Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Mid 90s hard rock radio station music pushing the envelope. Closer to White Zombie, Filter, or Powerman 5000 than Ministry, Nine Inch Nails in my opinion. I was deep into the zeitgeist of the music in this era, and this album definitely had its place. There a bit of nostalgia that creeps in from it, but mostly from the memory of thinking MM was just trying to hard. Definitely got him noticed though. Overall, it's listenable and I enjoyed it week enough, but it won't be something I'll ever be reaching for. If it ever pops up in a group of friends, it'll certainly start a conversation though.
I feel like everyone’s being so dramatic about this one
I expected this to be more difficult to sit through than it actually was. Its reputation suggests something far more dangerous, obscure and socially corrosive than the record itself quite turns out to be. It is grotesque, certainly. You can smell the rot and hear the flies buzzing. But much of it is also very direct, very legible, and far more pop-aware than the outrage around it suggests. The most useful way into it, for me, is through Alice Cooper. Vince Furnier helped codify a particular American musical grammar for causing outrage: make the threat theatrical, make it singable, blur the line between band, character and product, then allow parents, clergy, pundits and politicians to complete the artwork by panicking about it. This record updates that grammar for the 1990s. Cooper is the carny selling the freak show. Marilyn Manson climbs into the exhibit and becomes the thing the moral guardians claimed to fear. That is where the album is cleverest. It is not simply trying to shock. It takes the froth of American moral panic and treats it as a blueprint. You think rock music is satanic, corrupting, anti-Christian, sexually diseased, nihilistic and dangerous to the young? Fine. Here is the export model. The joke is not warm, but it is there. It belongs to that mid-90s comic territory where the central question is not “is this funny?” but “is this for real?” Musically, the surprise is how much of a band record it is. There are riffs, hooks, chants, choruses and moments where a genuinely funky dance engine pushes through the industrial murk. It is much less airless than Nine Inch Nails, and much more rooted in shock-rock theatre. The production gives it damp, rust and contamination, but underneath that there is often a straightforwardly effective rock machine at work. The concept, though, is not as profound as the endless analysis around the album sometimes makes it sound. Strip away the fog machine and it is basically Kafka’s Gregor Samsa joins KISS and reads Revelation badly. The outsider becomes the monster society accused him of being, then turns that accusation into celebrity, power and decay. That is a strong engine, but not a bottomless one. The more the album asks me to inspect its grand worm mythology and quasi-Biblical machinery, the flimsier it becomes. The basic idea lands early, and much of what follows feels less like development than reiteration. The elaborate framing sometimes looks like scaffolding round a shed, although the shed does have a filthy PA system and a surprisingly good band inside it. Its real achievement is in the execution. Not the concept as scripture, but the deployment: the way it was waved under America’s nostrils and allowed the outrage machine to authenticate it by reacting exactly as expected. It was accessible enough to reach a mass audience, ugly enough to scare people who wanted to be scared, and theatrical enough to make the panic part of the product. So I respect it more than I like it. As industrial rock, it is effective and often more enjoyable than expected. As culture-war artefact, it is fascinating. As a lifestyle accessory or great tragic song-cycle, it is considerably less convincing. I’m giving it 3/5: a clever, foetid, well-executed provocation whose mythology is not quite as deep as its smell.
Enjoyed this more than I expected. 3.3 but on the three side.
Very influential. Hell, Manson had every politician talking smack about him and his music. I miss the simpler times when we just blamed our problems on music and video games instead of brown people...
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Beautiful People, Tourniquet, Mister Superstar This goes pretty hard. I wasn't sure I was going to like it. It was okay, but I imagine its not for everybody. Produced in part by Trent Reznor, it sounds like Nine Inch Nails, only cranked up to 11 (whatever that means). The screaming gets pretty grating sometimes, but on other tracks, its not too bad. I do really like the music; Very similar to The Downward Spiral. My only prior experience with Marilyn Manson consists of the circulated 90s and 2000s childhood rumors about a certain procedure he had done to himself to be able to perform a certain act... on himself. Wikipedia makes no mention of said procedure or rumor, but that doesn't really matter too much, considering all of the other controversies I found when I visited his page :/ My only other thoughts are that this music is best listened to with high fidelity headphones or a good sound system. This album and maybe the industrial rock genre in general seem to suffer from fidelity issues when you use poor quality headphones, or in my specific case, I am a sucker for bone conducting headphones for approximately half of all of the music listening I do. I think I made effectively the same remark for The Downward Spiral.
what the super fuck
IT was OK, but the songs all sound the same.
Heartbreaking: A noted sex pest made enjoyable industrial rock in the 1990s. 7/10.
Heavy rock
Listening session: may 28th, while cooking dinner Listened to before: no Thoughts: although I don’t want to support Marilyn Manson (that took down my rating), I actually really enjoyed this album. It was nice to hear something a bit heavier on here. Side note: I never knew The Will Of The People by Muse was so heavily influenced by Marilyn Manson Favourite tracks: The Beautiful People, Mister Superstar & The Reflecting God
During this bands heyday, it was pompous and pandering conservative politicians. Under current conditions, the haters are hard left crusaders of social justice. Doesn’t really matter, they’re both the same. Fuck off Moral Majority!
Tbh this was pretty hit or miss for me
😂 Remember when this old lady was the biggest threat to America’s youth? Now he looks like your average first-grade teacher. I miss the '90s.
I think Trent Reznor's influence/production is what really makes this album. I like the sound, but the person behind it leaves a kind of slimy film on everything.
Okay i had low expectations for this. But this was such a fun album! I listened to it while at the gym which was the pergect place for it. The production was really lively!
I think this was the first Marilyn Manson album I’ve ever listened to. You can definitely hear some production by Trent. I did enjoy it. I know Brian Warner is a bad guy. It’s always difficult to separate the art from the human.
Felt like a bit of a knock off nine inch nails album, which isn't a bad starting point but at the same time a bad thing to be constantly comparing to. Now see Trent produced it, that makes sense. The concept of the album passed me by, didn't realise there was meant to be a story in this, thought Marilyn was just going off about scary stuff. The over the top themes do stop me getting into it a bit I think. So overall I liked a fair chunk of the music but thought it was also a bit silly and missed any stand out parts.
some really good drumming but overall it was meh, shock rock that just doesnt
I bought 'The Golden Age of Grotesque' at the time which I thought at the time was a great album (though I haven't listened to it in a while). I like their heavy guitar/bass sound and the songs where he makes more or an attempt to 'sing', or at least a more restrained growl. I dislike the out and out screaming numbers. Some stuff on here I love (Tourniquet) and some I don't (Irresponsible Hate Anthem). But mostly it's ok.
Не весь альбом порадовал, но в целом угар уже прослеживается
I'm not going to mark this down because Marylin Manson is clearly a dodgy fucker. That said, this album is hardly a classic. It's fine, possibly a bit more than that in places, but it's hardly revolutionary.
This is intense and sounds great… but I don’t necessarily want to live here
Nine Inch Nails Light ™️ Wasn't bad, music was decent, some of the lyrics were cringe as fuck though. Very glad I didn't discover this in my edgy emo teenage years or I might have made it my whole personality
I really like the sound but the unnecessarily offensive lyrics and creepiness make me unsurprised at some of the band member controversies
While musically I was not particularly a big fan of this I dig the fact that as per the wiki entry .... "The central storyline on the album revolved around ......... a populist demagogue who is driven solely by resentment, misanthropy, and despair, he uses his newfound position to destroy the world. The record can be seen as a social critique, utilizing this premise as a metaphor for the perceived fascist elements of the conservative political movement and the Christian right in North America." Sadly this is as pertinent today as when this album came out 30 years ago. For this reason alone I'll bump it up from 2 to 3 stars.
Awww hell man these lyrics were sooo bad but ya know what the guitar was kinda groovy so I'll let it slide
Loved the first 5 songs. Wasn’t expecting Marilyn to sound so good. Great guitar sounds too. After the first 5 songs though the album didn’t really keep me hooked until 1996 which was a banger. I think if this was trimmed down to 40 minutes instead of 70 I would like it a lot more
I guess being able to suck your own really does help produce great music.
Very weird but I kinda liked it. Never listed to Marilyn Manson before and potentially wouldn’t mind more.
It's my first time through this album, and I came in with a lot of preconceptions. I'm still not a fan of the artist, and this album could lose 15 minutes, but it's hard to dispute the quality of many of these songs.
Though I'd like it more since I like other albums more but it was a bit too long and too few bangers that caught me
igual me sacaría las costillas
Increíble que alguien con dos costillas menos haga tan buenas canciones
Honnêtement, j'étais très pessimiste face à cet album. J'ai été assez surpris au final. Bien que je sois pas fan du chanteur, la guitare et le drum m'ont captivé par moments, c'était de gros sons!
I enjoyed this but it overstayed its welcome. It could have been 30 minutes shorter
Was not looking forward to this, but musically I generally enjoyed this. Definitely better than expected.
Early MM was the best..this is a fun album. I haven’t listened to MM for a while, happy to get reaquainted.Not strong enough for a 4 but deserves more than a 3…
3.5. I really thought I was going to hate this, having lived through the era. But it was much less numetal and much more industrial than I remember and was actually pretty good. The Trent Reznor production influence is apparent.
A little bit too long. A few of the songs hit a lot of the same notes, but overall pretty good. Decent variety of sounds. I really liked the faster first song; wish there would have been a few more fast ones.
It's more like Korn than I was expecting. There's also a bit of Hole, NIN, and maybe a tiny bit of Limp Bizkit. I had actually been meaning to listen to Antichrist Superstar since it was released but I never did it. After finally getting around to it after 30 years I can't say I missed much.
Euggghhhhh I enjoyed a lot of this because I enjoyed it the first time around, but there's so much of it and it's from such an unfortunate creep (derogatory). 2.5
A bit too much anger and noise, but might be ok if I’m in the right (or wrong) mood. Beautiful People and Tourniquet are definitely worth a listen, though.
