The Manics thirteenth album "Resistance Is Futile" was released in April 2018, and on the backs of the "Holy Bible 20", "Everything Must Go 20" and "Truth 20" anniversary tours in 2014, 2016, and 2019, I found it difficult to engage with a band that was becoming a nostalgia act. I think that great art speaks to, and about, the times in which it was made and which we live in - and its difficult to connect with a band that seems so determinedly keen on revisiting its past at the expense of living in, and experiencing, the current moment. There were some average 'singles' (what is a single anyway?), some extra tracks, a Indies only 7", a deluxe CD with demos, and some predictable live shows. I'm harsh on this album, but only because I hold the bands I love to a higher standard than bands that I think are rubbish. 03 December 2023.