PUBLIC IMAGE LTD レコード& CD

Review: Public Image Ltd. are among the most prominent bands in post-punk, famously sporting ex-Sex Pistol John Lydon, as well as involving key players over the years such as Jah Wobble and Keith Levene. After the passing of Nora Forster, Lydon's wife of more than four decades, PiL's eleventh album End Of World comes as a sudden outpouring of emotion. Lydon's snarling vocals collide with shades of experimental rock and electronica, making for bleak visions of a world plunged into grief. There are new songs, like 'Penge' - their ill fated Eurovision bid - and 'Hawaii', blended with reworkings of older classics. The band elsewhere redirect their angst to concern over the state of the world. It's apt, given that they already came up musically during a time of deep discontent long ago, so we're more than happy to hear them impart their wisdom in album form for today's madness.

Review: No one really expected Public Image Limited to return to the fray with a fully-fledged new album, but life has a funny way of steering the ship. As John Lydon reacted with raw honesty to his experience caring for his wife Nora, they released the heartfelt single 'Hawaii' and in April she passed on. Now the full album is coming, loaded with that poignant meaning and adding such weight to the return of one of the enduring groups of the post-punk era. There's a follow-up single 'Penge', described by Lydon as "something of a medieval Viking epic", and an album bursting with PiL's verve and subversion, but also added compassion and reflection.