Full disclosure - I used to listen to Marilyn Manson years ago. A shock rock band with elements of goth and industrial metal was bound to get my attention, especially one with such public notoriety after the release of the concept record Antichrist Superstar. But after a while, I became fatigued with listening to their music, ultimately phasing out of my interest in them around the time the sexual assault allegations against the namesake frontman came out, actions which he himself admitted to. If there is one aspect of my album journey that would be truly challenging to me, it would be re-examining the demons of my past. It would take some sheer willpower to cast aside any hesitancy in listening to an artist I had previously left behind. With all that said, how did it feel listening to Antichrist Superstar? Well, let me start by highlighting the two big advantages Marilyn Manson had early on in their career: the knack for coming up with a decent hook and surrounding themselves with great producers. It is fascinating how many grooves were found in the underlying industrial foundation, bolstered by Twiggy Ramirez's distorted guitar riffs and Ginger Fish's punchy percussion. Even if the bass isn't as prominent or doing anything distinct compared to the guitars, there are still enough heavy musical phrases that penetrate through and linger in the mind. I found myself recalling the likes of "Irresponsible Hate Anthem", "Mister Superstar", "Angel with Scabbed Wings", and the pairing of the title track into "1996" as they festered. Even though I am thoroughly sick of "The Beautiful People" with how overplayed that single is, I cannot deny that it's an earworm. Of course, as I've alluded to, the other big boon for the band was the producers they aligned themselves with early on. In this case, we have the likes of veteran industrial producer Sean Beavan, former Skinny Puppy producer Dave Ogilvie, and Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor. There is something grimy about how this album is mixed, with buzzing electronic whirs and decrepit synths layered throughout. Hell, I was particularly intrigued when the intensity was dialed back on the rare occasion for a more brooding atmosphere, such as with the prominent Mellotron on "Cryptorchid". I wouldn't say the production goes as hard as some of these gentlemen's other works, especially how weirdly muted it is in comparison, but it's decent at setting the mood. That all said, at some point, the fatigue starts sinking in, and I am reminded of why I grew tired of this band. This album does feel long at over 71 minutes, even if it is reasonably structured into three acts for its concept. Now, I've certainly enjoyed my fair share of long records on this album journey thus far. But I feel limited by how muted the overall sound is on this record, and how limited Marilyn Manson, the frontman, can be behind the mic. Between the guttural whispers and restrained screams, I can't help but find an imbalance in his vocal presence, not quite going for broke. Even still, probably the most damning aspect of this album is how tame this shock rock record is. After the initial uproar of "Irresponsible Hate Anthem", complete with full-on use of the hard-R N-word that I wasn't particularly into, the rest of the tracks fall into rather standard industrial music with elements of Bowie-esque glam rock in between. Hell, the titular Antichrist Superstar can be viewed as a slightly darker version of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust character, a supernatural rock star sent to disrupt the status quo. It's probably in my favor that I have immersed myself in more abrasive and potent industrial music over the years. For me, it makes Marilyn Manson's shtick easier to digest, which means I can look past the year and recognize the social critiques being made at celebrity idolatry and the burgeoning fascism within the Christian conservative movement in the United States, both of which are unfortunately increasingly relevant in today's world, to the point where they seem to go hand-in-hand. In that regard, I can recognize how seemingly prophetic this album became and how so many people now embrace Marilyn Manson's brand of nihilism, which means my listening to this record came with little surprise. If the shock value is no longer there, then the only thing a performer can rely on is their musicality, and if the best I can call the musical performance on display here is decent, then it leaves a lot to be desired in my eyes. At the end of the day, I recognize the historical significance Antichrist Superstar had at the time, as Marilyn Manson had once thrived in the perceived ideological villainy, with at least some musical sensibility. But I also recognize that I've grown up and moved on from this band and its frontman. To a shock rock artist, that would be the scariest thing to say.
I actually quite liked that. Not enough to give it a 4. But I really liked the Beautiful people. Also just goes to show societal views vs the actual music. and how we're all just humans trying to create cool shit and find meaning. Granted I haven't looked into anything in his personal life. But i know that maybe some sketchy stuff is in there?
good album
The boy that you loved is the man that you fear. Nice prediction Brian.
Cannot take this edgelord's music seriously. All of it is just shocking for shock value. Boring.
This is truly a good industrial rock record. The concept of animalistic backlash towards the Christian right, and portrayal of a character that gets in too deep in doing so, is something I respect. The songs are grimy and chunky and well produced (thanks to Trent Reznor himself), and while at times it does sound like a little brother to NIN, the record has enough distinct personality due to Brian Warner's signature vocal delivery, which meshes together so well with the instrumentals. Unfortunately, as we've seen through allegations of sexual abuse in recent years, Warner's character portrayal here is too close to reality. It's hard to fully enjoy this record when the shock value of the music fits hand in hand with the skeevy nature of the artist behind it. But I do respect and acknowledge the cultural significance of this album in the 90s.
There's no doubting that this is a great album and holds a specific time and place for me in life.
Not as good as I remember. The back half of this album has some really great heavy lifting by Trent Reznor.
É um bom álbum. Mistura de rock com industrial bem interessante. É um álbum marcante na história do rock. TRN Medusa.
It's not bad, but I think this is the type of music we'd have gotten from Trent if he was a little bolder and forward with his sexuality. It feels like a cross between NIN and Lords of Acid. Like an angry incel teenager. I like the musical styling, just not the lyric content. Marilyn, quit being a sex pest.
Really an OK album, that unfortunately feels stuck in a specific rut in music history. All I can think about that Onion bit. You can only be shocking for shock value for a limited period of time.
Interesting album. Some confronting lyrics. Musically diverse.
Se ve la mano de Trent bien machin!
Surprisingly long album - he had a lot to say back then! 30 years later it still sounds quite fresh. We knew he was an arsehole back then. The debut album is better.
Surprised me a lot.
Minus one star for the length, definitely could use some trimming. Plus one star for Beautiful People. Separating the art from the artist, this is a decent album expressing very dark emotions and mindset
It's fine.
Oh, Marilyn Manson. Where do I even begin with you?? So, this guy was huge for about 2 years when I was a kid and then fell off the face of the Earth. I haven't heard anything about him since. His legacy to me is the Metalocalypse episode where the gang try to, uh, how do I word this appropriately, remove their rib cages to assist with putting their meat in their mouths. That's innocent sounding enough right?? So yeah, that was a very prominent rumor with Marilyn Manson, and even though it's not true, I still believe. I don't even think it started with him, but it's almost synonymous with him at this point, and it's really funny to think about all this time later. How is his singing? Well, it's unique. I'll give him that. The almost perfect distribution of 1's, 2's and 3's with no 4's or 5's in the site ratings almost perfectly sum him up. Either you hate him entirely as a person and just auto give him a 1, you find his singing tolerable and give it a 2, or you actually kind of enjoy it but acknowledge it's very flawed and give it a 3. I'm currently at a 3. It's fine. Aggressively average, but fine. His biggest hit is also the best song by a country mile, "The Beautiful People", and everything else is just filler. It's ok, but with a literal hour and eleven minute playtime, that's too much for even his hardest core fans. It's edgy. It's graphic. It didn't age well because it was never good to begin with. But, it's also EXTREMELY 90's coded, and for that honestly I can kind of vibe with it. This was the kind of music I was listening to when I was a kid, so it's always going to have just a little bit of a soft spot for me, even if it's just objectively bad music. So, I don't know. I get why anyone would give this a 1-3, as Metal in general is a tough sell for most people and Marilyn Manson himself was a huge, annoying asshole of a person when he had his 15 minutes in the spotlight. I'd compare him to someone like Fred Durst, Kid Rock, or Kanye West in the sense that a lot of these reviews are going to be biased because they just don't like the person. And that's kind of understandable honestly. Additionally, this is the first album I've rolled that's this screamy, and I'd be hard pressed to believe they have many with a remotely similar sound. That screaminess and vulgarity alone is going to throw off a bunch of people right out of the gate. So, it may be the bad kind of unique to most, but again, I kind of vibe with it. Yeah, it's a very safe 3.
This was on heavy rotation in my late teen years back in the 90s - buuuut I don’t listen anymore - and he’s a creep, so let’s just leave it there.
I get why this is a great album. It probably warrants closer and repeated listens but the music is a bit too hard for me.
A little bloated but there are some pretty cool songs on this one.
Obscure & illusionary.
This wasn’t as bad as I thought but it was too hard and too ‘screamy’
The Beautiful People is fuckin' killer, no doubt about it. I was never into MM save for a few tracks. Their adherents were a slightly younger crop of Goth/Industrial-leaning metal kids who were generally white trash and not very cultured. Like they might know The Cure and NIN but couldn't tell you shit about Bauhaus or Skinny Puppy. Same type of people can fit right into, and are, the Slipknot crowd. It's always been like whatever, like I ain't mad at the little ones. Plus I've always appreciated and enjoyed how utterly revulsed Christians are by MM. I like most anything that bothers Christians. I actually dig this more than I thought I would. It's super angsty and overindulgent, but there's good moments. Production is excellent and somehow avoids ear fatigue. If there is fatiguing, it's due to the overall length. After knowing more about the vileness of MM himself IRL, it adds a gross layer on top of the already edgy lyrics. It kinda comes with the territory, but still gross. Dude's a monster, kinda like he said he is.
Surprisingly more listenable than I had anticipated.
So freaking creepy. Gotta hand to the guy for matching the aesthic with the mood of the music. Taking out the shock value of Marilyn Manson generally and the real creepiness, there’s decent music in there. The hit, Beuatiful People is downright catchy… while maintaining the creep factor. It’s an uncomfortable listen, but it’s not bad at all.
To me this sounds more like a Nine Inch Nails album. Which isn't a surprise considering that Reznor produced it. It has some good songs, but to me if I'm going to listen to this style of music, I'll go to Nine Inch Nails rather than Marilyn Manson.
Not as bad as I thought it would be. More musical other bands in that genre.
Hilarious at times. Sounds like all the prototypical 90s angsty teenagers got together and wrote lyrics. 'I wasn't born with enough middle fingers' Instrumentally however, really dope. Wicked industrial production.
Whatever...
What I don't like about this album, is that the vocals are in one way pretty diverse - he sings, he screams, he whispers, chokes on coke etc etc but at the same time they are still monotonous and the instrumentals are not good enough to distract me from thinking that
Een album dat al vroeg in mijn collectie zat. Eigenlijk maar vanwege één nummer: The Beautiful People. Inmiddels alweer even niet geluisterd, maar ook vandaag weer schiet het volume bij dat nummer automatisch naar standje 40. De automatische impuls om de rijsnelheid te verdubbelen, moet ik maar onderdrukken wegens het weer.... Een vergelijkbaar nummer komen we op het album niet meer tegen. Binnen het genre wordt vrij veel gevarieerd. Manson praat, zingt, en schreeuwt. Hij houdt in en gaat los. Hoe rustiger en hoe digitaler het klinkt hoe fijner ik het over het algemeen vind. Zoals de dubstepachtige basis Cryptorchild. Daar tegenover staat bijvoorbeeld de herrie van het openingsnummer. Soms ervaar ik die herrie door het geschreeuw, maar meestal hebben misplaatste digitale geluiden een belangrijk aandeel. Soms werkt het schreeuwen juist heel goed. Dan doet het me wat aan Korn denken. The Reflecting God is het tweede nummer dat met kop en schouders boven de rest uitsteekt. Het is vrij definiërend voor het album met het verspringen van rust naar omverblazend muzikaal geweld en met de verschillende vormen van stemgebruik. Het aantal sterren is toch een kwestie van uitmiddelen. Daarmee kom ik op een harde drie.
