Debut albums rarely come as ambitious as
the Manic Street Preachers
'
Generation Terrorists
. Released in England as a double album (it was trimmed to the length of a single record in America), the album teemed with slogans, political rhetoric, and scarily inarticulate angst. Since
the Manics
deliver these charged lyrics as heavy guitar-rockers, the music doesn't always hit quite as forcefully as intended. The relatively polished production and big guitar sound occasionally sell the music short, especially the lesser songs, yet
' passion is undeniable, even on the weaker cuts. While the album is loaded with a little bit too much unrealized material in retrospect, its best moments -- the fiery
"Slash N' Burn,"
"Little Baby Nothing,"
the incendiary
"Stay Beautiful,"
the sardonic
"You Love Us,"
and the haunting
"Motorcycle Emptiness"
-- capture
in all their raging glory. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine