Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Ew
Everything about this album and artist is foul and putrid. The toughest listen yet.
I can separate the art from the artist, but I understand how many can’t, especially for a niche, intentionally antagonistic genre. I can see Reznor’s fingerprints all over the best moments here. It’s overlong by design and loses a star for that, but that chorus in Reflecting God has me punching the air thirty years later if you can make it that far
Even before the allegations, I think my attitude towards Marilyn Manson was shaped by that Onion 'Marilyn Manson now going door to door trying to shock people' story. If you take away the controversy-baiting stuff, this is kind of repetitive.
Edgeslop. Whatever accurate social commentary Manson has here is lost on how awful he sounds and how crude and immature his lyrics are. The Beautiful People goes kinda hard tho.
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
Okey arranca muy heavy meatal picante, no me gusta. Pero ya en el segundo tema baja un poco de ese heavy metal tan fuerte. El segundo tema "The Beautiful People" de hecho me gusto, tiene un bajo increíble. Después medio que vuelve a ser ese heavy metal pero no tan pesado como el primero. La línea se va manteniendo bastante por ese lado. Es como que no me termina de disgustar, pero no me gusta definitivamente. Pero porque no me gusta el genero, siendo que a alguien que le gusta este genero es un discazo. Pero bueno esta es mi opinión, y a mi no me gusta. De todas formas creo que tiene cositas, asi que. 5/10
I think it would be fair to call this the worst Nine Inch Nails album. There is no reason for this album to be 71 minutes, especially when the first song is about twice as long as it needs to be. It has a sound that's built on solid ground, but it never does anything more than that. Every time I think it might do something, it just leaves the moment alone and either belabors it or moves on to the next thing without any exploration. Manson's voice is so often overwrought to the edge of intelligibility and sometimes seems like he's borrowing from Mr. Korn Jonathan Davis himself (not a compliment). I want this to be better. I think there's something here. But this isn't it. Of course, in the hands of someone more interested in exploring this concept album and less in making as shocking a concept album as possible, it would fundamentally not sound like this. As it is, wasted opportunity that's just some moderately heavy industrial rock that's dressed up in outrage bait.
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.
Just way too long for what it is, this album became a real slog. I started off liking how different it is from others on the list, and if you cut this album in half, it'd be higher. 75 minutes of screaming tends to just blend into itself, and boy did the songs blend together, especially in the second half. Not my usual genre, sure, but I find with long albums there better be a good reason for it and there most certainly was not one for this. Yikes
This album is way too long and the music isn't very good, but for kickstarting the post-grunge late 90's/early 2000's alt metal scene I can understand its influence. That said, I think its significance lies with a select few songs and not the album as a whole, and for that I don't feel it deserves to be included in this list or deserves much respect on the whole.
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.
Certainly hard to separate the music from an artist with tons of baggage. The album itself has quite a bit of incessant screaming, runs about 30 minutes too long, but there are some pretty solid tracks in the mix.
I'm learning to respect what they do musically, but I just can't get into it
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
I never really liked Marilyn Manson. I appreciate the influence he had on shock rock, but I never liked him. He is a bit too obnoxious, like I cringe when I see him or when I read the lyrics. I like The Beautiful People though. For that reason only I give this a 2.
igual me sacaría las costillas
Marilyn Manson se sacó una costilla pa poder chuparse el pico
Increíble que alguien con dos costillas menos haga tan buenas canciones
💩, obv.
I really feel disappointed to anyone who has to listen to this album. This just sucks and takes all the ehhhh elements of metal and puts it with a guy who lowkey makes me uncomfortable.
This album really gives me the creeps. I don't know much about the guy, but I wouldn't want to hang around him. I wouldn't trust people who listen to him either. Other than that, it's bad but not really bad. His voice is terrible, but the rest of it is just fine metal stuff. Still a creep though.
Nah. He is a jackass to put it politely.
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!
Marginal talent
fun. not for me
268/1089 weirdo, boo tomato tomato The Beautiful People is iconic of course it’s just difficult to listen to this kind of “evil” concept album when you know that the artist is pretty nasty irl stuck it out through the whole thing, it does have some cool moments sonically but it just blended together for me, i’m not the target audience and it went on for so long 29/100
I am always an advocate of being able to separate the art from the artist. Just because the golden cow has been proven mortal doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy its milk. If the acts of the lead singer who the band shares its name with is too much for you, I get it. My personal dislike of some artists have coloured my reviews, though admittedly that was more of a bias against their music than their character. Review this album how you will, and I will be reviewing it very favourably. My first 5 star, in fact. I think people get hung up on Marilyn Manson leaning into the persona of freakishly perverse or evil, and a lot of people won’t see past that to see the genuinely superb musicians behind it. It’s much the same as the intentionally provocative narratives behind the Sex Pistols and Alice Cooper, artists both whose musical capacity is excellent. Marilyn Manson as a band can pour such barely restrained power into their riffs, beats, and vocals over such a range of speeds and tempos. Not every song on here is perfect, Cryptorchid comes to mind as being easy cut fodder if we had to slim it down, but the vast bulk of this extensive album are fantastically engineered metal songs that just get your blood thrumming with life. Perhaps I’m a bit numb compared to most as a metalhead who sees Marilyn Manson not as “the outcast band” but as “the mainstream of a comparatively niche genre”, but if any of our artists were to get big, you can see why Marilyn Manson was the metal world’s offering. If you can overcome the personal dislikes of the band name and persona, there’s a really superb album left waiting for you.
What a hot mess
This is not something I’d be in a hurry to return to
Try hard music.
I enjoyed this but it overstayed its welcome. It could have been 30 minutes shorter
Uninteresting
Was not looking forward to this, but musically I generally enjoyed this. Definitely better than expected.
I was surprised by this album. I fully expected to hate it, maybe even DNF it. I'm not generally a fan of screamo rock. However, this was a tolerable listen. I think a lot of that lends itself to the production by NIN's Trent Reznor. I am still not a huge fan of Marilyn Manson's vocals, but it's okay when backed by NIN instrumentals.
Never liked Marilyn Manson, absolute trash.
As Ghosts is to black metal so MM is to industrial. Good fun but feels like cosplay of the real thing . Give me front line assembly or scraping fetus any day
Torturous. I will never spin this again. This sits right next to Trent Reznor’s nonsense on the burn pile.
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…
Hot teenage shock garbage
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.