Al uit de albumhoes en de diverse clipjes die ik op de Ubuis te zien krijg, maak ik op dat we hier met een notoire aansteller van doen hebben. Ik hou allemaal niet van dat occulte gedoe en dat hele karakter van hem, leidt zoals gewoonlijk af van de muziek. Dat is dus alvast een minpunt om mee te beginnen. De muziek dan: dat is met name industrial metal, gekenmerkt door vrij staccato hakketak drums. Maar er komt ook wat nu-metal voorbij, waarbij Manson soort van zingpraat aka rapt als Korn. Ook de gitaargeluidjes doen er soms wat aan denken. Nu ben ik best fan van een aantal Korn albums, maar dan weer niet van die nummers waar ik hierbij aan moet denken. Net als vaak met industrial, mis ik toch wat groove, die er best bij zou kunnen passen. En de nummers waar dat dan meer in zit, vind ik ook gelijk wat toffer, zoals Tourniquet, angel with the scabbed wings of het titelnummer. Qua gitaarmuziek zit het niet in het gitaarhoekje dat ik fijn vind, al zitten er heus wel prima stukken tussen. En zoals gezegd stoor ik me ietwat aan de act die er schijnbaar bij moet horen. Ik ben een parttime metalsnob en dit (genre) scoort bij mij krap aan een 3.
Not for me but some decent tunes.
I don’t really know how to rate that. Thematically, I think it’s a fascinating concept, and while it takes far too long to start moving along as a plot, the idea of someone who openly rejects fame before receiving it in spades, and using that influence & power to bring about the end of the world as he knows it, trying to usher in the delusional revelation of a new existence without the boundaries of life & death as they’re perceived… well, hold on, I think Marilyn Manson accidentally retold Neon Genesis Evangelion, actually. That’s a bit awkward. Jokes aside, I do think it’s a fascinating album. I just wish it wasn’t a Marilyn Manson album. By all accounts, the man is a rapist, Nazi-adjacent, & just a powderkeg of controversy that’s never been controllable. His use of the N-word here, with a hard R, is somehow surprising & not surprising at all. However, listening to this album, & taking it as it is in a way that tries to separate the man from the music, no matter how autobiographical this seems to come across as… I dunno, I’m just stuck somewhere in the middle on it. Instrumentally, it’s a lesser imitation of “The Downward Spiral”, even if a few tracks get a bit close to replicating that album’s downtrodden vibes, especially with Trent Reznor’s production work. Vocally, I think he’s trying too hard, with a simultaneous rasp in his voice & a pitch that feels like shock for shock’s sake. Lyrically, I think this album provides the very case study for “stand for everything, believe in nothing”, with so many of Manson’s lines drenched in such cynical irony that it’s hard to empathize with his sincerity or truly engage with his thought processes. And yet, despite all of that, I find myself drawn to the visceral honesty this album presents itself with; not in the sense of Manson being a pariah for some kind of counterculture that rejects life & death as we know it, but in the sense that his convictions are laid out here in a way that is authentic to himself, in his own mind. This album is not commercially appealing, nor is it sensibly written, but it is, for better or worse, one hell of a case study into the psyche of Marilyn Manson. Someone who feels freed from the boundaries & restrictions of a traditional life/death structure, while presenting that vision in such an auditory way, is fascinating to hear. While I don’t think I would find myself willingly going back to this album, I do think it’s an album worth listening to, if only to capture a sense of whatever small cultural zeitgeist this album may have invoked. For the record, Marilyn Manson as a person can go fuck himself. I can’t give this a 5 in both good faith & from an album standpoint. I can’t give it a 4 because for as much as I’ve given this thing some praise, I find the first section of the album a little redundant, & the middle section of the album to drag along whilst he lays out the process of this “worm” taking him over & eating him alive to become the “Antichrist Superstar”. Ultimately, this album takes too long to get to its most interesting parts & that one use of the N-word is egregious. I do, however, feel like I can give this a justifiable 3. I think there’s a small amount of tracks that do have some appeal outside of the full album, and I think the overall tone of the album shares that appeal, in some weird, weird way. The concept has legs, but I can’t help but wonder if another, less controversial artist could’ve tackled it with the respect it deserves, in order to feel like it’s worth engaging with more fruitfully. I don’t think I’d listen to it ever again, but I do feel like I’ve gotten something out of listening to it once, which is more than I can say for truly useless albums like “Devil Without A Cause” & “Haut de Gamme”. If someone wants to give this a 1 or 2, I’d totally get it. Hell, I thought I would give this a 1 or a 2 going into it, and I’m still very willing to go back down in the future. For now, though, I think I’m at a 3.
I came into this as a Marilyn Manson hater. Back in the late 90s, Manson was weirdly everywhere. Not exactly who you would have expected to be the TV-friendly darling of MTV, but somehow he was plastered all over our screens for a while. The hysteria definitely helped to fuel the media prominence. The schoolyard rumours of having a rib removed for self-pleasure had been passed from Prince to Marilyn Manson. People were incorrectly telling others that he was "the geeky kid with glasses" from The Wonder Years, in a sort of "look what could happen" kind of shock statement. Some parents were hysterical about rumours of Satan worship, self-mutilation and suicide promotion. There was an aspect of homophobia about the androgynous nature of Manson too, for sure. The media jumped on it all. I wasn't a fan. I heard all of this frenzy, didn't buy into any of it, and wrote Manson off as someone feeding off this circus, with little substance below the surface. Also, to be completely honest, in my music circle of Britpop, 60s and 70s rock and roll, and alt rock, it was very much NOT cool to like Marilyn Manson. Industrial metal, or whatever it was called as a genre, was enough to dismiss an artist, even before stacking on the whole "acting up for attention" feel to their music. I have to admit though, I did absolutely LOVE one of their songs. I had heard "The Dope Show" (from their next album) on a "Best of 1998" CD that came free with Q Magazine. It wasn't what I had expected at all. More 70s glam rock than industrial metal, and with a chorus that was absolutely brilliant. I mean, it was one of my favourite songs of the year, if I'm completely honest. I'd tell people about it, but only with a series of disclaimers about how I didn't like Manson, and how the rest of their stuff was nonsense. I did an eye roll when this came up as my album of the day. After the first song, I was already wondering how I'd get through the hour plus of this. But, in the middle of the metal, faux gothic horror stuff that I still roll my eyes at, I started to notice some pretty great guitar riffs, some glam rock and even moments that were, dare I say it, Bowie-esque. I'm still not a fan of Manson himself, the 90s gore-horror aesthetic, the antagonistic lyrics, and the industrial metal parts, but when all of that is juxtaposed with the bright, melodic distorted glam rock riffs that come in so unexpectedly, it actually works really, really well. I mean that second half of "Cryptorchid" caught me so off-guard, with the fragile mellotron and affected vocal harmonies. If I'd heard it in isolation, I would have never guessed it was a Marilyn Manson song. "Tourniquet" is genuinely a great song from start to finish. "Wormboy" has a pretty great main riff. Even "The Beautiful People" has that 70s sounding descending guitar riff, more than making up for the rest of the song. It turns out that it wasn't a chore to get through an hour of this at all. It was actually enjoyable, waiting to hear what unexpected direction the next song would take. Just like when I would recommend "The Dope Show" to friends, I've added a tonne of disclaimers to this review. But shit, it's actually not a bad album at all. 3.5 stars.
I like this one overall, I think it went on a bit long for my taste and the middle section slumps a bit, but a nice change up on this list. There’s quite a few really good tracks, 3 is good
I never gave Marilyn Manson's music a fair shake because of all the bullshit schtick nonsense that Manson wrapped himself in for the majority of his career. Then it was revealed that he is an actually evil human being and we were all left to wonder if we had missed some kind of warning. Turns out that the music is pretty good. Not good enough to fully emerge from the shadow of Nine Inch Nails, but pretty good. Shave a half-star because, like many other albums of the time, it's too long.
More interesting than I imagined it would be. While his singing gets tiresome the music is full and interesting.
It's a testament to the album that it crossed over to mainstream. It definitely fills some kind of void, even if it isn't my taste. The album is nicely produced with a lot of Reznor fingerprints. Manson lately is a more disturbing figure to me than before--the allegations suck.
The 90s, what a time.
Never a fav
"Irresponsible Hate Anthem" "The Beautiful People" "Tourniquet" and "Angel With The Scabbed Wings" are decent, but the rest of this kinda blends together for me
506/1001
The most aggressive three because some mix emerald notes but also too crazy and creepy
Definitely was a stressful listen at times. Pretty clean production through and through. Not my favorite album by any means and I was pretty tired of it after a while, but I can't deny it exceeded my expectations going in.
That was a whole bunch of Manson. Had a few good hits on here like Beautiful People and some other ones that I didn't pay attention to the names. But it was mainly just noise to me. Still liked a good amount but probably a low 3
The line "I wasn't born with enough middle fingers" goes pretty hard. About halfway through and while I went into this with kinda low expectation, I'm enjoying it. Wormboy is specifically a fun one. Bassline of Minute of Decay is great. Was definitely excited to hear the different layering from this when going in I kinda expected just screamo. This had moments bordering on 1-5 at many different points throughout, Hard to give it anything but a 3.
Fand seine Mucke immer nur okay. Selbst wenn wir die moralische Komponente bei Seite lassen und nur auf die Musik gucken, ist das Album mindestens eine halbe Stunde zu lang. The Beautiful People ist aber so ein Banger, der alleine schon mindestens 3 Sterne verdient hat.
Moralisch schwierig. An sich das Album ist schon solide, daher 3 Sterne.
