When it comes to rock music in its modern form, few bands can claim the electrifying live presence of the War On Drugs. Live Drugs Again is just more proof of their ability to take their intricate studio tracks and elevate them into sprawling, explosive anthems on stage. The new album captures performances from their February 2022 through December 2023 tours across America, the UK, Europe, and Australia.

This follow-up to 2020’s Live Drugs doubles down on the band’s mission to document their maturation as a live act. As frontman Adam Granduciel explains, Live Drugs Again “chronicles the evolution of these songs from the studio to stages all over the world; documenting our continued growth as a live band. This series ensures that these versions, and some of our favorite moments on stage, will live on.” The result is an album that showcases the War On Drugs at their ragged and righteous best.

Few acts can seamlessly synthesize rock’s divergent subgenres the way the War On Drugs can. Across 15 years, they’ve bridged the gaps between folk, indie, Krautrock, and arena rock, coming out the other side with tunes both intensely personal and widely felt. Live Drugs Again is a continuation of that alchemy, providing a window into the evolution of their songs as they’re molded by the energy of live audiences and the band’s own broadening approach.

With Live Drugs Again, the War On Drugs remind listeners why they’re heralded as one of this generation’s premier live acts. It’s a chronicle of a band at its peak, fueled by passion and a relentless drive to refine and redefine what modern rock is and can be. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to stand in the middle of a packed venue, surrounded by the sweeping grandeur of the War On Drugs, Live Drugs Again delivers that experience like classic live albums of the past do. It’s an invitation to relive the raw, unfiltered joy of live music in its most transcendent form.