Can’t believe I got this on Easter, has to be the worst album you can get today. It’s music for badass Reddit mods. Rating: 1.3
Getting this album on Easter Sunday is eerie af. With that being said, my unbiased opinion on this album is that it sucks. Don’t get me wrong, there was some good beats and a song that brought me back to my days as a kid playing a WWE game on the PlayStation. But I totality, I reiterate, this shit sucked.
It was just a publicity stunt.
That was truly the most dreadful album I’ve had to listen to so far in this challenge. Marilyn Manson embodies everything I detest about 90s rock music: posing, senseless extreme volume, deliberate provocation and calculated shock tactics, all for the sake of causing a scandal. Musically, there’s nothing special behind all the screaming and those late-adolescent porn lyrics: Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper did the shocking stuff better back in the 1970s, and Gary Numan’s ‘alien image’ was far more convincing and less ridiculous. Music for 90s kids who wanted to shock their parents. Nowadays, nobody talks about Manson anymore. And for good reason.
Man, this sounded a lot better when I was 14 years old and full of bitterness towards the world. Just doesn't hit the same as an optimistic 20-something. God lives rent free in Marilyn Manson and Glenn Benton's heads.
Formula for a Marilyn Manson song: Start with four bars of creepy synth/organ grinder music. Next bring in chugging, midtempo, over ridden guitar riffs and meat and potatoes industrial rhythm section for 16 bars. VSing each line in a creepy whisper, except for the final word which is in a hilarious, strangled cat effect. Yell every third line in the most pissweak yell ever committed to tape. Lyrical content is a hodge podge of insects, drugs, prostitutes, rock stars and satan. Title it something unbelievably pretentious. eg: The Bloodletting Feast of Bleeding Apostates (Red Roses for Weeping Widow Babies) Pt II Verse I am the bug with large brEASTS You want to make me unDRESS I DRINK A GLASS OF PURE COCAAAAAIIIIIIINE And then commit inCEST Chorus I am a rock god! I am a fuck dog! I am a corn cob in your school! I am a skid mark! I am a pool shark! I am a theme park full of ghouls! Drag this out for 6 interminable minutes.
One of the more pathetic flavours of Youth Rebellion, and the music sucks too.
Lemme start by forgetting what a POS this guy is. The sonic style of the album is quite good to my ears. I love Nine Inch Nails and Rage Against the Machine so the industrial funk metal sound is up my alley. The lyrical content is extremely cringe, and the songwriting is a bit shit. Pile on top of this that Marilyn Manson isn’t just putting on “creepy weirdo” as a character, he really is one! This album is not good and I would not recommend, but if I’m being honest I did vibe with it.
Not my cup of tea. Pass
Inferior in every way to his peers, emperor of shlock rock
Mixed feelings about liking this way more than I thought I would. I've always dug The Beautiful People but never really listened deeply to his albums. Love the sound! But now that he's problematic it's a problem
Nope, I used to like this album, but I'm not playing it now
Ok
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.
Oh yay another problematic dude to rate. Even if I could separate art from artist, this is unpleasant vocally. Musically ok. Just too much shrieking for me.
fuck this guy
I have a hard time separating the art from the artist knowing what we know. Not columbine, the character and personal behavior.
ma idk e foarte not my style asa ca nu merita 3 stele dar ii voi da 1
My sommelier recommended the wrong Monster pairing for this album and it threw off the whole vibe :( +1 for the single track
honestly fuck this stupid bullshit
Meh.
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.
I didn't like Marilyn Manson back in the late 90s and ... everything since ... has not helped.
quite an effort in separating the art from the artists these days
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
Physically groaned when this popped up this morning. Not an album I know well but one I did listen to at the time, mainly because my mate was a big fan. He even dragged me to a gig in (I think) 97, the day after i'd been to a Korn gig and bruised my ribs being pressed up against the front railings. To be fair, it was entertaining. Anyway, sufficed to say that I wasn't a huge fan at the time and the subsequent years and allegations of him being a fucking terrible human being have not warmed me to him or them any further and I probably haven't listened to this or virtually any MM since the 90s. So to now and to be fair, the first few songs are decent. Beyond that, and to be honest including that, musically-speaking, this is just NIN-lite. Unsurprising given that Reznor produced it, although really it has little of the production craft that I associate with him and much more just the raw aesthetic. He also has 3 writing credits and Twiggy Ramirez has said he would often ask for his input as "the only other string musician" in the studio. Manson's part in this is just to shock. His vocals aren't the worst I've heard but they're all pretty much the same, either doing that low talking thing or the screaming thing. After the first few songs, it has a few moments but overall it becomes a slog and it's way too long!
Pretty solid industrial metal album that is more controversial than it honestly should be. The anti religion gimmick is good for drumming up engagement, but I don't think it's so pervasive that it should stop anyone from giving this album an honest try. Drags a bit after the first couple songs but picks up by part 3 for a very engaging finish. Top tracks: Tourniquet, Kinderfeld, Antichrist Superstar
Great, I thought this album was shit, and now I know it’s shit. Feels bad even listening to it.
I’m very much a ‘separate the art from the artist’ person. Here you don’t need to. They’re both shit.
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.
Pretty good! Fairly edgelordy but still pretty enjoyable musically.
You just absolutely cannot capture the mid 90s cultural feel without the intrigue and outrage over this band and album, especially being from South Florida like I am. Marilyn Manson was something EVERYONE was talking about, whether it was going to a show, that he was the literal actual devil, or that he had undergone a dubious medical procedure in order to achieve autofellatio. Huge cultural impact. Cannot be overstated. I never was super into the band, other than a few of their BANGER singles that got MTV/radio play; I was more of a grunge guy at the time. Honestly, I feel like I have missed out on this album. It's a lot better than I thought it would be. I'm astonished at the rating I'm giving this, based on my preconceptions. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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 veneer 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?
Honestly… could not get into it. Some songs were more NIN sounding and could get behind. But the rest felt less musical and more shock to me. 1.2
This album a day experiment has been super interesting! I’m determined to listen to at least the main body of each album. Which leads to experiences like today: If this album had come on via shuffle, I’d have skipped it, because I don’t like screamo. That opinion holds. But this album held so much more than screaming for me! It rocked! I enjoyed it way more than I anticipated. I might even find myself playing it again! (Also, having left religion years ago, the moral panic over this kind of music seems so overblown. Yes, he was being subversive. But how did anyone believe this was going to “corrupt the youth”?) 7/10 Quite Likeable
Couldn't do it
4/10
Buenísima y desgarrador
Ignoring the creepy elephant in the room This album should be exactly the kind of music I love, and I mostly do like it, but it feels bogged down a bit by length and a lot by cringe nihilism edginess Also bro mentoined his ribs 💀
this is the first time i wanted the album to finish as soon as it started
Classic industrial metal anthems throughout.