Wow, das erste Album, das auch bei mir im Regal steht - ich bin überrascht. Auch wenn mir die nachkommenden Werke musikalisch deutlich besser schmecken, akzeptiere ich, dass dieses hier genügend wegweisend war. Mir gefällt der sehr harte Grundton, der sich überall durchzieht. Gleichzeitig zieht es sich gegen Ende in zu wenig Abwechslung. Beautiful People auch einfach ein Banger. Ich hätte gerne 4 gegeben, aber ich glaube als Album dann doch eher die 3. PS: Bin ich glücklich, dass der HiddenTrack auf Spotify im Gegensatz zur CD nicht mit 100x Stille á 5 sek getrennt ist.
Good-meh melodies and very nice anger, but the longuer it goes on the sooner i need a break on my ears
Fun album
Best Song: Angel With The Scabbed Wings. This had a good rhythm to it. Worst Song: Cryptorchild. This felt really like an interlude, more than a song in its own right. Overall: It's not bad, but goddamn if it isn't corny. Lyrically, the whole album seems preoccupied with communicating how edgy and extreme Manson is, even if the music falls into some pretty milquetoast directions.
I was generally familiar with Marilyn Manson before this, between Warner's awfulness as a person, controversies around the band, and growing up in the late 90s so I'd definitely heard Beautiful People and their cover of Sweet Dreams, but this wasn't my type of music growing up so had never really listened to them and was kind of dreading listening to it. I didn't like the lyrical content (way too dark for me) and or the vocal style (although I could tolerate it better than some of the more screamed metal vocals like Sepultura), and I couldn't get through everything and skipped around a bit, but musically this was actually pretty solid and interesting and something I could really enjoy with different vocals and themes. I'm wavering between 2 & 3 stars here but will lean 3 because I'm in a good mood today.
Never heard this album before, but assumed most Marilyn Manson stuff was just garbage. It's not _great_, but honestly it was a lot better than I thought it would be. 3/5
Enjoy the industrial metal, respect the shock value, hate the length. Could've chopped off like 20 minutes and it might have been a 4.
it was a vibe, not really mine. And Marilyn Manson has so many accusers, it’s hard to understand why anyone still listens.
Irresponsible Hate Anthem // Beautiful People // Cryptorchild // 1996 // The Reflecting God //
Remembering liking this a whole lot more. Some good tracks but also some misses
Musique Ok, bon album dans l'ensemble. Est-ce qu'on donne trop d'importance au personnage plutôt qu'au contenu de l'album mille fois oui.
Pre: avoided as child Post: better than excepted
By 1996, those of the angst riddled minded needed a new voice to help address their issues and feelings. They needed a sound that was harder and harsher than anything that had come before or was circling the drain of the mainstream. Enter Marilyn Manson. With a name that combined the twisted concoction of the bright and dark sides of Hollywood and a vision that dimmed and exceeded expectations, they set out to live up to the name they've given this album. Albeit long enough for its own good, there is not a sense of a minute being wasted here, for there is plenty to unpack here regardless of religious stance. Favorites: Irresponsible Hate Anthem, The Beautiful People, Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World, Tourniquet, Cryptorchid, Wormboy, Mister Superstar, Angel With the Scabbed Wings, Antichrist Superstar, Minute of Decay.
Light 3,5
A very conflicting listen given developments in recent years. Listening now, it all smacks of shock for shock's sake and "look at me, I'm a freak, can't you see I am" posturing. When MM gets out of the way and lets the music do more of the talking, this does go hard at points, with Trent Reznor's contributions doing the heavy lifting in making the songs compelling. As far as industrial metal goes, though, there are ample examples of it being done better and to a less infringing degree elsewhere.
Kult sound, tydelig noe Trent her. Flere kule låter, men ikke noe jeg hører mange ganger og dykker ned i igjen
Enjoyed this more than expected despite the cringy edgelord lyrics. The drum lines are terrific and the guitar might be abrasive but it works for what Manson is going for.
I'm pretty split here. Putting aside the person from the music, I find this at times good and interesting. Transgressive, vicious, and pounding. But fuck, it's so long, and I'm over it before I'm even half way done. I'm a sucker for concept albums and rock operas, but it's too much of the same. It's a 3.
Ok - but I think there are better ones
Ei oikeen vaan ikinä oo Manson lähtenyt itellä. Kyllähän tätä taustalla kuuntelee ja levyllä muutamia ihan ok hetkiä, mutta muuten aika tasapaksua tavaraa
Marilyn Mansonilla on hyviä biisejä, ja niitä mielellään silloin tällöin kuunteleekin. Kokonainen albumillinen niitä on kuitenkin liikaa ja tästä kuuntelusta sai lievän yliannostuksen Mansonia. Yksi tuttu biisi, varmaankin Mansonin tunnetuin The Beautiful People löytyi levyltä, mutta muut olivat uusia tuttavuuksia. Aika keskinkertainen levy, ei paska muttei mikään mestariteoskaan, joten kolmosta pukkaa.
Tykkään kyllä Mansonista, mutta ei sitä kokonaista albumia jaksa kerralla. Tosi monessa biisissä ei ole mitään melodiaa ja Mansonin murina ja rouhea musiikki alkaa vaan kuulostaa jossain kohtii valkokohinalta. Helppo kolmonen silti, koska ei nämä biisit paskoja ole ja jopa useampi löytyy levyltä, mitä kuuntelen aina silloin tällöin.
I first heard this album when I was maybe 10 or 11. I was told the music was supposed to make me evil. Much like the album before, Skunk Anansie, this is a little too edgy for me. Manson’s gimmick is shock and that’s really run its course as there is nothing shocking in the age of the internet. But there’s some good songs here. “Beautiful People” is objectively a good song and Manson’s calling card. I attribute a lot of his success to the guitarist John 5 who really shines here. This album certainly had a cultural moment and it was pretty significant.
This is my first listen through of a Marilyn Manson album. I'm reminded of Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, and Mindless Self Indulgence. It's a sound I have to be in the mood to listen to and I don't see myself playing it often, but it's done well. I debated between 3-4. 3.5 stars.
The most commendable thing about him is that he has a manatee in his swimming pool.
Last year I attempted to read Marilyn Manson‘s autobiography, but found myself so generally disgusted by his narcissism that I DNF’d it. As such, it’s hard to be objective when it comes to my opinion of him. His music hit because the fact he was a shock rocker, but I never quite thought that his music added up to the hype and this album somewhat reflects that as well. When I saw that this album was actually a concept album, I was surprised because I never interpreted it as one. But even as I was listening to it, I still struggled to find the concept in this concept album. There are some good songs on here, including the song, Beautiful People which I’d actually seem them perform live twice. It was great both times. I also enjoyed Deformography, which was surprisingly good, and Angel with Scabbed Wings. There are aspects of the concept throughout but the album is too long and unvaried in its industrial mental format to compare to the other superior concept albums. It just comes off as a basic industrial metal album from the age.
Random thoughts: * I never listened to more than 2 Marilyn Manson songs in my whole life. * I actually liked this. Is this considered metal? I like that he mostly sings but doesn't have that "cookie monster" voice. * There are tinges of that nu-metal sound in here with scratching and beats and such. * I'd definitely listen to this again but you do kinda have to be in the right mood. * Better than expected!
I think I listened to this whole album once in 1996 or 1997 and didn’t think much of it then beyond liking two songs (beautiful people, tourniquet). As an adult, it was a genuine disappointment to learn how easy the guitar riff for Tourniquet is / how everything cool about its sound is pedals or production. Let’s see if the adolescent hatred hits more now, when I’m a middle-aged man! And: embarrassingly, I did kinda like it.
Plus meilleur que ce que je pensais (je ne sais pas trop ce que je pensais, en fait) ! C’est pas quelque chose que je réécouterais souvent, mais c’était une bonne heure d’écoute.
let’s be honest, the only reason this self-indulgent bullshit is even worth listening to is because of trent reznor. the music is very good, the lyrics are actually so embarrassing. no wonder this man’s only personality trait is being an abusive loser, just listened to an hour and eleven minutes of him whining. anyway, marilyn manson rawt in hell you absolute creep.
To be honest I didn’t hate this one as much as I was expecting to but it is a bit lyrically cringe at times. Dude is a wrongun too but that’s another story.
Meh. Not horrible some interesting stuff here. But I just don't really like it overall. Not to my taste.
Gear: HEDD Audio HEDDphone Two Artwork: 🧌🧭⬛ Production: 🧏♂️📏💩 Music: 🖤🥹💆♂️ Rating: ⸸ ⸸ ⸸ /5
It's got some strong moments/riffs/drums/production.
I wouldn't want to touch anything they've touched, but it is a decent concept album, even if it drags here and there.
Some good songs but not my thing
Trent Reznorin tuotannon kyllä tunnistaa, tulee tosi vahvat NiN vibat. Ei sillein sen ihmeellisempää, aika perus ysäri insustrial soundia. Oisinehkä odottanut vähän enemmän. Mut oli kyllä ihan hyviäkin kappaleita. Parhaat: The Beautiful People, Kinderfield, Minute of Decay
Pre-listen thoughts: I havent ever been a huge Manson fan, maybe this will change it Post-listen thoughts: Wayyy to satanic to be higher. not a huge fan. Final rating: 6.8/10 Favorite song: Torquinet Least Favorite song: Wormboy
IF you can get past the part that its Marilyn Manson this is fitting music for its time and place. Well produced and a couple of really good songs in there. If you cant get past the fact that its Marilyn Manson this is sophomoric edge lord try hard crap that was biting the industrial sound that was becoming more popular at the time. I wish I could give it 2.5 stars as its neither a 2 or a 3.
In this weird timeline we exist, will we get a collaboration of Marilyn Manson, Russel Brand, R. Kelly? Separating the art from Spirit Halloween cosplay... Quality electro goth industrial metal (respectfully coined 'scary metal'... by me). My 2 cents, give me Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Deftones. * And upon some quick research, Trent Reznor contributed to the production of this, which makes perfect sense, because the atmosphere can be mesmerizing at times, but the album can get a bit tedious at points.
Not the worst stuff ever.
It's one of those albums where I like a handful of songs, and others are either annoying noises, or just not interesting and sound blah... So, I get why people went bonkers over Marilyn Manson (it's NIN with anti-christ sentiments!!! AAAAAHHH!), and why parents hated it. Overall I like it, it's not what I would listen to every day but it's got it's moments. 2.91 / 5 stars Highlights: Beautiful People Angel with the Scrubbed Wings Antichrist Superstar 1996
He’s not the Antichrist Superstar, he’s a very naughty boy! Separating art from artist this is ok, but very samey and really is the most edgelordy album I’ve ever heard which I guess is not surprising since Manson is perhaps the uber-edgelord.
