Manic Street Preachers, Raven, Los Lobos & Metal Albums of 1985
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Los Lobos - The Neighborhood | 90s Rock Revisited
It was the fall of 1990. MTV was serving up the last gasp of hair metal, grunge was bubbling under the surface, and blues-rock was having a moment. Somewhere in that mix, Los Lobos quietly dropped The Neighborhood. It didn’t storm the charts—peaking at 103 on the Billboard 200—but it became a hidden gem for those paying attention. This was an album that…
Metal Albums of 1985 | Roundtable Discussion
Close your eyes and step into 1985. The neon glow of arcade screens flickers off denim-clad kids pumping quarters into Punch-Out!! while the airwaves are drenched in the era’s defining paradox: a sonic tug-of-war between glammed-up, radio-friendly hooks and the rise of something darker, meaner, and more aggressive. It’s a world where
New Releases
L.S. Dunes - Violet
In the early 2000s, the post-hardcore scene was a crucible of raw emotion and innovation. Bands like My Chemical Romance, Coheed and Cambria, and Thursday were at the forefront, crafting anthems that became the soundtrack of a generation. Fast forward to today, and members from these iconic groups have united to form L.S. Dunes. Their sophomore album,
Matt Pond PA - The Ballad of the Natural Lines
There was a time in the mid-2000s when indie rock felt like a secret passed between friends. Before streaming flattened everything into playlists and algorithms, discovering a band like Matt Pond PA meant something. Maybe you stumbled onto Several Arrows Later
Manic Street Preachers – Critical Thinking
If you were glued to The Holy Bible’s bleak brilliance or felt the widescreen rush of Everything Must Go, the Manics’ latest, Critical Thinking, might hit you differently. Released February 14, 2025, the album marks a first: longtime bassist and lyricist Nicky Wire steps into the lead vocal role for the track “Hiding in Plain Sight.” Given how Wire’s writing has shaped the band’s most thought-provoking work, this is a moment worth hearing.
Neil Young – Oceansize Countryside
Neil Young’s archive is a goldmine, and 2025 unearths another long-lost gem. Oceansize Countryside, out March 7, is a never-before-released album originally recorded in 1977. Sitting somewhere between Comes a Time and Rust Never Sleeps, the album captures Young in transition, balancing warm folk melodies with his raw, electric edge. It’s a time capsule, finally cracked open nearly 50 years later.
Gary Louris – Dark Country
As the voice behind Blue and I’d Run Away, Gary Louris helped shape The Jayhawks’ alt-country legacy. Dark Country, out February 14, 2025, is his first album recorded entirely at home, playing every instrument himself. It strips things down to the bare essentials—just like those Jayhawks harmonies that first pulled you in.
Raven – Can’t Take Away the Fire
Before thrash took over, Raven was out there setting the stage for it, delivering speed and chaos on albums like All for One. Now, over 40 years later, they’re still at it. Can’t Take Away the Fire was recorded live in the studio, aiming to capture the energy of their late-’70s and early-’80s heyday. Old-school NWOBHM heads, this one’s for you.
Twiztid – Welcome to Your Funeral
If you ever had a Mostasteless or Freek Show poster on your wall, you know Twiztid built their own lane in the horrorcore world. Welcome to Your Funeral, released February 14, 2025, doubles down on their eerie, cinematic storytelling with a first for the duo—an entire album co-produced with longtime horror composer Joseph Bishara (The Conjuring, Insidious).
OK Go – “A Good, Good Day at Last” / “Going Home” (Single)
Sure, you know OK Go from their viral music videos (Here It Goes Again, This Too Shall Pass), but they’ve never been just about the gimmicks. Their new double single, out February 14, is their first new music since 2017, with “A Good, Good Day at Last” marking the longest time between releases in their career.
Lacuna Coil – Sleepless Empire
Remember blasting Heaven’s a Lie and Swamped back in the early 2000s? Lacuna Coil is bringing that energy back on Sleepless Empire, their heaviest album in years, out February 14, 2025. It also features their first-ever guest vocalist on a full studio album: Ash Costello of New Years Day joins Cristina Scabbia on the crushing track “In the Mean Time.”
Tobin Sprout – Bevil Web EP
For Guided by Voices fans, Tobin Sprout was always the melodic counterpoint to Robert Pollard’s raw energy (Atom Eyes, Gleemer). His new Bevil Web EP, out February 14, was recorded entirely on four-track cassette—his first time doing so since the Alien Lanes days. If you love lo-fi charm, this one’s calling your name.
Worthy Reading
Green Day once blasted the “redneck agenda.” Now, they’re tweaking American Idiot’s lyrics to take shots at Elon Musk—while still posting on his platform.
This sharp, no-nonsense read questions whether punk rock’s biggest names—Green Day, The Offspring, Rise Against—are staying true to their anti-establishment roots or just playing the game. Meanwhile, R.E.M., Trent Reznor, and Robert Smith are bailing on X altogether.
If you love debates about music, authenticity, and where the line should be drawn, this one’s for you.
Nicky Wires solo records are a thing of quiet beauty
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