I hated it then and I hate it now. Garbage.
I feel like Korn had to be influenced by this. Not bad but pretty dated.
There’s a couple decent tracks and the variety of styles is impressive, but ultimately the majority of this album is edgy teenager fodder with no substance beyond “me angy”
Maybe some albums don’t deserve a chance
good album
Will not be separating the art from the artist here
I don't know other Marylin Manson works, but this is pretty solid. There's too much because each song is so different.
mag den typen nicht, musik ist nicht schlecht, habs aber nicht annähernd zu ende gehört
This album hits all the high points for me. Sonicly massive. Great song writing. The performances from every member is raw and aggressive in the best possible way.
Didn’t like it in 90s
Nah
The boy that you loved is the man that you fear. Nice prediction Brian.
Wish I could give it a zero
Cannot take this edgelord's music seriously. All of it is just shocking for shock value. Boring.
nothing new everything borrowed from other. better. artists
I always think of Evan Rachel Wood when Marilyn Manson comes up. Very unfair that people as evil as Brian Warner can have such successful careers. May he burn in hell. As for the music I made it through 5 songs. Not as insufferable as I thought it would be, but if I wanted to listen to this type of music.. like.. The Downward Spiral is right there.
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.
Needs another listen
Shit music by a shit person. One of the easier 1 stars I’ve given out.
The first 2 or 3 tracks had some redeeming qualities but it just got shittier and shittier from there. Repetitive and samey by the end, overly-affected and theatrical, some annoying riffs that go on too long. I liked this when I was 14, and I think that remains about the right fan demographic.
Day 207 First time listening to a Marilyn Manson album and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Highlights Deformography The Reflecting God Man that you Fear
There's no doubting that this is a great album and holds a specific time and place for me in life.
One good song. That's it.
I was a huge metal head in the 90's and seeing the genre morph into shit like this and limp bizkit was a truly sad time. I had hopes for this album when I saw Trent Reznor was involved but he couldn't save this garbage.
I’m skipping this
Not as good as I remember. The back half of this album has some really great heavy lifting by Trent Reznor.
não vou ouvir abusador
71 minutes? That roughly 70 too many for this drivel.
All the angst of a 15 high school garage band
There is one song that I know, and kind of don't hate actually, but the rest of the songs are a bit too intense, so it's not really my type of daily enjoyment music. Overall, it's manageable, but a bit meh for me.
one good song and the rest pretty much sucks
É um bom álbum. Mistura de rock com industrial bem interessante. É um álbum marcante na história do rock. TRN Medusa.
Brian Hugh Warner is nothing but an Alice Cooper ripoff updated for the 90's. He's also a huge piece of shit and the only list he belongs on is Epstein's.
This would be today's album. Just told a friend I don't mess with the Satanists last night and then we have Marilyn Manson the next day. Not a fan of blasphemy and I never understood the appeal of this guy back in the day anyway. I figured this would be a 1 star album, but I actually considered an extra for a minute or two. I'm good, though.
Nice intro to this guy
This album is on the list?! Teen edge lords had a say on this one didn't they? Ok it's so over the top with the "look at me and protest" it might as well have been written by a marketing department full of try hard shitheads. There is musical talent here but it's so covered in the "look at me!" nonsense, it's easy to miss. Then you add in that dude has always been a sex pest and this album is down to zero. Yes I understand "separate the art from the artist." Yet this isn't art nor is he an artist. He's a bullshit artist with fun makeup and edgy attitude. This isn't high art, hell I've read better lyrics in a Wal-Mart bathroom.
Heavy, broody rock
There's definitely a mood here, just not one I'm looking for.
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.
This review is just on the album as presented and doesn't take into account that he's a piece of shit The album is fine but pretty one-note. Definitely only 1 properly good song on here.
Considering how often I've seen or heard of Marilyn Manson, it feels that the only song I've heard from them is The Beautiful People. Honestly, I liked this way more than I expected.
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.
Manson is a piece of shit and this isn't even one of his better albums. One extra star because Beautiful People is still great
Overall decent metal, but "decent" does not justify a full 72 minute CD. If half and hour was cut off of this, it would be an easy 3 star, but I feel like it just isn't all that great.
what..
I originally described this as derivative before I found out that Trent actually produced it. Distills all of the heavier elements of NIN into a single album, lacks breadth and depth. It's only redeeming feature is as a gateway to the true master. 1 - doesn't deserve to be on this list
Mwuah
Not a fan
Toto ma nikdy nechytilo, nevedel som to ani dopočúvať do konca...
He's a terrible person
I want to give this a 0 because of the artist, but this was a formative album for me
I keep getting metal on a Sunday and my god it’s just not the vibe sadly
Really only one song that was worthy of mention...."Beautiful People."
Not for me
Don’t like it when it came out. Hasn’t aged well
Interesting album. Some confronting lyrics. Musically diverse.
Honestly I didn't hate this as much as I expected to. However. Even if I knew absolutely nothing about Marilyn Manson as a person, hearing a white guy say the n-word in the opening track alone is enough to make me give it one star.
Not my jam
Nah
Um belo rock. E é bom atribuir musica a um nome que ja tinha ouvido falar
Esa persona me cae mal
another album with a white man saying racial slurs…. YIKES
Meh not for me
Antichrist Superstar reminds me of Bowie's '70s era in its commitment to character; of Nine Inch Nails in its sound (obviously); of Queen in its unapologetic grandiosity; yet it is unmistakably a Marilyn Manson album. I've never done a deep dive into his discography, but this work embodies everything about his art that I like. It is an intense mix of subtext and boldness, with memorable vocals and entertaining sound design. It works well as a full story and as separate songs. Now, I'm curious about the other parts of this trilogy.
Ooooh another spicy artist. Like Kanye, ya gotta separate the art from the artist. This is a highly influential album from a highly influential arrist, like it or not. Manson challengeer societal norms and this album is full of bangers. Unfortunately Manson is a part of a pivotal time in my life, when i was going through a crisis of faith and realizing that the first couple decades of my life were wasted being brainwashed in a cult. As i spiraled, i discovered Manson's music and a lot of it resonated with me, particularly anything involving calling out Christianity's hypocrisy. He has since proven to be a pretty terrible person, and i hate that i resonated with some of his music. In the end though, im a much better person than i was before, and i really dont know why im putting this in my review.