Mer varierad än jag trodde. När det låter hårdrock och dålig Rammstein är det inget vidare. Men när det låter White Stripes och Loyd Cole är det kanon. Trea
Damn, he's dropping the N word in the first song, huh? This is wild to listen to the day after listening to Rage Against the Machine because I feel like Rage is empowering (and has a meaningful political message) where as Manson is just obnoxiously cynical and angry. "Angry boy music", as a friend of mine calls it. Lyrics aside, the sound is pretty fun. Lots of variety of sounds between "deformography" and "cryptorchid". I could see myself screaming to "tourniquet" in the car. I also liked this a lot more after learning that is was a concept rock opera album.
When you get to Heaven, You will wish you were in Hell
A weird record that has hits and misses. I thought that it was mostly good. Favourite Track(s): The Beautiful People Least Favourite Track(s): Dried Up, Tied And Dead To The World
yucky person. album is fine though
elst betur en mig grunaði. en er hálfgert miðjumoð. tilgerðarlegt og einhæft. en hlustaði svolítið á þetta á sínum og hataði ekkert.
Horrible person but not terrible album
Nine inch nails but mid
Like a couple of songs. Not really into Manson lately, maybe because of his personal stuff or not a fan as much any more of the screaming.
Totalt bättre än den inledande skrikiga låten. Beautiful people är bra, kommer några fler som är rätt tajta, men också en del skrikigt å mindre bra. För lång. Men landar nog på tre tillslut.
Arg nördmusik som jag alltid avfärdat men som jag nu ändå måste erkänna inte var helt dålig. Musikaliskt så står det här faktiskt på egna ben även utan den tuffa (töntiga) imagen. Det är välproducerat, bra driv och bitvis till och med riktigt bra med låtar som The beautiful people, Tourniquet och Mister superstar. Finns också en del sämre och det blir lite för långt, vilket drar ner betyget. En kortare och tightare skiva hade jag nog gett en fyra men här får det bli en trea.
this one's complicated, i've got a big mix of nosalgia, sustained love for trent reznor's production, dislike of camp, and a bit of cringe at my former self who would have loved these bad, bad, BAD lyrics. still, the singles are great and a couple of the album tracks surprised me! 3*
I had never really listened to MM. I appreciate the intensity, but a bit rich for me. Definitely worth inclusion on this list though
Big fan of The Beautiful People - an OG for me. But the rest of the album is okay. Marilyn Manson has a sound... and there's some variety but only enough for having maybe five or so of his songs. I don't know if the other four were in this album. Still enjoyed listening to it though. 3/5 stars.
so...putting aside what kind of person Marilyn Manson is, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This has definite Nine Inch Nails vibes and I've been on a bit of a NIN kick. Despite liking it more than I thought, it swung wildly from songs I enjoyed and songs I just couldn't listen to.
weird, touchy, rapey, gothy creep.
I would give this 3.5
How on earth do I rate this one... The easy option I guess is to point out that Brian Warner (aka Marilyn Manson) is toxic and a bit of a clown, slap 2 star on it and move on to the next album. But there's actually a lot to unpick on this one so let's dive in, trying to be as objective as possible. First of all, it's impossible to properly talk about this album without mentioning Trent Reznor. His credits on the album are fairly minimal and he spent much of the time in the studio next door working on the soundtrack for Lost Highway, but his fingerprints are all over the entire album. And Marilyn Manson would likely have never risen to fame without Reznor, having been championed by him and signed to his Nothing Records imprint (although Nothing signed loads of other, more interesting, but less controversial artists as well). Reznor also allowed them to use his New Orleans studio and enlisted a camp of Nine Inch Nails alumni to help make this album. Reznor himself contributed to a handful of tracks and also mentored the album's main music writer, Jeordie White (stage name Twiggy Ramirez). White would later go on to join NIN as a member of their live band years later. In some ways, "Antichrist Superstar" is as close as we ever got to "Downward Spiral" part 2. Reznor was never one to repeat himself, but everyone wanted to copy him. By showering Manson with resources and musicians, he allowed the band to emulate much of the sound of his most famous album. But these two albums are fundamentally different. Where Nine Inch Nails was fueled by similar angst, there's also a lot of personal pain and honesty in their music. Marilyn Manson on the other hand were powered by shock value more than anything else. Which brings us to Brian Warner, the name more commonly known as Marilyn Manson. In recent years, his legacy has come crashing down by sexual assault allegiations, during this period. And frankly, it's really hard to separate the art from the artist when the lyrics are nothing but venomous references to hatred, violence, and rape. But it's a character, right? Surely, we say, he doesn't really think he's the antichrist. Probably not, but he's still a pretty awful person. The premise of the album is (as far as I can tell) that the antichrist seduces the American Christian right to win an election and usher in the acopalypse. And well, have a look at the world today and you can see where this idea came from. But it feels pretty pseudo-intellectual when the opening track repeatedly uses the N word and expresses the wish for more middle fingers. Subtly is obviously not part of the Marilyn Manson experience. Ignore the loose storyline here. The lyrics are mainly shock value. Good art isn't about making you feel good, it's about making you feel *something*. And this album achieves that, even if what you feel is just anger and the feeling of pins going slowly under your finger nails. That's not going to appeal to a wide audience but it definitely gets a reaction. "Antichrist Superstar" was a lifeline to teenagers wanting to rebel against their strict conservative parents but it probably also drove more parents to join Christian censorship campaigns. There was surely a small percentage of the albums sold that ended up in bonfires. And to hear Manson himself tell it, he sold tens of millions of units, though the stats don't support that claim. More than 2 years into this challenge, I really didn't expect my longest review to have been for Marilyn Manson, but here we are. In summary, the album had the makings of a successful metal record, with music mainly by Jeordie White, given an industrial upgrade from Trent Reznor, and adolescent, high shock value lyrics from a sexual predator and scum bag. I don't know how to rate it because there are honest moments of brilliance and massive cultural significance here but it's also quite toxic in many ways. So I'm settling on 3 stars as the best compromise I can come up with. Fun fact about this album: The song "Cryptorchid" features John Lennon's old mellotron performed by Reznor. Listen to "Strawberry Fields Forever" to hear this connection.
Listened to this back in the day before really knowing much about MM. Playing music like this was a little act of rebellion for me in my youth, a way to gain some kind of control. Anyway, the main character and concept of the album are interesting and honestly the music is pretty great at times. Maybe most of what I like about it is thanks to Trent Reznor. But yeah fuck this guy he's a creep.
not my style but it was okay
Competent music and lyrics overall. Not interested in the stylistics and persona.
I'll be upfront that I strongly dislike Marilyn Manson completely independent of his music (which I've never heard) and they may bias the review (but maybe it should? idk I'm trying to keep my personal view of him out of the review). His whole shock value for the sake of shock value schtick is a bit much, and tries way too hard. Which makes it extra disappointing that this album actually kinda slaps. Normally it’s really fun when an artist I don’t like surprises me by being good, but I really don’t want to like Marilyn Manson. Actual listening notes below: -Ugh 71 minutes? -Okay the first track actually rocks pretty hard. Guitar shredding is solid. Scream rock is always gonna be an uphill battle for me tho. And I don't love these vocals. -Wow we're back to the era of white people using the N word. I don't love it. -I don't like how much I like the instrumental work on this. -As the person who did not fault Ghostface Killah for violence glorification, I will dock this album for it. -The lyrics here are annoying. In general they lack maturity, I guess there’s some thinking here about satanism and rising above our broken society, but doing that by being this nakedly transgressive feels at best “moody middle schooler discovers Nietzsche” (to be clear, I like Nietzsche, but in the hands of moody adolescents, not so much. -Antichrist Superstar is another good track. The use of a fake crowd works here. Won't be able to think of Manson without: https://theonion.com/marilyn-manson-now-going-door-to-door-trying-to-shock-p-1819565904/ Honestly, I liked this more than I expected. The music (that is, the non-lyrics component) is competently performed. The vocals are really not my thing, but I think they kinda work. 3.5 stars rounded down because of Marilyn Mansons whole thing.
you gotta listen to Marilyn if you want to be a Man, son XD I have seen so many interviews of Marilyn Manson and always thought it would be interesting to listen to, but I always assumed I would not be into it… and I was right. It is funny to listen to something that made 90s Christian parents spontaneously combust and know that it kinda aged into corniness ? Like all of the heaven and hell stuff just doesn’t hit anymore… and like “i wish I was dead” is what I say when I am mildly inconvenienced at work ? so it just doesn’t really work anymore TO ME BUT i did find a lot of the sounds of instruments and vocal styling to be cool
Has 1 good song
Eh, while I appreciate the weirdccore vibes of Manson, his music is often lacking.
I was split on giving this a 4. Mega cultural impact.
5/26/25. Actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Very solid 90s rock, Nine Inch Nails like with a pop twist. Won't write off MM going forward and will recommend this album.
I definitely had to do a mental distancing exercise before listening to this, and for a moment wasn't sure if I wasn't gonna skip this. But... I haven't skipped any of the first 509 albums I got, I'm not gonna skip #510. I was familiar with Marilyn Manson before and actually owned two of the middle-period albums, but had never listened to this album in particular. Trent Reznor is all over this, as is a good portion of glam-rock and sickness. And I'm afraid to say it definitely has aged - but not terribly. I can still see how this would be kind of cathartic while you're driving at speed after losing your job, having a big (verbal, I feel I have to point out in the context of Marilyn Manson) fight with your partner, or any other such event.
> the Beatles Scandal noted and separating the art from the artist, this music was a big part of my life in middle and high school. There are some all timers on here but I acknowledge quite a few uninteresting songs.
This is a creepy and unnerving album but it was well executed without screamo vocals. I was unnerved by the lyrics and also felt like it was a grab bag of weird words. Especially the use of "worm". And it dropped a hard r??? I was not expecting that. I can't imagine I will listen to this ever again but I can see how an audience may like this.
It’s provocative Spit on your reality And you will like it
good enough
Pretty much what I thought it would be. Some decent driving tunes, but a little intense overall
A bit too noisy and edgy for me these days, but I loved this stuff when I was 18-20.
Not really my thing here, but I kinda get it, it went on about 20 minutes longer than I feel I should have and it wasn’t my thing but it was fairly decent I’d be giving 2.5 if I could do halves
A non-neutral 3. I was surprised how much I liked but the album was so. Long. Was eager for every song to be over by the end.
I wish we would have gotten Mechanical Animals instead because I think it’s a better album. This is still a 3.5 for me because the first half is great, but I tend to lose interest about the 40 min mark and switch to another album.
