I thought I'd take some time away from the crazy world of politics and write about one of my loves, one of the things which helps keep me reasonably sane despite the before-mentioned craziness - music. I have a wide range of likes when it comes to music. Growing up, my mom preferred to listen to oldies, while my dad opted for classic rock, and my family in Michigan listened to, what else, but Motown. My brother involved himself in jazz band, introduced me to some alternative rock bands. A few friends of mine enjoyed rap and/or country. Through it all, I've come to enjoy at least a few songs from every genre, including country, which is without question my least favorite style of music. Even so, though, I can't help but feel like rock 'n' roll runs through my veins. I loved it when I was a child and my dad played: Boston, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Aerosmith from his record player, and I've been hooked ever since. While I love rock of all stripes, though, my three favorites bands are, without question, Muse, Marilyn Manson, and Def Leppard (with Green Day and Pearl Jam rounding out my top 5). My first rock concert was a Def Leppard in-the-round performance on December 22nd of 1992 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium - a show I'll never forget. Marilyn Manson's thought-provoking quotes, lyrics, and imagery paid dividends for me growing up, and my eyes were opened both before and during a performance of his I witnessed on February 8th of 1998 in Omaha, Nebraska. The mayor of the city at the time told parents to not allow their kids to see Manson live, which prompted two of my friends' parents to refund their tickets, and prompted me to write the mayor and express my displeasure with his attempt of garnering free publicity by spreading falsehoods. He was impressed with my writing skills, and well, the rest is history. As far as Muse goes, as an American, unfortunately, I didn't stumble upon them until 2008 after I moved to Ohio, but I've been hooked on their music for 8 years, have been wowed three times by their one-of-a-kind spectacles, and have done everything I can to spread word about them to others in this country. Yes, 17 years after they released their first album, six records later, and some still haven't heard of them. So, given all of that, I thought I'd rank my three favorite bands' albums in descending order, starting with #3 Def Leppard and closing with #1 Muse:
Marilyn Manson
10) Portrait of an American Family (1994): Going on 23 years ago, this is where it all started for Marilyn Manson. The band carried over their creepy Halloween-esque sounds from their days as the Spooky Kids to this debut album. From a sound quality standpoint, this is far and away the band's worst album. At the same time, however, it's arguably the band's most light-hearted and fun album. Yes, the lyrics tend to be thought-provoking and vulgar, yet are presented in a less serious manner than in succeeding albums. Even though I have Portrait of an American Family ranked at the very bottom of Manson's discography, there's truly only one huge miss on the album, and that's track #12, "My Monkey," which could go down as arguably the band's worst song of all time. Outside of that miss, however, this is a solid debut rock album, featuring the Manson classics: "Cake and Sodomy," "Lunchbox," "Dope Hat," and "Get Your Gunn," not to mention my personal favorite, "Misery Machine," and a sleeper in "Sweet Tooth," just to name a few. If you wish Halloween would appear on the calendar more than once a year and like to hear about America's long-standing problems being sung to you in a satirical manner, I'd definitely give this album a listen.
Best tracks: "Cake and Sodomy," "Get Your Gunn," "Sweet Tooth"
Worst tracks: "Prelude (The Family Trip)," "My Monkey"
9) Born Villain (2012): Following Marilyn Manson's triptych between the years of 1996 and 2000, the band was trying to find direction. Singer Marilyn Manson has long been a hybrid of Alice Cooper and David Bowie, as he's valued shock appeal, yet also tried to integrate a change in sound and story for every album. This search for direction was most noticeable in the 2009 and 2012 albums, The High End of Low and Born Villain, respectively. With Born Villain, while it felt the band hadn't yet found the exact direction in which it wanted to travel next, it also appeared they were on the right track and would soon reach their end goal, which happened with 2015's The Pale Emperor. While this album comes across as trying too hard at times to bring back the old sounds of Manson, there are some solid tracks. "No Reflection" has a classic, haunting, hard-rocking Manson sound to it. Things go a little more mid-tempo, dark, and biblical with "Children of Cain." Two of the better songs on the album are the final two tunes - the title track and "Breaking the Same Old Ground." My personal favorite off the album, "The Gardener," features Manson speaking the verses like he's at a poetry slam, before belting out the catchy chorus. Marilyn Manson also teams up with actor Johnny Depp on the track, "You're So Vain" - once again, putting his creepy twist on a classic song. Born Villain may not be among Manson's best efforts, but it shouldn't be dismissed as a throwaway album, and was likely a necessary step toward the greatness that was The Pale Emperor.