Oh it’s creepy in the bad way No because wtf?!
Sonically it's like really below average with repetitive bland riffs although some were pretty good and added some dynamic to the album. Vocals were also not the best and felt forced, but I can appreciate Manson's vocal dynamics. Writing was overall bad and overly edgy and trying to be different and cause shock. Wasn't enjoyable. 1.5/10, Favorite Song: The Beautiful People
It’s a no from me
It's a good album
Se ve la mano de Trent bien machin!
9/10
If I combine musical shittiness with a skeezy abuser, and pour it all into the mouth of a limp dolly that was left in an old toilet for 30 years, it would still be better than this. I’m just glad it was super short.
The beat of a meatball, the beat of a meatball. Ahhhhhhaaaaahhhhhhhhhh Thought this track along with some genuinely hilarious moments (how many middle fingers does he have? How many does he want?) would lead to a higher score. I guess not.
This should be an interesting exercise in objectivity, separating the art from the artist in the wake of fresh suspicions of Warner having connections with Epstein. Before this album, my experience was limited, including the 'Tainted Love' cover, which I abhorred in comparison to Marc Almond's original with Softcell. I'd be a liar if I said I didn't like the opening track "Irresponsible Hate Anthem". It has all of the aggression and speed I love in this genre, so felt like a strong way to start the album, straight into "The Beautiful People" with it's iconic guitar and bass riffs and Warner's sinister vocals; I also enjoyed this. For similar reasons as stated for The Beautiful People, I enjoyed "Dried Up, Tied and Dead to The World", "Tourniquet", "Little Horn", "Angel with Scabbed Wings"* and "Antichrist Superstar". I appreciate the thematic break "Cryptochid" tried to create, but ultimately did nothing for me. It was such a departure from the increasingly heavy delivery of each track (especially coming straight from Little Horn, it was too jarring. For the reasons I didn't like Cryptochid, I enjoyed "Deformography"! Not really sure how to explain myself here, apart from the fuzzy guitar riffs scratching my brain itch, as well as Warner's echoed voice. *Interestingly, Angel with Scabbed Wings' Guitar riff had a remarkably similar vibe to N.E.R.Ds opening beats on "Lapdance"; I wonder if Williams and co were inspired by Manson? "Minute of Decay"s Bass - producing an almost wet slap sound - was really interesting to hear, with epic cymbal crashes, sharp guitar chords and Warner's screams juxtaposing with sections of creepy vocals made for something quite cool. "Man that you fear" was a departure from the norm that I wasn't expecting, with deep, social commentary in it's lyrics. Although the lyrics were great, the song was more drab than my usual liking. ******************************************************************************* This is possibly the weirdest review I've done so far, as there is guilt in liking the music I hear and relief when I don't like it as it feels as though that separates me further from Warner and supporting him in any way. Objectively, I did like a lot of the tracks from this album. The duality of being sad I missed enjoying it all and relief of not forming a connection with it before the accusations is a strange place to be. From the back of this thought, I immediately went to the all albums list on this site and was relieved to find not a single Lost Prophets album listed; it's not even a case of 'will not', but more 'cannot' ever bring myself to listen to that music again. I feel for all the people who connected with Marilyn Manson's music from when Portrait of an American Family released and onwards. Music is a powerful force for comfort, empowerment and general connection between people, as well as for making memories and pulling us through dark times. Having that tainted by actions of the the person responsible for it's creation must be incredibly tough.
I bought this album when it came out and I remember thinking to myself that I am buying this to laugh at it later. Clearly I didn't listen to it though because I barely remember any of these songs. I think somewhere in the middle of making this album he forgot he was a kitsch clown making a parody of the most kitsch musical and fully believed he was Marilyn Manson, and never came back. just completely full of himself. Which is too bad, because there is a whole lot of queer coded messages in this album and even more so on his next album. If he wasn't such a shit head this could have easily been rediscovered as camp. but he fucked that up
Too eccentric
Yeah... not my cup of tea.. I couldn't get in the spirit of the album 2/5
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.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, this album wears out its welcome almost immediately. And then it goes on for another 70 minutes
Surprised me a lot.
I remember in the second year of uni in the UK Manson was suddenly everywhere: in the music press, on TV. I didn't like his shtick, I thought he was just a weirdo edgelord. Then after Columbine he became the bete noire of the Christian right and came across quite eloquently in the Michael Moore film, I thought maybe I had misjudged him and he was actually a champion of free speech. Time has ultimately shown I was right first time, and listening to this album, it's really not good. Torniquet and Man That You Fear were actually ok, but it's most just a pathetic NIN knock off.
I mean, I get it for folks that like this kind of music but it's just not for me. Too screamy.
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.
This is corny. It should be discarded in a closet in 1996 like a pair of JNCOs just back from Ozzfest that are super wet on the bottom and stink like weed and wet denim.
Super cringy, even at the time.
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.
Terrible distortion. Didn’t pay any attention to lyrics. Music wise I don’t think it’s too bad.
On one hands, you gotta be super passionate to create music like this. Like, the dude clearly cares a lot about his art, cares so little about how he is received. You gotta admire that at some point. That said, I do not enjoy anything about this album. The Beautiful People is okay, but the rest of the album is just harsh, abrasive, and unenjoyable for me. Definitely don’t see Manson being in my orbit of music.
Just no. On so many levels.
When I was first introduced to Marilyn Manson, it was during his interview regarding the Columbine school shooting. It was a discussion about how people think his music influences kids to commit violence. He was asked if he had the chance to say something to the shooters before it happened what would he say. He said "I wouldn't say anything. I would listen". I always thought that was such a deep and insightful look into how adults treat children. Especially those on the fringe of society. Adults are always trying to influence them or prevent them from being influenced. They never stop to listen to what is actually going on inside themselves. I thought very highly of Mr. Manson after that interview...... then I found out that he has a history of sexual assault and domestic abuse claims against him....... Not really crazy about the music, and I'm not really a fan of the artist anymore either.
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.
