Placebo Sees The Light On Their New Album

Posted on May 28, 2009 |

Placebo
Battle For The Sun
June 9, 2009
Vagrant Records

Tracklist:

1. Kitty Litter
2. Ashtray Heart
3. Battle For The Sun
4. For What It’s Worth
5. Devil In The Details
6. Bright Lights
7. Speak In Tongues
8. Never Ending Why, The
9. Julien
10. Happy You’re Gone
11. Breathe Underwater
12. Come Undone
13. Kings Of Medicine


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Gender bender Brian Molko (androgynous as ever) and his crew are back for
their 6th studio album titled “Battle For The Sun”.

Lots of changes in the Placebo camp since the release of “Meds” back in 2006.

They’ve lost Steve Hewitt, the band’s drummer for the past 11 years and they are
no longer backed by a major label (now released trough Vagrant Records).

22-year old Californian Steve Forrest, is now behind the kit. They discovered
him trough his last band, Evaline who opened up for Placebo on their last
North American tour. Now a full fledge Placebo member and Molko’s life force
sustainer for years to come.

The new album, produced by David Bottrill (Tool) and mixed by Alan Moulder
(frequent Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode collaborator) took 3 months to record
in the T Dot (Toronto for you non Canucks) and they managed to bang out 18 songs
which was widdled down to lucky number 13.

This new opus is described as being an hopeful album, a new beginning. Which is quite
a contrast from pretty much their entire catalog. They’ve seen the light and they
wanna spread the gospel.

I feel like they never came close to their one-two punch that was their 1996
self-titled debut
and by far their greatest work 1998’s “Without You I’m Nothing”
tough there’s been a few bright spots over the years.

They’re still capable of commercial success with their recent radio/iTunes hit
of their cover version of “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush.

BFTS’s first single “For What It’s Worth”, as that unmistakable Placebo sound.
This time around, they’ve thrown in some brass to shake things up a little.
Heavy guitar riffs are still omnipresent. They haven’t gone all soft on us quite
yet.

Here’s the music video directed by Howard Greenhalgh, who’s previous work with
the band (“Nancy Boy”, “Bruise Pristine” and “The Bitter End“) was quite excellent.

You can also watch a 10 minute video podcast interview done for Kerrang! with all
3 members.

A stream of the entire album will go online through their official website
starting tomorrow at 9am and will end Sunday night, 12 am. You need to
sign up to their mailing list to get a passcode to be able to access the
stream.

They’re back on the road starting tomorrow night in Sweden, and then all over
Europe till the end of August and if previous years are any indication, a North
American tour
should go down for us at the end of the year around Christmas time.

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