KOKO Asia News
'Battle For The Sun' is released on June 8th.
Date: 16 April 2009
All fans of Placebo can listen and download the title track from their new album called ‘Battle for the sun’, please visit www.placeboworld.co.uk (IT’S FREE).
The title track is lifted from ‘Battle For The Sun’, their first new album since the release of ‘Meds’ in 2006 and was given its worldwide premiere on Zane Lowe’s show on Radio 1 March 17th. The reaction from fans was overwhelming with a second play on air.
Lowe was quoted as saying: "It's been a long time since we got a reaction like this for our H.R. (hot record), Placebo fans have always been passionate and loyal and I reckon we had a planet full of them tuned into Radio 1 tonight for the first play of 'Battle for the Sun'.
Recorded over three months by producer Dave Bottrill (chosen by the band largely because of his work with Tool) in his Toronto studio and mixed in London by My Bloody Valentine, Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails supremo Alan Moulder, Placebo’s sixth album is a startling, alive, vital and boundary-vaulting record that marks a whole new era for a band that were in need of a change
After completing the Meds tour, which saw the band play stadium gigs in Mexico, Chile, France, Brazil and Germany, personal relationships within the band began to strain, which lead to the split with Steve Hewitt, (their drummer since 1996). Hewitt was replaced by 22-year old Californian Steve Forrest, who the band first spotted playing with one of their US support bands Evaline in 2006.
Musically refreshed by their new line-up, the band also set about changing their business surroundings. So when their contract with Virgin Records expired they grasped the opportunity to self fund the recording of Battle for the Sun.
They then took the brave and uncompromising step to secure licensing and distribution agreements for the record with a number of smaller labels in each territory – so as to own the record themselves.
“We’ve made a record about choosing life, about choosing to live, about stepping out of the darkness and into the light,” explains Brian. “Not necessarily turning your back on the darkness because it’s there, it’s essential; it’s a part of who you are, but more about the choice of standing in the sunlight instead.”
Of the album, front man Brian Molko had this to say: "I believe Battle to be the first of our albums to tell a story over the course of its 52 minutes. Our previous releases were really only collections of songs and even though the songs are ordered according to the musical flow, I hope that if you listen hard enough to the words that some kind of discernible thematic unity will begin to emerge."
Personally, having been a huge Placebo fan for many years I see this album as another progressive step forward for a band that seems to go from strength to strength with each and every album. The title track gives us discordant guitar layers, anguished vocals, and heavy drums that leads to the opening verse. The track creeps up on you swings you round in the air and brings you back down to your chair where upon you will be looking for the replay button…no doubt about it.
Have a listen and tell us what you think: www.placeboworld.co.uk