Album #44 Marilyn Manson: Antichrist Superstar I never thought that I would listen to an entire Marilyn Manson album in my life, let alone one that goes on for over an hour. I have for a long time considered myself opposed to metal, or at least the type of metal that involves incessant screaming and loud guitars merely for the purpose of uneasing the listener; because at the end of the day, as a listener, I prefer to be at ease; so I never listened to, or had the intent to listen to, anything like this. My only experiences with Marilyn Manson were being scared of him as a kid, Bowling for Columbine, and hearing that he removed his ribs to suck his own dick. I always just assumed he was some gimmick shock musician, all imagery no substance, to trick angsty teens into thinking they were able to fight the power by being edgy. So I was very surprised when his mangled face showed up as my album for the day, on a site that is meant to curate the most essential albums of all time. Do people actually consider him a good musician, or was my initial assessment of him correct, and this album is here on cultural relevance alone? After listening, I’m still inclined to opt for my original understanding. The album actually wasn’t as abrasive as I was expecting, though I really don’t know why I expected an hour and 15 minutes of screaming and guitar noise that would make Sonic Youth blush. The lyrics are certainly of their time, I think I get that he is meant to be playing a character, a rockstar who seems to hate everybody and acts with reckless abandon. But you couldn’t get away with dropping as many slurs as he does throughout this thing today. Not that I have too much of an issue with it, as I’d prefer for nuance not to be lost and art not to be dumbed down so people don’t get offended, but he isn’t exactly saying anything too insightful here. Lots of terms appear revolutionary, but are also mixed in with slurs to scare people and invoke a reaction. “Everybody is someone’s N word” and in the next breath “We hate fascists and capitalists”. But Manson hardly takes a leftist approach in his ideology, instead opting for the edgy centrist “hate everyone equally” approach encapsulated by the song ‘1996’ (on which he says the word superstar as if he was announcing Edge’s entrance in WWE) where he is supposedly anti-money, anti-gay, anti-white, anti-black, but most of all, anti-making a coherent political statement, am I right? Though it is probably pointless to try to examine his lyrics, and I am not going to listen to it again to get a better understanding. I think the main reason this album resonates with people is through the emotion and attitude presented throughout. I can see someone in peak teenage angst belting out one of these songs as a cathartic exercise, and there are some songs here which I actually could see amping me up if I were feeling particularly devious. Trent Reznor's production is also undoubtedly good. I don’t necessarily love every moment of it, but that’s more to do with me not being the biggest industrial music fan. To me, the weakest part of the album might be Manson himself (is he meant ot be Marilyn Manson or is that the name of the band?), often coming across as annoying and tacky. Not an album I would ever want to listen to again, because though I am a fan of horror movies, and fucked-up stories, for whatever reason, that has never translated to my enjoyment of music, I often gravitate to more melodic and enjoyable rather than something that would disturb me. Though this album never actually even managed to make my skin crawl like I thought it might, it mostly just made my eyes roll. A hard one for me to rate, as it was definitely more listenable than I thought, and enjoyable at times; yet that enjoyment requires a lot of cognitive dissonance. So I could see maybe giving it a two-star, but seeing how he is a literal sex criminal, it really doesn’t help make this album any less tacky, and so it definitely deserves its one star. An interesting experience, though. Best Songs: Man That You Fear, Tied Up Dried Up and Dead to the World, Cryptorchid Worst Song: Irresponsible Hate Anthem Score out of 10: 2.5
I’ve never listened to an album by them and I really wanted to like this but it wasn’t that good of a first time listen for me. I think this album may not have stood the test of time very well. It probably sounded somewhat fresh back then but listening to it now it just sounds kind of annoying in its simplicity. I’ve always found most industrial music to be somewhat lacking after Ministry and Nine Inch Nails. It’s as if the parameters of that style of music was very limited and all the great ideas were dealt with in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. If you were a teenager when this came out back then it probably would have meant a lot and probably would have helped get one through some hard times but hopefully you worked your way back to earlier examples of the genre and found the real great albums of this style.
I almost cried having to listen to every song. I thought it would never end.
Yeah, this hits worse now that I'm not a wannabe edgy teenager
Pretty intense. Some dope lyrics tho, too evil for my liking lol
спасибо не надо (хотя я думала это будет невозможно слушать, а это возможно)
A little bloated but there are some pretty cool songs on this one.
Looking back on Manson's pseudo-intellectual posing during his media appearances in the wake of the Columbine massacre and the subsequent backlash against his music, Manson seems to have seen himself as presenting a critique or satire of America's post-Cold War unreflecting belief in its own virtue while it simultaneously celebrated loveless sex and hateful violence. While Manson became the boogeyman of politicians and parents, he was creating his own boogeymen of the NRA and the Christian Right. Of course, he was just as much a part of the cultural nexus as they were, just as much mindlessly enamored of his own virtue even while contributing to a culture of nihilism. Manson wasn't a parody, holding up a mirror, he WAS the mirror--the other side of the same coin, to mix metaphors. He was right about them, but they were also right about him. They belonged together.
Not today Satan
Cringe
I hate Marilyn Manson and have no interest in listening to this :)
Obscure & illusionary.
Not my cup of tea. Frankly kind of offensive. But I appreciate it for what it is. Assumed it would be a 1, but it's a high 2.
This wasn’t as bad as I thought but it was too hard and too ‘screamy’
Only listened to half. So not my thing!
I kinda liked it? Beautiful People is a banger. The rest is quintessential 90's sound. I get it. Don't love it. Kinda like it on the background of the gym maybe. Not sure why this is conflicting. Its a 2. Moving on.
At least Kid Rock waited until the end of his album to say the n word.
If anyone wants to know why lead poisoning is a big deal, just play them this record
4⭐️/5 01.18.2026
by the end of it i was so tired. 2/5
Pass. Nothing novel or special about this other than show. I do not dislike him for religious reasons (fuvk those self-righteous and judgmental arseholes) because I do not belong to a cult and can think for myself.
Have symbols from this album tattooed. Not my favorite manson, but it's up there. Most songs are fantastic. Listened on Spotify and realized Spotify doesn't do the annoying hidden track thing with numerous seconds of blank tracks, which I feel is half the experience of some albums. Nothing good comes from this hidden track though
So not may style
Interesting for sure, not for me. 4.1/10
Eeeeee, Fuck this dude. 1.9
Fuck Marilyn Manson. I have never liked him or his music despite him being a "formative" figure in my music scene/subculture.
Does making a “concept album” absolve you from whatever you put on the album? When you look at the lyrics, this album is gross and the songs are unlistenable. But once I turned the lyrics off and just listened to the music itself, it was a lot better. But I don’t think the moniker “concept album” gets you absolution because people DO look at the lyrics, or listen to them (if they’re distinguishable in all the screaming), and the lyrics burn a hole through your consciousness. And of course this is all before you get into the person behind the screaming. Listen to Nine Inch Nails instead.