I did not want to listen to this on a nice sunny Sunday, but it actually started ok. Very 90s industrial metal (makes sense with NIN producing it). The tracks running to beautiful people had a nice groove and I thought it would be alright, but after that lasted ages and didn't really change, other than to get more forgettable. When these albums get a bit meh I like to read up about the album to see why it's on the list and it essentially says they all took loads of drugs and were dickheads to each other until one of the original band members left. Great, that doesn't help me like it. It started good but turned into the sort of music they'd put on in spiders (classic hull metal club) which would make me go into the other room upstairs which was likely playing jimi Hendrix or Aretha franklin.
Started off strong but slowly got weaker as the album went on.
A little more interesting than others I’ve heard from this genre. The vocals were somewhat reminiscent of Alice Cooper. If it had been 30 minutes shorter, I may actually have liked this album a bit more. Knowing when to stop is always key!
I didn't dislike it as much as I expected. The screamy lyrics and industrial noises are definitely not my thing, but overall, it wasn't horrible.
6/10…industrial metal
7/10 I wanted to hate this, but annoyingly it was quite good. Still not for me, but undeniably well put together and executed. Really nice production, certainly gets across a vibe and style. Too long, could do with an edit, and I wasn’t in love with the vocals. Best: Cryptorchid
A different taste of metal.
Undoubtedly the best album he released, but sometimes it is tough to separate the art from the artist.
first listen its alright
It wasn't bad or anything, but it really really really drags on. I like the sound overall though, front loaded with the classics which makes the rest feel so long.
Yeah it’s listenable and I liked some songs. Overhated (he is a weirdo though)
tbh his music is really not that bad 3/5
Gonna write a review before and after I listen because I grew up with this album: Before: Modern day alice cooper shock rock jock Marilyn Manson. If it wasn't for his controversial lifestyle he'd be a nobody. His band is sick though. Razor edged punk and metal cut from the same dull knife that birthed nu-metal. I anticipate this to resonate with me during the listen. After: I love the raw sadistic and pure punk aggression. Anthemic tunes for misunderstood teenagers of the 90s goth era. The band is still tight, and Manson's vocals aren't half bad and kinda hold up stylistically. Homie was a little ahead of his time vocally. Final thoughts: I don't hate it as much as I have been told to hate it. I also don't hate it at all. Its a great album if you like this sound. But I'd again argue, Manson doesn't have a career without being controversial. Plain and simple.
I hated this shit when it came out. From time-to-time, I find myself reaching for music similar to Downward Spiral and this comes up, but it's worn, dirty and dripping with filth. And, as Kim Deal might say, "I don't like dirt." Regrettably, this is decent stuff performed by a rapey turd who is content with maintaining an image that's outlived itself. It's too difficult for me to separate the artist from the music. Their inability to grow and evolve is a big turn off. Somehow Trent Reznor emerged from this phase to be respectable and celebrated, but this guys is absolute dog shit, sinking even lower than Fred Durst. [gasp!] Oh, and the album artwork is wretched and terrible. Musically, this is a 4-star album but there are too many reasons preventing me from scoring it as such.
Big swing and miss putting Antichrist Superstar on the list as opposed to Mechanical Animals. AS has its moments but they are lost in a sea of filler.
Interesting. Unexpectedly pretty good, but not really my kind of music.
-Welp, in my youth, this would have been played louder than I am now... _ lot of early Self-Care w/ this type of Music..KORN, MM, Smashing Pumpkins, RatM. Boys angry at the World. Hits different now as a older boy angry at the World. Shit doesnt seem to change, just more of the same. -Angel with Scabbed Wings; dig the beat! -Lots of "Anthem" style...what makes an Anthem? --Wikipedia; the word "anthem" is commonly used to describe any celebratory song or composition for a distinct group, as in national anthems. Further, some songs are artistically styled as anthems, whether or not they are used as such, including Marilyn Manson's "Irresponsible Hate Anthem", Silverchair's "Anthem for the Year 2000", and Toto's "Child's Anthem".
Ick. What's next, R. Kelly? Puff Daddy?
This is fine.
Ok, so, I was one of those nerdy kids who discovered "underground" and became "cool". I tried way too hard, and was not nearly as cool as I thought I was, but by 1996 I was a teenage punk going to shows at all ages venues and people's basements. It was a good year for me. I was way too fuckin' cool to listen to Marilyn Manson. So while I've been exposed to some of his/their songs on the radio, I've never given this a listen. It's... fine? The productions are often dope af, but that makes sense when you look at the liner notes. The lyrics are way too corny if you pay attention to them, but they also got the Christian Right all hot and bothered, so mission accomplished I guess. I would genuinely enjoy an instrumental cut of this album, or a version with Manson's contributions replaced by a cool lyricist and good singer.
Marilyn Manson is where I think… that’s a bit too far. Like even though the thing about removing some his ribs is fake he’s weird enough that I can imagine it. Like the guy still stuck sewing needles in his skin to test his pain threshold! The guy’s mental. And I swear he’s a creep and he has been accused of abuse. He’s one of few people where I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t an act 3/5
we're definitely getting some proto-Reddit-atheism energy here. but it's alright, because Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails is behind the boards! oh, wait. I kid. I love NIN and I think Antichrist Superstar is pretty decent. as far as a more mainstream take on an abrasive industrial metal sound, it could've been a lot worse. the first two tracks are by far the most standout: the rough-and-rowdy "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" into the tight, calculated, mechanical stomp of "The Beautiful People." as far as the rest is concerned, I kind of tune in and out. given Reznor's presence, I often find that the material veers too far into sounding like a dollar-store version of NIN or Fear Factory or what have you. that being said, I could easily see Antichrist being a gateway into more underground, radical heavy music. decent 6/10.
I like it. He got lobbed in with nu metal and rap rock types but there was always more going on musically. He is a villain though, so hopefully the £0.0001 per song spotify gives out goes to the band mates and not his legal defence.
Better than I'd expected, but I would never listen to this guy's music again. I dont even fully understand who this is for. Angry teenage boys?
Fint og nostalgisk, men ikkje lika bra lengre som når eg va 11 år
Yeah, this is pretty much impossible to review as music at this moment in time. I'd feel more comfortable giving this an honest appraisal if everyone just agreed he was a piece of shit and his career was over. Instead he's the most popular he's been in ages. The entire concept of ‘separate the art from the artist’ has been entirely weaponised at this point, and what with the insanely bad faith way that Manson responded to the allegations, any sincere analysis of his work does nothing but serve his bottom line. In an age where one of the biggest artists is the world is proclaiming himself to be an out and out nazi, and they’re still people mostly concerned about what will happen to his ‘musical legacy’, the entire concept of good faith musical criticism for these types of people is no longer feasible as it’s what they are cynically counting on. The game’s rigged. So yeah: 5 stars, 3 stars, 1 stars, who gives a shit? Just fuck this guy.
I like MM, but this album contains close to 2 good songs.. The rest is (well produced) fluff and it's waaaaaay too long...
Lil bro is NOT Trent Reznor.
Evil personified - listening to this album just makes you feel DARK. It's pioneering and honestly, I don't know that anyone has ever been able to do it again so well. NIN was always brooding and dark as well, but never quite got into the evil territory. Separating the art from the artist, this is just a brilliant album.
heavy as hell, i enjoyed a good handful of tracks but i felt a bit of a drag
Good album, but it drags for too long.
I wanted to like it more than I did. I think Manson has a unique vocal style which I appreciate. But overall most of the songs are grungy. There aren't any interesting hooks or guitar pieces that grabbed my attention. It's just screeching and grinding through songs.
Fun fact! Brian Warner went to high school about 30 minutes from where I live, not just that, that high school is also my older sibling’s Alma mater, and he was on the baseball team with my friends uncle! …These facts would be a lot more fun if he wasn't a terrible person… anyway the album itself is pretty good, if you’re working with Trent reznor it’s hard not to be, only issue is it’s length and the awful, awful lyrics.
Antichrist Superstar is the second full-length album from Marilyn Manson. It is composed a a rock opera; the story of a demi-god rock star that tries to bring about the end of days. The content inspired protests from right-wing Christian groups during the band's tours, adding to the band's, and especially the lead singer's notoriety. The album was the band's most successful work, and established Marilyn Manson as a fixture - both as a goth metal performing artist, and as a target for many offended by their work. The album includes "the Beautiful People," an angry, industrial track that was an international hit, supported by a music video, in an era when MTV was still relevant. The track, and rest of the album, is not particularly noteworthy thrash, industrial metal. The concept did remarkably well in the 90s, and is fairly well presented, but is not interesting enough to make up for the predictable near-death metal.
I was a teenager when MM hit his provative pinnacle but never dove into a full album. The legend of MM at that point in time was bigger than his music. That being said, it's an interesting listen. Elements of NIN, Korn, Helmet, and teenage angst.
OK. So, Marilyn Manson is a piece of shit. The shock value seems banal with hindsight. Trent Reznor is the best thing about this album - it's not strong musically. The Man That You Fear is a great track, but no Hurt. But, it holds interest across the 77 minutes. It was a hugely important moral touch stone and cultural moment. Important conversations were opened and it heralded a sea change from the grunge movement (musically that is. It's perhaps an extension of the vibes of alienation in grunge). I enjoyed it, found it banal and full of high schooler edgy poetry, was never bored and never need to hear it again. 3 stars seems fair.
Mid 90s Industrial. Marilyn Mason as a persona was probably more of a driving force than the music itself. A couple of good driving beat tunes here but the rest is okay.
Dit is een best wel extreem album, met een luidruchtige opener en als het zo de volle 71 minuten doorgaat is het lastig te verteren. Gelukkig volgt na de te felle opener het toch wel lekkere The Beautiful People. Het is een beetje Korn met Nine Inch Nails en dan doorgetrokken tot in het extreme, met name door de vele effecten en filters die op de zang worden losgelaten en een kleine voorliefde voor screechy geluiden. Toch valt het niet te ontkennen dat hier af en toe wel hele dikke grooves op staan die me als verstokte nu-metal fan wel echt aanspreken: The Beautiful People, Tourniquet, The Reflecting God. Het einde van een track als 'Mister Superstar' vind ik wel dikke kutherrie bijvoorbeeld. Die uitstapjes over het randje van wat nog prettig luistert mogen van mij overgeslagen worden. De track daarna is dan toevallig wel weer lekker. En zo schommel ik een beetje op en neer. Ik hou toch wel een beetje van dat industriële, de hele zware downtuned gitaargrooves en een beetje schreeuwen mag ook. Ik vind dit daardoor nog wel een best leuk album voor een keer, maar dit is wel de eerste en laatste keer dat ik dit 70 minuten achter elkaar ga zitten luisteren. Volgende keer heb ik toch liever een Korn of Rammstein album. Daar zit net wat meer muziek in wat mij betreft. Als ik iets van 6 tot 8 tracks mocht wegsnijden had ik er 4 sterren voor kunnen geven.
