want to rain on anyones launch week parade by being a misery guts.

To put my thoughts in the least offensive way possible I'd say that the standard album isn't the type of manics I like (too overproduced, and busy) but that's ok, plenty of others are enjoying it. For me, I think the singles, apart from Hiding in Plain Sight, are the worst songs on the album. Critical Thinking is the best song on the standard release by a mile and feels like a perfect counterpart to Europa Geht Durch Mich to me.

I'm actually far more annoyed at the attempts to get an undeserved no.1 album that the lack of quality right now but that's a different story.

This may not mean much to non-gamers and I apologize for the X link but Hideo Kojima seems to like Deleted Scenes

First time I've ever seen him bring up the Manics and he's a legit music nut. With good taste no less, he's introduced me and a lot of others to great bands and artists I'd never otherwise even heard of.

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, Kyle. I was diagnosed with cancer almost exactly five years ago but thankfully am now in remission. Stay strong, man.

And on the subject of being offended, my wife who is a Manics fan like me absolutely hates Manics fans for their constant moaning (yes, I can be like that too). She's also deaf in one ear and loves Critical Thinking so I am actually offended by some of the comments on here.

My taste in Manics songs is vastly different to 99.9% of Manics fans. I rated the songs as highly as I did because I genuinely like them that much. No one will be surprised to learn that the likes of Motorcycle, Faster and Tolerate don't get into my top 50 and I have said many times that I wouldn't care if the band dropped all of the hits from future set lists. I got into the band during 2001 which was the start of their commercial decline and I don't have the same affinity to the earlier material that others do. I shouldn't have to justify this but there you go. I'm still pissed off from the other day. Fucking Manics fans, eh?

Since he's still working on Death Stranding 2, there's still time to get a Wire cameo in there. Do it Kojima.

Side note: if you don't want to directly link to Twitter/X, replace the twitter.com/x.com with xcancel.com - it's a fork of a third party alternative front end that pulls the data from the main site without giving it the page view.

That's good to know! I could've waited for him to post it on Bluesky instead but since it just popped up I couldn't resist because I was quite thrilled.

There is a non-zero chance of Wire signing the wall at Kojima productions at least, or hearing "You're Tender and You're Tired" while walking an exhausted Sam through some rough terrain. :D

Either way, that's a pretty massive endorsement for Critical Thinking considering the following Kojima has so it could help with charts I guess.

First, I really didn’t think people would get so offended on here. I’m sorry for that.
To me it’s really just a saying like “do you really hear what I’m hearing?”.

I have edited it now for incoming people to avoid the same offense.

Oh pissed off from me and justifying it because of that? Sorry for that too.

But yeah, fucking Manics fans.

I'm still at this point with it really. To be honest, parts of it sound like Nicky Wire and JDB solo albums. I like some of the songs, but not quite getting it as an album just yet.