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.
this was not for me, some songs were alright but most of this was just weird
I got about 5 songs in before I had to stop. I don't think anyone will be shocked when I tell you that this album sucks. Nine Inch Nails but replace Trent with a talentless sociopath
I don't care what Marilyn Manson the dude did or didn't do.... This album is gay and retarded and useless regardless.
The man himself is trash. The album itself is well produced. The music itself is metal/rock. I dislike metal. I appreciate the production for it's influence at the time. I dislike the man.
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.
Like Marilyn Manson the person, everything about this is for shock and not about creating a quality product. Exactly the kind of thing that someone who got a rib surgically removed so he could suck his own dick would make. Also, it’s so…fucking…long.
Really not my kind of thing. Struggled enormously
Horrible to my ears
Whisper-Scream-Whisper-Moan-Scream-Whisper. If he's trying to iritate the ears of the 1001 listener, job well done.
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.
I just listened to Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory for another list and I thought that was really juvenile but entertaining at times. This makes that look like Led Zeppelin. I knew I never liked Marilyn Manson as the person/personality, but I had no idea how much his music deeply sucked. Garbage riffs and vocals for 71 minutes. But that said he really paved the way for incels and edgelordz.
Nope.
Not as bad as I thought it would be. More musical other bands in that genre.
A few of the artists I listen to are influenced by Marilyn Manson but I've never been able to get into him
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.
4 stars only because there is one great track and then a bunch of slightly less great tracks.
Whatever...
Other than the fact that he's a complete pile of dog shit, his whole schtick was based on "shock" factor. It's a sophomoric attempt at upsetting late '90's Republican suburban mom's. Otherwise musically it was and still is annoying.
for anyone who refused to listen to this album because this guy fucking sucks: you're not missing anything. this is mid. I guess torniquet was fine... but personally I don't like edgy white men that use the n word just to make a point (ON THE FIRST TRACK TOO WTF) this guy has absolutely no chill.
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
The beauty of listening to albums later than planned is that you can appreciate the finer references in them that you wouldn't have been able to six months prior. References such as Marilyn Manson saying "6-7" It was like a different taste of The Downward Spiral and that is an album I really like. This was great
Dit album heeft echt heel veel goede tracks. Dat wil zeggen, ik heb eigenlijk alleen genoten van tracks 17 t/m 99, die niet alleen heel kort zijn (vier seconden elk), maar ook helemaal stil. Top! Beetje jammer van die 16 tracks nihilistische grafherrie die eraan voorafgaan. Marilyn Manson, hoe zou het met hem zijn? Het personage verscheen dertig jaar geleden, liep lekker stout iedereen te shockeren, en verdween voor mijn gevoel daarna (gelukkig) weer in het niets. In mijn beleving dan. Jammer dus dat we wel door het 1001-boek nog even getracteerd worden op dit gedrocht van een album. Ik heb het uitgeluisterd, ik weet ook niet hoe ik het voor elkaar gekregen heb. En nu wil ik nooit meer iets van of over dit stuk ongeluk horen.
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.
A lot of the lyrics are interesting, and the music is okay, but the vocals become grating on my ears mostly because the album is too long. 2 stars or D+.
If Manson was really Kevin Arnold’s best friend I’d have given this 5!
Another great album - took goth / industrial metal up a notch, building on the roots of Alice Cooper, KISS and Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor produced the album and co-wrote several songs) The Beautiful People’s pounding double drum beat is so reminiscent of the Glam Rock days.
1 hora y 11 minutos de gritos. 27 añitos tenia la criatura cuando hizo esto. Tantos géneros musicales y me siguen saliendo estos álbumes de gente edgy. Prefiero suicidarme antes que terminar de escucharlo.
I expected to hate this album but I didn't. Admittedly, it is too long and vocals and lyrics are often ridicolous, let alone the album's "concept". (Which is appropriate to a ludicrous clown such as MM.) However, the industrial vibes (I guess to be ascribed to Trent Reznor's production) are not that bad...
Verrassend
Not for me but some decent tunes.
71 minutes of the most edgelord bullshit. I can hear the collective mouthbreathing in between the tracks.
Getting shouted at for more than an hour is not my idea of a good time. At least it reminded of the rumour that had a rib removed….
If your work is subject to this degree of controversy and congressional hearings, you know you're doing something right. You've angered the guilty for calling them out. Let's get this out of the way: Marilyn Manson is a terrible person. He's also an incredibly intelligent person, and along with Trent Reznor (also exceptionally gifted), they made this album which has had an incredible impact on the US and culture: for better and worse. Mostly worse, but it's not really his fault. After the Columbine shooting in 1999, the NRA, Christian Conservatives and right wing politicians all scrambled for someone to blame......because it couldn't be the guns that are the problem in this country, oh no. Luckily for them, this album came out a few years prior and was very popular. The album is a direct attack on Christian conservatives and is a good example of contrarian extremism. That's the entire point, to be extreme in hatred in the other direction. Of course, that means Satanism to Christians and they picketed all their concerns just making up all kinds of stuff that were going on during the concert........of course, none of it was true, but it was a great talking point for Fox News and Christian Conservatives. Manson was an easy scapegoat because of his name and "shock rock" style. Sound familiar? Nothing's changed and now it's 2025 dealing with the same shit. Manson is no longer relevant and there's a school shooting almost every day. The Columbine shooters even hated Manson's music. This was all political theater, and just like all the gullible MAGA morons, they were all too stupid to think for themselves and fell victim to what they heard talking heads on Fox News parrot. You can't listen to this album without all of this underlying context and subsequent controversy, and you STILL see the effects of it in the ratings of this album here. Culturally, it's an important album and it's worth reading all the controversies surrounding it. It's forever linked as "the album that started school shootings" and that label was entirely attached by the media and politicians when the Columbine shooters were open about hating it. Funny how that works. "When you are suffering, know that I have betrayed you." Hard album and it's not wrong. People are evil and the evil manipulate the stupid. The message is to reject Christianity and love people and the planet or the world will be destroyed. God and Satan aren't real. He isn't coming to save us. The idea of Ubermensch developed by Nietzsche, and 30 years later......we have yet to get the message and look where we're at in America? We're fucked.
This was awful. Very screamy, extremely long, and mostly just tedious. Squarely aimed at edgy teenagers trying to annoy their parents
Not going to listen to this garbage
Dumb, spoiled clown. 1 rib out of 24 ribs
Harsh and Abrasive, in both music and lyrics. I appreciate the art of it, but I don't find it very fun to listen to. That being said, Manson's vocals were a highlight for me, mostly because he actually sings and doesn't just scream like other metal artists. Standout Tracks: Wormboy, Angle With Scabbed Wings.
