Manic Street Preachers emerged at the dawn of the 1990s as a fiery rebuke of the placid state of British indie rock, a scene that grew to favor the swirling solipsism of shoegaze and the neo-psychedelia of acid house. Inspired by the provocative punk of and the heavy glam of , the Manics wedded leftist politics with arena-filling guitar riffs, a combination that made them irresistible to the British rock press of the '90s. The group's rise ran parallel to the ascendency of Brit-pop but just when they were at the cusp of stardom, lyricist/guitarist Richey James disappeared after the release of their early masterwork The Holy Bible. The trio of , and Sean Moore regrouped to deliver Everything Must Go, a 1996 album where they unveiled a subdued, mature sound that suited a set of songs where they came to terms with their loss. Everything Must Go eclipsed the group's three previous albums, a success consolidated by its 1998 sequel This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, the pair of records that established the group as a U.K. rock institution. From that point forward, Manic Street Preachers adhered to the template established in the late '90s -- big music delivered passionately -- while also refusing to abandon the political principles they established at the start of their career. The combination helped the Manics retain a fervent following: in 2021, The Ultra Vivid Lament became their first album in 23 years to top the U.K. charts.