Manics Wanted To Scrap Album

In a new interview Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire has claimed that he demanded the group ditch their new album 'Journal For Plague Lovers'.

After the sudden commercial revival brought about by 2007's 'Send Away The Tigers', it seemed that Manic Street Preachers could do not wrong. Suddenly attracting back beleaguered fans, the group triumphantly toured the UK packing out arenas the length and breadth of the country.

However the Manics are notoriously hard to predict. Instead of working on yet more commercial material the band chose to look backwards, beginning to craft songs based on lyrics left by their departed guitarist Richey Edwards.

The band brought in legendary producer Steve Albini to work on the material, which is said to be the follow up to their famously distraught album 'The Holy Bible' - the last record that Edwards completed with the group.

But in a new interview bassist Nicky Wire reveals that he found it difficult to release the material, preferring instead to provoke a great art stunt.

Speaking to The Guardian the Welsh rock icon claimed "I said 'Let's just fucking dig a hole and bury it and make it even more of an art statement, say we've made this great album, but it's just too much to give away."

However the rest of the band didn't agree. "James was like "After I've done all that work? Fuck off!""

Despite not being available to May 18th, the album has already stirred up controversy. The cover of 'Journal For Plague Lovers' has been designed by award winning artist Jenny Saville, and has been banned by some supermarkets in anticipation of its release.

"Already, supermarkets won't accept the album cover, which I am really startled at. You can have the Pussycat Dolls poledancing, but you can't (have our album cover)," he said.

Jenny Saville also designed the artwork for 'The Holy Bible'.

Manic Street Preachers are set to release their new album 'Journal For Plague Lovers' on May 18th.