"['Antichrist Superstar' is] about me growing up and wanting to become something that people would adore, instead I grew up and became something that people hated." - Marilyn Manson I've said it once, twice and many more times, and I'll keep saying it: I review music, not people. Sure, sure, how you feel about an artist will no doubt impact how you feel about their work, but I try not to turn these reviews into "GRRRR, I HATE THIS PERSON SO MUCH" rants. It's not something I've been perfect about (see my "review" of 'The College Dropout'), but dang it, I try. Marilyn Manson (the man, not the band) would be such an easy guy to do this with. I don't know all of the details, except that he's a creep and an abuser — and, frankly, those alone should be enough to write him off entirely. Y'know, whatever sort of impact he may have had back in the day, is it really worth keeping him around? And I'm not even exactly sure **what** his impact was, besides being blamed for the Columbine massacre. I guess he might've brought shock rock to a new generation, but Alice Cooper he sure ain't! (Musically, anyway; Alice Cooper ain't an abuser, but I haven't heard many other good things about him lately.) All the same, though, Alice Cooper still made "School's Out" and a lot of other great hard rock. There's a reason people keep his work around. And, I mean, that's the thing, right? Bad and awful people have made great art that's worth keeping around. It's an unfortunate fact of life, but a fact nonetheless. It's like, even Kanye West, who's a black shit awful human being, made 'Graduation'. I can see keeping some of his work around, even if the man himself should be left to infamy and obscurity. Marilyn, though? I mean, what's his art? 'Antichrist Superstar'? Is that album worth it? Speaking strictly about the album itself, as best as I can: nah. I don't think it is. The thing about 'Antichrist Superstar' is that I can tell how hard it's trying. It is trying **so hard** to be threatening and creepy and disturbing and scary and, y'know, **cool**. "Lookit me! I'm calling my album '**Antichrist** Superstar'! I'm quoting Nietzsche! I'm being so cynical about humanity! Aren't I just **cool**?" And it's like, no. No. You are not as cool as you think you are. I mean, maybe I would've bought into all of this if I was 15 and this was 1996, but I'm not and it isn't, so quite frankly ... y'know. Part of my frustration here lies in the fact that this is supposed to be a concept album and a rock opera. And I just feel like, when you're telling a story, you need to be clear about what's going on — or at least, you need to leave enough hints that the audience can get it. Lookit something like 'The Wall', or even 'Tommy'. I get what's happening in those, even if there is some stuff, particularly in 'Tommy', that's pretty vague. Here, though? I had to jump to a fan wiki to find out what the plot was supposed to be, and even then I still had to make large leaps to cover up the holes. It just wasn't worth it to me. It's like ... y'know, there's a difference between Green Day's '21st Century Breakdown' and this album. In both cases, they're supposed to be rock operas, but I'ven't the faintest idea what's supposed to be happening in either. Fanmade summaries only do so much to help. But '21st Century Breakdown' at least has the musical chops to make up for any weakness in its "plot." 'Antichrist Superstar' doesn't. (And to say as well: when Billie Joe Armstrong uses the "N"-word on '21st Century Breakdown', I don't like it and I'd've rather he didn't and I am not defending it whatsoever, but I can **sort of** rationalize it based on the surrounding context. On 'Antichrist Superstar', it sounds like edgy white boy shit, plain and simple. And "edgy white boy shit" feels like how I'd describe a lot of the lyrics on this thing.) But the music, though. I figured I should like this well enough. Y'know, industrial has never exactly been my thing, but, hey, as long as it strikes the right chord ... I mean, I have always liked "The Beautiful People", so as long as it holds up to that standard, everything should be fine, right? Nope. Honestly, it makes me wish I'd listened better to 'The Downward Spiral'. Like, the music is obviously the best part about this album, and even that can't save. Sure, it's good to start, yeah. But as I would further and further down this 71 minute album, I began to tune it further and further out. It just wasn't consistently interesting enough to grip me. This clearly is **not** Trent Reznor on his A-game, my goodness. Maybe more his B- or, heck, C-game. And you put it together with the lyrics, and the "cool groaning and moaning" way Marilyn sings it all ... urrrrgghhh. Yeah, in the end, even if I was somehow able to put aside the fact that Marilyn Manson is an abuser, I still wouldn't have enjoyed this album too much. It's too long and it's trying too hard, despite the fact that it can't muster up enough interesting shit to cover its ambitions. I just picture Marilyn smirking in the studio, thinking about how **blown away** everyone is going to be by his **cool concept album** and how **scary and shocking** it is. But, me, I'm just left here stone-faced. And I think the worst thing here is that there **is** something I honestly could've connected with. From what I've read, there's a big theme about facism being apparent in conservative America and the Christian right, and ... I mean, yeah. Yeah. It's 2025, and it's not just apparent; it's a fact. If there's any time this album should be resonating, it's not. And yet, do I really wanna hear it from **THIS FUCKIN' GUY??** I don't think so. Well, you **did** become something people hated, Marilyn. You sure got that right.
This just feels like a poor man's Downward Spiral, and not just because I dig NIИ a whole lot. It's also because it just feels like he's overdoing it on the edge. 2.5 bumped down to 2.
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 really liked it as a teenager. Was ready to hate it now, it’s actually pretty good. I mean yeah you can step back and it would seem juvenile, don’t do that. If you don’t step back you’ll get a mix of industrial music and alternative rock that just works. It gets the harshness of industrial but not to the point it takes over the good hooks and riffs in the songs. I don’t want to comment on Manson himself I’m sure he’s a dogshit person but the album slaps. Four stars.
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
Music to make your parents put you in therapy.
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.
Way too long
More interesting than I imagined it would be. While his singing gets tiresome the music is full and interesting.
I didn’t expect to enjoy this so i was quite surprised i found the first half of the album ok. It’s fairly light enjoyable industrial rock. That said the length of the album and similar music throughout meant my enjoyment waned quite quickly and from there it was a bit of a slog. Would’ve been a far better album if trimmed to half the length
I had to listen to this album in chunks over a number of hours. The title track scared my dog.
I had been doing so well at separating the art from the artist in this project until now, but fuck you, Marilyn Manson. I saw MM at Leeds Festival in 2001, which ironically means I saw him duet with yesterday's artist, Eminem. I remember nothing about his set at all (it was the same year Rocket From The Crypt made people face the back of the tent "to experience the music differently" so it's not like I blanked out the whole weekend). I like The Beautiful People. Everything is basically summed up as MM ripping off Nine Inch Nails, and I don't even like them very much. This probably should get a 1.5, but, again, fuck you Brian. 1/5
Pretty solid record. Definitely some great tracks.