Best tracks: "No Reflection," "The Gardener," "Born Villain," "Breaking the Same Old Ground"
Worst tracks: "Disengaged," "Murderers Are Getting Prettier Every Day"
8) The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003): This was Marilyn Manson's first album post-triptych and had been rumored to be the band's final album. On it, the band experimented with rap beats and vaudeville themes. While sales for the album went up as Manson stated the band could very well be done after it, the controversy regarding the band which had at least partially been responsible for their popularity, had waned, and Manson had to think about how to again increase support and sales. Among Manson's nine efforts to this point, I feel this might be the most overrated of the bunch. While there are some great tracks and I appreciate the experimentation in sound, I think that, overall, the album falls short of many critics' lofty praises. One does have to appreciate the wordplay in the tracks "mOBSCENE" and "(s)AINT." In "Para-Noir," an ex-girlfriend of Manson's speaks the verses before the singer sings the chorus. My personal favorite has to be "Spade" - a mid-tempo goosebump-inducing rocker. No, The Golden Age of Grotesque isn't my favorite Marilyn Manson album, but it's still a solid effort and helps expand to the band's already impressive catalog.
Best tracks: "mOBSCENE," "The Golden Age of Grotesque," "Spade," "Para-Noir"
Worst tracks: "Slutgarden," "Better of Two Evils"
7) Eat Me, Drink Me (2007): This could go down as the most divisive of all Marilyn Manson albums. After a four year hiatus following 2003's The Golden Age of Grotesque, the band released this album - a record with an '80s rock sound and the most personal lyrics to date. While many Manson die-hards hated this album upon first hearing it, though, years from now, I think we'll look back on it as a hidden gem. The only thing darker than the title of "If I Was Your Vampire" is the track's sound, and I mean that in a good way. "Putting Holes in Happiness" and "They Said That Hell's Not Hot" have a Tom Petty quality to them. "Just a Car Crash Away" may be the most emotional I've heard Manson vocally sound. "Heart-Shaped Glasses" is the catchiest, most commercial-sounding song on the album. Three of my favorites come toward the end in: "Evidence," "Mutilation Is the Most Sincere Form of Flattery," and the title track. To Manson fans that loathed this album upon first hearing it, I recommend you check it out again. It's much better the second, third, and fourth times.
Best tracks: "If I Was Your Vampire," "Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)," "Evidence," "Eat Me, Drink Me"
Worst tracks: "Are You the Rabbit?" "You and Me and The Devil Makes 3"
6) The High End of Low (2009): This is the only Marilyn Manson album where I don't feel any consistent theme in sound or concept. It comes across like a history of the band, ranging from the sounds of the Spooky Kids days to the industrial metal in Antichrist Superstar to the glam rock in Mechanical Animals to the goth rock in Holy Wood to the electronica sound in The Golden Age of Grotesque to the '80s rock sound in Eat Me, Drink Me and beyond. The lyrical subject matter often recycled topics of old. If one is able to place all of that to the side, however and just listen to the music, The High End of Low winds up being the most underrated Marilyn Manson album, in my opinion. The band is at the top of their game with the tracks: ""Devour," "Four Rusted Horses," "Running to the Edge of the World," and "Into the Fire." "We're From America" is angry, head-bang worthy, and increasingly more relevant. "Leave a Scar," "Arma-Godd**n-Motherf**kin-Geddon," and "Blank and White" are incredibly catchy as well. That isn't even mentioning the grand wordplay in the song, "WOW," where Manson says, "When something is unbelievable, when I'm not able to believe how unbelievably unbelievable, that you believe you could not be-leavable." Yes, say that five times fast. The High End of Low isn't the band's most creative album, but it's arguably one of the best sounding, and for that alone, I've learned to appreciate it.
Best tracks: "Devour," "Four Rusted Horses," "Running to the Edge of the World," "Into the Fire"
Worst tracks: "I Want to Kill You Like They Do in the Movies," "I Have to Look Up Just to See Hell," "15"
5) Antichrist Superstar (1996): This is the album that essentially put Marilyn Manson on the map. With it, they generated millions of sales, protests all across the country, hundreds of outlandish rumors, and incredibly angry politicians and religious leaders. Antichrist Superstar was the first album in Marilyn Manson's critically-acclaimed triptych, providing listeners with arguably the rawest and angriest songs in the band's history. Fifteen years old at the time, this was my introduction album to the band, and I've been hooked ever since. As I age, I find myself listening to it less and less, opting instead for the albums which succeeded this (yes, I'm getting old). In saying that, however, I'll forever appreciate this album, how it opened my eyes to hypocrisy in the world of religion and politics, how it prompted me to never fear questioning authority, and how it helped me learn that rumors should always be greeted with research, not acceptance. I may not listen to Antichrist Superstar as much as I did 10-20 years ago, but I'll always consider it a rock 'n' roll masterpiece.