3.43
Struggled to get through this one..not because bad. Just not in mood.
Oh wow. Ok where to start. This record was really meaningful growing up - it put many a parent in a tizzy over the obviously provocative title of the record. Then there was Brian Warner's look as Marilyn Manson. But really the best of this album is the Reznor industrial sounding riffs and production with Warner's cheeky show- and penmanship, so it was great because it was actually good, and it pissed off any uptight adult of the time. It also is meaningful as a late friend of mine adored Manson, being his first introduction to guitar music, so this definitely holds a memory of him. How does it sound though, after all these years? Does it sill hold up? As it came up, the first few tracks in a row just blew me away, pumping industrial riffs, and exactly as I remembered it, snarky, angsty, and maybe now a lot less clever that it sounded to a teenager. However, it tapers off quite a bit - and most of the album could've done with a bit of snipping of a few tracks - it kind of goes on and on, as most records of the CD era. It's run time overstays it's welcome and as more time passes, the ratings go lower. The songs are good, the record a little medicore - I'll happy revisit the former and not the latter. And then there's the thing of Brian Warner's allegations coming up. Whatever interest he had kind of fizzled out when he starts looking like your average sleazebag. So... begrudgingly I'm going to rate this album much lower than I'd have liked to.
Qualche pezzo degno di nota e ricordo dei teen years, ma nel complesso nulla di straordinario
The 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die book has been introducing me to a steady stream of (alleged) monsters and abusers lately, which perhaps underscores the theory that fame demands a certain level of arrogance—or worse. For the sake of this review, let’s remember that the songwriting credits for Antichrist Superstar belong to various members of Marilyn Manson (the band), not solely to Marilyn Manson (the man). Not that I’d vouch for anyone’s purity in this lineup. In the '90s, Marilyn Manson was inescapable. The Beautiful People thundered through rock clubs and MTV rotations, a track I’ve undoubtedly heard hundreds of times. Yet, to my surprise, I’d never heard this album in full until now. Listening to it, Antichrist Superstar delivers precisely what I expected: an onslaught of aggressive, politically charged sounds with a theatrical flourish. Let’s not beat around the bush—the album owes a massive debt to Trent Reznor’s The Downward Spiral. Reznor’s fingerprints are all over this, but to their credit, Marilyn Manson takes that industrial foundation and infuses it with a uniquely theatrical edge. On paper, it’s absurdly pretentious: a rock opera inspired by Nietzsche’s Übermensch, tackling nihilism, societal control, and rebellion. And yes, it is pretentious, but in a way that suggests a cohesive artistic vision rather than hollow posturing. Musically, Antichrist Superstar offers plenty of highlights. The aforementioned Beautiful People is a juggernaut, Tourniquet is hauntingly melodic, the title track brims with apocalyptic energy, and The Reflecting God closes with an explosive nihilistic flourish. However, at 17 tracks and over an hour long, it drags in places with a little too much filler for casual listeners. Tracks like Cryptorchid and Kinderfeld, while thematically relevant, feel less essential compared to the album’s standout moments. At times, the reliance on shock value overshadows the album’s artistry, while the abrasive production and relentless nihilism can feel exhausting. It’s impossible to ignore the cultural impact of Antichrist Superstar. The album was a lightning rod for controversy, provoking protests, shaping debates on censorship and morality, and even earning a guest appearance with Eminem. The ‘90s truly were a wild time. As a postscript, I played George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass as a palette cleanser afterwards, only to remember it was produced by Phil Spector. Problematic legacies abound. Did/Do I own this release? No, I surely had The Beautiful People on mp3 though. Does this release belong on the list? It feels strange to say about an album that has sold in excess of seven million copies worldwide, but musically Antichrist Superstar feels quite nichey. Would this release make my personal list? No Will I be listening to it again? Irrespective of my thoughts and feelings towards Brian Warner, this is not an album I see myself returning to.
Mira, este es un disco fundacional para mi adolescencia, pero ya lo he dejado atrás. La estética no era lo mío, pero sabía apreciar algo alternativo a lo que imperaba en ese momento: grunge y boy bands. Pero el disco es muy largo. La temática cansa y 72 minutos es mucho. Cualquier cosa que quieras decir, dilo en menos tiempo. Hay mucha canción y temática redundante. Por último, si quiero escuchar rock industrial voy a la fuente del género en los 90: Nine Inch Nails.
Not bad, but I don't really feel like listening to it again. There were some good parts but also it was a bit long. Didn't feel like there really was an overarching story, which was supposed to be there
I enjoy Marilyn Manson but 72 minutes is a lot. Wish this was a 45 minute album.
Was pretty good but not as good as Motörhead.
Not really my thing, but ok to listen to. I could see the influence Trent Reznor had on this album, whether it was inspiration or production. 3/5
I was expecting to really dislike this, but some of the riffs were good. He still gives me the creeps though.
Songs i know: 3 Songs i like: 0.5 This album is nowhere near as good as I see to think it was, maybe it's just not aged well. Starts strong and just fades away, although his band actually go a better job than him keeping the album alive for longer than it should. Mad that this bloke was once seen as the king of the goths, listening back it after all these years it's not even that heavy. Low 3.
Used to think this album was the absolute bollocks and it's quite funny to listen to it again and try to understand what all the fuss was about. Still think it has some absolute hammers on it but there is also a lot of industrial metal that doesn't really do much. Think industrial metal might be my least favourite sub genres. Not as bad as the theatrical metal of Ghost and Sleep Token but up there. Still really rate this album as when it slaps it really slaps but there are so many songs that just get lost in the murk on this. Also very difficult to judge fairy when you know what a piece of shit MM is. Standouts: Irresponsible Hate Anthem Beautiful People Tourniquet Angel with Scabbed Wings Antichrist Superstar 1996 Lowlights: Nothing awful stood out. Just a lot of filler and dirge. Will always have a soft spot for this but at times it sounds quite tame compared to the hullabaloo it caused at the time. Very strong 3
Liian metallinen ja koliseva mulle. Yllättävän paljon popihkoja sinkkumaisia biisejä, ihan tarttuivat. Tunnelmansäilyttämisestä pisteet. Vain rimaa hipoen 3.
Pretty good. Seems almost quaint how keen it is to shock. It's just distorted glam rock. I do like it, just wouldn't pick it out and put it on.
Everything that’s cool about this is what’s also cool about Nine Inch Nails. Trent gets a 4, Marilyn gets a 2.
This guy really made his mark during this era. Controversial at the time, but pushing the boundary of music. The record is dark, electronic, glitchy, crunchy. Reminds me of some Nine Inch Nails/Trent Reznor sounds. I had never listened to this record in its entirety before this project, but I'm glad I got this one in. Solid record.
Started off really enjoying the album but was getting a bit tired towards the end.
Ok
demasiado largo 3.5
I find it irritating when snowflake people are suddenly outraged by mediareports and the cancel culture kicks in. This guy has never made asecret over the fact he's dangerous and unpredictable. The music is ok- nothing special, clean and well produced. It was lapped up by many of the people now outraged. You can really hear the influence of Trent in some of the tracks.
One of their best
Man the 90s were wild weren't they? All the reviewers for this album cancelling Marilyn Manson must not have been of age when this album came out because everything fit in his image back then too so I wasn't surprised when the actual news broke of what a shit human being he is. Anywho… loud rock that grated people's ears was all the rage back then and this album definitely pushed the envelope. While it hasn't aged well, it still stands as a testament of the decade. 2.5/5
Crazy how this can be so original and so run to the mill at the same time
ok rock album tries to hard to be edgy and shocking some good riffs and songs though
Marilyn Manson is an interesting figure in music history, and more broadly in public life in the mid-90s. Often blamed for moral degeneration among the youth, and for school-shootings/murders/etc. you would hope the music is more interesting than it ends up being. There are some catchy and interesting songs on this album, but they are packed in between so many mid-tier, repetitive ideas, and it goes on for so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so long. An important listen in context of history, and "Beautiful People" was a bright spot, but I can't imagine wanting to put this album on in the future.
Not for me, but I get why people listen.
Setting aside Manson as a person. Musically, I don't want to rate metal this low. The first tracks slap but most of Manson just falls short for me, though I don't know exactly why? Lack of texture? Vibe that promises but doesn't deliver? Edgy af but I wish the bulk of the album was more engaging
Obvious NIN industrial rock influences here with Manson’s signature shock glossed over top. It’s interesting enough and I really do love when one rattles the cage of the Christian’s out there and boy did he do that. It’s a clever enough concept album that has its moments but runs long and I really don’t see myself coming back to this but it’s something. 3 stars
I like this kind of music, but saying that the whole album is a must listen is a bit of a stretch.
Deep, dark, pit of your soul, end of the world, offering from Marilyn Manson. And it's effective too: you have to remind yourself, "it's just a song", sometimes. Try it, but, er, put the sharp objects away first.
Honestly surprised to see Marilyn here. This album has some really great tracks (like the hit “Beautiful People”, but some of the songs are a bit too much noise for my ears. A couple times I did have to hit skip due to that noise. Overall I liked this album as a whole more than I expected, but I don’t think I’d put this as an album you must hear before you die.
Looking back on this, it's surprisingly accessible. I guess it goes to show the difference between the aesthetic and the product. The lyrics are shocking and some of the effects can be off putting but the songs are 4:4 metal rock. It's not as challenging to enjoy as I was expecting. I'm not into this music per say, but there are times where I want to hear something intense and this kind of fits that bill.
