BLACKWOOD rockers Manic Street Preachers will be releasing their new album later this year.

The Ultra Vivid Lament is the band’s 14th studio album and will be released on September 3 through Columbia/Sony.

They have also released a new single called Orwellian, the first taste of the new album. In a statement relating to the single, the band said: “The track is about the battle to claim meaning, the erasing of context within debate, the overriding sense of factional conflict driven by digital platforms leading to a perpetual state of culture war.

“As with many songs on the record, it was written on the piano by James Dean Bradfield. Musically, it echoes Abba, the majesty of Alan Rankine’s playing in the Associates and Talk Talk’s It’s My Life with a Lindsey Buckingham guitar solo. It felt like the perfect sonic and lyrical introduction to The Ultra Vivid Lament.”

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The record is the first from the band to be initially conceived on piano and was recorded over the winter 2020/21 at Rockfield in Monmouth and the band’s own Door to the River studio in Newport.

The Ultra Vivid Lament tracklist:

Still Snowing In Sapporo

Orwellian

The Secret He Had Missed

Quest For Ancient Colour

Don’t Let the Night Divide Us

Diapause

Complicated Illusions

Into The Waves of Love

Blank Diary Entry

Happy Bored Alone

Afterending

Manic Street Preachers have also announced a tour to celebrate the release of the record. They will be joined by The Anchoress on all of the 14 date shows except for Wembley.

There are also a number of previously announced festival shows for the band before the tour.

Tour dates:

  • September 26: Newcastle, O2 City Hall
  • September 28: Edinburgh, Usher Hall
  • September 29: Dundee, Caird Hall
  • October 1: Stoke-on-Trent, Victoria Hall
  • October 2: Manchester, O2 Apollo
  • October 4: York, Barbican
  • October 5: Glasgow, Barrowland
  • October 7: Leeds, O2 Academy
  • October 8: Portsmouth, Guildhall
  • October 10: Bournemouth, O2 Academy
  • October 11: Cambridge, Corn Exchange
  • October 13: Bath, Forum
  • October 14: Brighton, Dome
  • December 3: London, The SSE Arena, Wembley

Manic Street Preachers other shows:

  • July 16: Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena (NHS workers show)
  • July 17: Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena (NHS public show)
  • July 30: Pikehall, Y Not Festival
  • August 7: Linlithgow, Party At The Palace
  • August 29: Alcester, Camper Calling Music Festival
  • September 10: Halifax, Live at Piece Hall
  • September 18: Jersey, Electric Park Festival