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.
Šiaip patiko, primenė dalimis NIN (aišku, nes jis prisidėjo prie albumo), bet atsisakau jam duoti didesnį įvertinimą.
This isn't really my genre, but I loved it. It was so hard-hitting while still being catchy and melodic in places. Manson's vocals really reminded me of Rob Zombie and even Gavin Rossdale from Bush as times. I really enjoyed this way more than I expected and listened to it twice. Five stars.
I am not a Marilyn Manson fan but I understand that his music is well crafted. I also understand why it has been linked to many murder cases and school shootings. There is nothing really bad about the album qualitywise but I do feel like you have to be a little messed-up to truly enjoy this
Never a fav
This Brian guy stinks
Couple big hits and a shit load of songs that sound exactly the same. The original edgelord. Never been by kind of music and it still isn’t. I feel like the fanbase of ICP and Manson have a big overlap. 4/10
By far my favorite by this artist. May even be in my top 15 all-time; definitely in my top 20. This album is perfect from track 1 all the way to track 99, which will scare TF outta ya. especially if you are listening to it at night and have been listening to the first 82 seconds (tracks) of silence in the dark and then track 99 appears. damn! such a great piece of art.
"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
Awesome noise, rough message
506/1001
I'm far more familiar with Marilyn Manson that I would like to be. I had a roommate in college who loved MM and Korn. Never liked them, or him really. Brian "Marilyn Manson" Warner really has nothing interesting going for him. He's not a talented musician (does he even play an instrument?). It doesn't sound like he's a particularly good person (given the allegations against him) But even with those, he's not the most controversial music, though he'd like to be (for me that'd go to GG Allin). He's not even the WORST human being in music (that'd be that guy from lostprophets - do yourself a favor and don't look it up). Anyway, the album - tries very hard to be shocking for the sake of shock. If you lived through the 90s, you've already heard every variation on these sounds done by far better musicians. A bland album aimed at "edgy" teenagers. Heard it all before, don't want to hear it again.
I think back on a recent Billy Corgan interview with Al Jouregensen of Ministry, where Al was talking about how Trent Reznor was a roadie for Ministry, took some ideas, and went on to form Nine Inch Nails. Billy asked Al how he felt about that. Al said it didn't bother him, because Brian Hugh Warner was a roadie for Nine Inch Nails and took some ideas, to go on an form Marilyn Manson. So that is really how I feel about this. Its just a copy of a copy of copy.
Annoyed me more and more as it went on. Not interested in ever listening to this again.
The most aggressive three because some mix emerald notes but also too crazy and creepy
I’m not a metal head, I don’t listen to a lot of this music. But strangely enough, I enjoyed this album. I picked out a few songs I liked the most but I can see myself revisiting this one too find more.
Yucky - did not finish. Saved a song: N RYM: N
This guy is a rapist oof
0/5 I didn't listen. I don't listen to predators.
Álbum bem "FUCK!!!" né. It is like Nine Inch Nails, but bad.
My exposure to Manson over the years has been pretty minimal. A few songs that leaked through to the radio (The Beautiful People and his covers of Tainted Love, Sweet Dreams, and Personal Jesus) and general awareness of his deliberately kooky image. Gotta say I didn't expect much going into this album, but I found it to be quite entertaining. Industrial metal is certainly an apt categorization, a lot of this plays similar to NiN with a bit more teeth. The album is a bit longer than I would have preferred, but there was enough in here to enjoy to make it worthwhile. Out of the gate, I don't have much love for Irresponsible Hate Anthem, but I'd be lying if I said that The Beautiful People didn't get me going. The vocals on Tourniquet are a little thin, but otherwise it is a solid track. Between it and Little Horn, the bass + guitar actually reminds me a lot of some Nirvana. Deformography has a fun dark-club aesthetic that I can get into. Wormboy is something I didn't really expect TBH -- reminds me of something, but I can't quite place it. TiL that N.E.R.D's Lapdance stole the riff directly from Angel With The Scabbed Wings. Never would have imagined that origin story given how funky N.E.R.D's resulting flip is. Minute of Decay and Reflecting God are solid in the closing. There was definitely some filler in here, but the album as a whole is quite varied and listening back through quickly I can't find much that doesn't connect in one way or another. Solid album -- low 4 for me.
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.
Fuck this guy
No Thank You
Wouldn’t give him the shirt off my back, but this album fuckin rocks
First time ever listening to MM. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Only had to fast forward through 3 songs of shrieking, mainly because my own throat was getting sore just listening to it.
Var nú aldrei mikið fyrir Manson. Sjokker að hann sé creep. Beautiful People hefur verið á lista hjá mér fyrir lappadaga en get ekki sagt að önnur lög plötunnar hafi heillað mig mikið. Frekar mikið edgelord kjaftæði.
Drasl
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.
innovativ, bahnbrechend, wegweisend und einfach unfassbar geile Musik, die auch mich damals geprägt hat. Ich kann allerdings die vollen 5 Sterne nicht geben, weil das Album in seiner Gänze dann doch viel Repetitives und leider auch Redundantes an sich hat.
Hab ich mir nicht angehört, werd ich mir nicht anhören, mag ein Klassiker sein, aber ist mir in dem Fall egal
Should you separate art and artist? Sure, 4 for art and 1 for artist, rounded to 2 because reasons. This project afforded me an excuse for listening to The Beautiful People again, and the album definitely hits for me. But even without the extremely problematic artist this isn't perfect.
I didn't expect to dig this as much as I did. I'll admit, I had preconceived notions about what this would sound like based on my knowledge of Marilyn Manson, as well as from the album cover, but when I put it on I was blown away. Through a wall of distorted guitar that soon dissipated, I hear the frentic upstroke of clean, treble-soaked guitar. A tortured howl soon gives way to a gentle, but enthusiastic "pick it up" repeated three times, and the horns come in to bring the song up a notch in energy. I'm not too into labels, but I guess you would call this 3rd wave(?) ska. But whatever you want to call it, by the third song (the one about hitting the mall with your friends on a Sunday morning) I was a full convert. Not sure what all the controversy is about, this album was a good, fun time - perfect for uplifting your mood on a dreary day.
Ок так вийшло, що я послухала на спотіку 6 перших альбомів Менсона, до 2000 року. Не особливо вразило, буквально пару треків додала
I understand why it’s here, but I don’t care for this music.
I loved this album.