That one’s pushing a 4
It’s crazy there was only one single on this album and he had such a reach. Lots of good production on this one, good vocal layerings to get 3 tones of his voice
3 Hoo boy, where to start with this guy. Controversial figure for sure (and for good reason), but I’ve gotta say, someone who I feel like 100% deserves to be on this list based on cultural impact alone. The dude is like the musical boogeyman, haunting parents and playgrounds alike with music alleged to damn one’s soul to hell for just listening - or at least that’s how I remember him growing up as young music fan myself, as if physical copies were some kind of occult totem not to be fucked with, held by the kinds of kids you were a little scared of but made friends with anyway just in the off chance they decide to shoot up the school. Nowadays, as someone who grew into a matured, informed music fan and not a God-fearing Christian conservative, I understand it’s mostly shock value. And for largely that reason, I find Marilyn Manson’s music mostly whatever - there are definitely a couple good songs to his name (The Beautiful People has been a part of my heavier playlists for some time now), but his schtick mostly just feels edge-lordy now, to the point where I probably would have found this album more cringe if it weren’t for its genuinely solid sense of musicianship and production. As I just learned in reviewing this now, much of that is thanks to Trent Reznor - I never realized the two had a working relationship, but his influence here is super noticeable once you’re aware of it, to the point that this almost kind of sounds like The Downward Spiral Part 2, down to this even being a concept album itself. Unfortunately, I don’t think this works quite as well as The Downward Spiral. In my opinion, TDS works because it connects a lot of themes through diversity in songwriting and unity in messaging, and while this album starts strongly - to the point where I was almost considering giving a 4 early on - it ends pretty weakly with what feels like a lot of screaming, noise, and static. I get that that’s probably a deliberate choice being that I’m pretty sure the titular Antichrist Superstar is destroying the world at this point in the album’s loose narrative, but I still don’t think it results in a particularly enjoyable or listenable conclusion. It also makes this album feel overly long, to the point where I was ready for this to start wrapping up shortly after Kinderfeld. The first handful of tracks are excellent (especially Tourniquet, my pleasant surprise here), but the rest of this is pretty skip-worthy. And that’s not to mention the slurs that are dropped all over this thing - once again, I get that’s probably the point, both from a shock value and narrative sense, but I still didn’t find it necessary, and I don’t think it will help this album age well (amongst a variety of other reasons). That to say, I still think this deserves a spot on the list for cultural impact alone, but this definitely isn’t becoming part of my musical rotation anytime soon. Also, music aside, f this dude for his sexual crimes.
First half was during an annoying commute, second after a nice day. Really only goes with the mood
Was going to rate lower, but I had a bad day at work and The Reflecting God really felt good on the drive home.
Really very likable and I knew it would be. I’m not about giving this man my streaming cash but as it was for a good reason, ie this challenge, I’ll go all in. I really liked it.
Um. The album cover is terrifying. Antichrist Superstar is such a clever song title. Not my favorite album though. Not horrible I didn’t want to turn it off.
The beautiful people is a great song and I didn’t find myself disliking the music as much as I dislike the man
There is so little metal in this list that I'll even take this guy. He is annoying yes but the riffs are kinda good? 3.5 stars. Stand-out: Irresponsible Hate Anthem
Bringing angst goth alt rock to the mainstream with this one. Not all songs are great, but lots of them are fun
You can definitely feel Trent’s influence on a lot of the better songs on this album. It doesn’t sound as great as I thought it did back in the day!
A new album to me (apart from Beautiful People). Never cared for MM music. Silly lyrics and adapting names of serial killers is poor taste and disrepectful. Music at face value is a rip-off of NIN and Alice Cooper. Of course, like so many 90s albums, it is also way too long. But I admit, the songs are well-made and very catchy, so go for the middle score then.
Not that bad overall, just very exhaustive.
I wanted to enjoy this one more. I did enjoy it. But not a ton. I don’t really know why. I’ve listened to it twice. It’s very aggressive. Some good songs. Idk, not much to say
Kind of a blind spot in my metal listening
Cool album, but didn’t feel like it had big enough moments to justify the run time.
I’ll admit, I knew next to nothing about Marilyn Manson before listening to this record. I read a bit about Brian while it played and I don’t really know what to make of his character. I heard that he’s been accused of some terrible things, but I don’t know how much of it is confirmed. Either way, I feel a lot of people are judging this album purely based off the accusations against him that may not be true. But on the other hand if the allegations are true then it’s hard to separate the art from the artist here. Especially when the lyrics are so provocative and the accusations are very disgusting. Ignoring the many, many allegations for a second, the record is fine. I like the Nine Inch Nails obvious influence, and the hour long project certainly isn’t boring. However, the vocals and lyrics are a bit much at times. It’s very edgy and without the same tenderness bands like Nine Inch Nails or Nirvana could have. Obviously Brian has had many controversies, but I still feel that this record is a tad over-hated and I actually was fine with it more than I thought I’d be.
someones grumpy
This is a having to separate the artist from the music situation. This definitely isn’t my favorite mm album. I do enjoy his music overall.
It does scream try-hard but I enjoyed it.
I instinctively clenched my asshole after I turned this on
Sounds a bit like NiN Part 2: Electric Bugaloo. I remember being scarred by The Beautiful People when it came out, and never really listened to anything else by MM. This listen through shows there is some music worth hearing though. Still a bit "edgy" in the lyrical department.
I didn’t hate this. It was surprisingly far less scream-y (and therefore, far more listenable) than I expected. You can’t deny, “I wasn’t born with enough middle fingers” is a bar.
impossible to dislike
I was not thrilled to get this when it came up. I was never all that in to Marilyn Manson the band, and Marilyn Manson the person seems like a POS. But, I enjoyed this way more than I was expecting. It's definitely too long--another release from the CD era--but it's good for sure.
Idk if it was the breast implants or him getting ribs removed to suck himself but I never wanted to listen to him when I was younger. Not the greatest album but it’s decent enough industrial metal with plenty of emotion
There is a surprising amount of this that holds up, not that I've ever heard it all before. I never owned this album. It sure does have Trent Reznor's thumb print all over it though.
Partly heard before Saved 9/17 Top track: The Beautiful People
Ok
Separating the art from the artist. Great album and awesome production. But this guy is just disgusting
As one dimensional as Marilyn Manson seems, this album was pretty dense. His shock value is very high in this album, he has some great lyrics that feed into my once teenage angst. But he also has lyrics that are just unnecessary and obviously used to be shocking. It fits his whole image... I still don't think he needs to throw the N word around... This album might be Manson's Magnum Opus. He came around at the perfect time. Riding the wave of the demise of grunge and as NuMetal was on the rise. Manson's work was dissimilar to the heavier artists of the time: from Korn, Limp Bizkit to Papa Roach or Mudvayne.. Maybe more akin to Nine Inch Nails but heavier and again, more "shocking". There were some shockingly awesome riffs in this album. The lesser known songs were pretty good. I like Manson's scream... But his soft or normal vocals are annoying. Especially in his, (I say this tounge in cheek) 'anti' - balad closer, Man That You Fear. Overall, I kind of liked this more than I wish to admit. Is it perfect? Nope! But I enjoyed it.
Sucking Trent's Dick...
Another album I thought I'd struggle through, but ended up enjoying. A good way to access and understand Marilyn Manson and company, though still not a casual listen 3.5/5 Funny enough, through the metal and politics, you can hear their influences in the original punk and metal bands, and in turn their sound went on to influence a massive amount of hard rock, indie, and various other future genres.
The artist is ok, the album is not
I'm a fan of this genre but not of MM. There was always something about him I didn't care for.
I never really got into Manson. A few songs here or there, but other than that, I will typically pass on his music.
Better than I expected. More like Nine Inch Nails and the post hardcore bands of that time like Rollins Band etc. than like Korn and Limp Bizkit (that's what I expected). There's some good songs and some filler. The songs are generally too long. Favorite song: tourniquet
It's rock'n. But I'm too old to have this much anger and angst.
I am going to rate this purely on the basis of the music only. I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would. Yes it's loud and harsh, but there's actually some substance to this. It's not particularly accessible but I do think there's a place for it.
Love the industrial sound but it does wax an wane in quality, still it’s a worthy listen. 3.5 stars.
Even at the time I struggled to see the shock value after little Richard, Screaming Lord Sutch, Alice cooper, the sex pistols, Bowie, etc. That said, Marilyn Manson was a bit interesting. This is the album to pick. That he was a tool, unlike Alice cooper, is irrelevant. This is an interesting album. Not a great album. Probably slips past ok into pretty ok. 3 seems too high. 2 seems a bit low. So rounded up.
Remember not being too mad on this, going to 3 the shit out of it
Obviously I cant listen to this dude anymore cause hes a horrible garbage human. Music sounds like a monster made it which now is kinda true. But it is way catchier than i imagine. If you ignore the person it is pretty cool. Also the phenomenon that this album was when it came out was incredible. I will never forget how sppoky and cool he seemed when this first came out, plus my parents hated it.
Bit shouty.
Mér finnst lúmkst gaman að Marilyn Manson og hlustaði mikið á hann í gamla daga, sérstaklega Mechanical Animals. Á þeim tíma hef ég greinilega verið að brjótast út úr skelinni því ég varð smá þreyttur á aggresívu tónlistinni núna. Myndi samt alveg hlusta á hana aftur en ég þarf þá að vera í réttu stuði eða þá bara að spila Marilyn Manson í smáskömmtum
Removing the art from the artist this was a decent album. Had great energy and a few really good songs. But Mr Manson is a scumbag
I thought I was going to love this at first, but once it settled in it was just ok
If you'd asked me to rate this in 1997 I'd probably have gone a bit higher. Not sure it's aged that well. And nor has he...
I figured I’d never listened to this beyond Beautiful People, but I got flashbacks to a LAN party in 1998 when Jared was playing this and Mechanical Animals on repeat ALL NIGHT. Jared, you’re a weird one. Anyway, there’s a lot of anger and no subtlety in the writing, and lots of interesting things in the engineering. Important arguments made about hegemony, commercialism, celebrity, but Altogether, it’s about as redeeming as a Nuremberg Rally speech, but still “notable” in a similar sort of way. Glad I listened. Influential artifact of a specific time, and good for a bucket list, not a “best” list.
A rock/metal album definitely worth hearing. But still I miss something to be able to say "great album".
Let’s fuckin buckle in. Was never a big fan of this screamo dark rock. It’s just so over the top that it makes me want to barf blood. I will say this to its credit; impeccable production, very original writing, obviously unique vocals, and some seriously tight instrumentation. Not much to dislike unless the genre just isn’t your vibe. It also definitely overstays its welcome. I don’t care how much you like Marilyn, an hour twelve is too much. 3/5
Raw, primal, and visceral, for better or for worse.
some good songs but a bunch of filler as well
Es oscuro, perturbador y se queda contigo te guste o no. 3/5
It would probably be better if I could hear the lyrics.
incluso si es posible separar el arte del artista, no me parece taaan buen album. esta parte del industrial edgy me parece medio cringe y aunque hay algunas buenas canciones ngl, me parece bastante ok. el concepto es interesante pero es demasiado largo tmb