- Record Label: Columbia
- Release Date: Sep 15, 2009
User Score
Universal acclaim- based on 79 Ratings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 70 out of 79
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Mixed: 4 out of 79
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Negative: 5 out of 79
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AveryBMay 26, 2009Goosebump-inducing for devoted fans and the uninitiated alike. Richie's lyrics are both chilling and (strangely enough) life-affirming, and the band seems to be "together" again, each piece of the puzzle falling perfectly into place. With this record, the band delivers a long-overdue eulogy to Richie, while delivering an early eulogy to the first decade of the 2000s.
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JimSMay 20, 2009Stands with "The Holy Bible" and "Everything Must Go" as a sort of trilogy about Richey James' disappearance and the emotional toll it took on the band. This is a triumph and best album I've heard this year.
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SteFMay 19, 2009I had forgotten how much I missed Richey. This is a strangely beautiful album.
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ChristopherGJun 2, 2009
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markwMay 25, 2009Incredibly good album from a band that should be revered as one of the most ambitious, talented and brilliant of the last 20 years.
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EmiliJun 6, 2009Fantastic album, back to the good old days. Forget about their recent stuff.
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Nov 11, 2010This is my first MSP album, and I have to think it will be hard for them to top this. The first go through I didn't think much of it, decent songs but nothing memorable. Well it really catches on and I find every song has something worth hearing in it, no filler material in here.
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May 20, 2011
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Mar 8, 2023
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Aug 29, 2022Underrated masterpiece where punk and intellect collide. If you like The Holy Bible here's part 2.
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JuliaAMay 22, 2009Not the kind of album you'd be hooked on by first spin, but then again,good things do come with long process,same thing applied in comprehending this album.
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NielsBMay 19, 2009It's raw, energetic and more rock than most "new" bands that come out these days.
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Apr 25, 2011This album just gets better and better the more you listen to it.
I think this album will be considered a rock classic in years to come - a cult classic up there with the Holy Bible. The songs are so diverse and emotionally raw. Awesome album. -
Oct 23, 2014
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Mar 26, 2016
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MarkA.Sep 22, 2009Backspacer is a winner. Great cd by one of the greatest bands of alltime.
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Dec 6, 2011This is not the best album of the century or the year, but a noteworthy effort from the Welsh alternative band.
Awards & Rankings
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Journal for Plague Lovers winds up being The Holy Bible in reverse: every moment of despair is a reason to keep on living instead of an excuse to pack it all in.
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Manics mine Richey’s last words for a return to the heart of darkness.
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Disjointed, imperfect, tender and raw, at the final reckoning it sits as a fitting epitaph.