Best tracks: "The Beautiful People," "Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World," "1996," "The Reflecting God"
Worst tracks: "Cryptorchid," "Deformography"
4) The Pale Emperor (2015): After struggling to find direction in 2009's The High End of Low and coming closer with 2012's effort, Born Villain, the band finally reached their goal with this album, The Pale Emperor. With it, Manson integrates a blues rock sound and pulls it off to near perfection. Of the ten tracks, the only one which isn't great is the Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque "Birds of Hell Awaiting." Besides that, though, this may very well be the band's best album in 15 years. "Deep Six," "Third Day of a Seven Day Binge," "The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles," and "Cupid Carries a Gun" are all grade A songs. "Killing Strangers" starts things off with a mid-tempo blues rock riff, and the album closes with an epic "Fundamentally Loathsome"-ish track in "Odds of Even." Yeah, for everyone who said the band Marilyn Manson was dead, The Pale Emperor proved them wrong, and makes me excited for what's still to come.
Best tracks: "Deep Six," "Third Day of a Seven Day Binge," "The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles," "Cupid Carries a Gun"
Worst tracks: "Birds of Hell Awaiting"
3) Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (2000): After Marilyn Manson was (wrongly) blamed for the Columbine shooting, the band released this gem. Holy Wood is the final installment in the band's triptych and was rumored to be the title of a book written by the singer, which has yet to be released. Whereas Antichrist Superstar had an industrial metal approach, and Mechanical Animals went more toward glam rock, the band decided to go hard, heavy, and goth with Holy Wood. As Manson has said, Holy Wood is the glue to the triptych, and quite the quantity of glue it is, as there are 19 songs on the album. From a sound standpoint, the album is solid, but where it rises above the rest of Manson's work is lyrically. As sad as it is to say, being scapegoated for the Columbine shooting brought out the very best in Manson's writing, as he wrote and sang with a passion and purpose not heard before. Holy Wood is an essential addition to any Manson fan's library, without question.
Best tracks: "The Love Song," "The Fight Song," "Target Audience (Narcissus Narcosis)," "Born Again"
Worst tracks: "A Place in the Dirt," "The Fall of Adam"
2) Heaven Upside Down (2017): Manson masterfully takes the best elements from his nine other albums and meshes them together with a modern-day twist to form what is, in my opinion, his best album in close to 20 years, Heaven Upside Down. Even with all these meshes and changes of sound, the album flows extremely well. The concept is vague, topical, and powerful, allowing listeners to interpret the message as they so please. From track 1 through track 10, there isn't a weak link. All ten songs are catchy in their own manner and memorable. I think I've had all ten stuck in my head at one point or another. With Heaven Upside Down, several critics exclaimed that "Manson is back!" Actually, he never left. However, he did just produce his best record in 19 years.
Best tracks: "Saturnalia," "Heaven Upside Down," "Threats of Romance," and "Kill4Me"
Worst tracks: "Say10"
1) Mechanical Animals (1998): Here it is, my all-time favorite Marilyn Manson album. Mechanical Animals is the middle album in the band's triptych, as their sound went from industrial metal on Antichrist Superstar to glam rock, which surprised many, including yours truly. From "Great Big White World" to "Coma White," there isn't a weak track on Mechanical Animals. The album is the best sounding one to date for the band, and is outdone lyrically by only Holy Wood. Here's where Marilyn Manson truly defined himself as an artist, showing that he was more than just shock and anger. Manson fan or not, this album should be heard. It's a classic, brilliant in both sound and scope, and in my opinion, the best album the band has released in their 22+ years together.
Best tracks: "Great Big White World," "Mechanical Animals," "The Last Day On Earth," "Coma White"
Worst tracks: "I Want to Disappear"
My Ultimate Playlists
Trying to include at least one song from every album in the playlists, here are my ultimate Marilyn Manson playlists, listed in descending order, with my very favorites presented last:
Playlist #4
1) "mOBSCENE" - 3:26 (The Golden Age of Grotesque - 2003)
2) "Hey, Cruel World" - 3:45 (Born Villain - 2012)
3) "Killing Strangers" - 5:36 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
4) "Putting Holes in Happiness" - 4:31 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
5) "Disassociative" - 4:51 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
6) "Blank and White" - 4:27 (The High End of Low - 2009)
7) "Snake Eyes and Sissies" - 4:07 (Portrait of an American Family - 1994)
8) "User Friendly" - 4:17 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
9) "Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)" - 5:06 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
10) "The Nobodies" - 3:35 (Holy Wood - 2000)
11) "Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World" - 4:16 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
12) "They Said That Hell's Not Hot" - 4:17 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
13) "Slave Only Dreams To Be King" - 5:20 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
14) "Eat Me, Drink Me" - 5:41 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
15) "Odds of Even" - 6:23 (The Pale Emperor - 2012)
16) "Blood Honey" - 4:10 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
17) "Breaking the Same Old Ground" - 4:27 (Born Villain - 2012)
Playlist #3
1) "Revelation #12" - 4:42 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
2) "Rock Is Dead" - 3:10 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
3) "Use Your Fist and Not Your Mouth" - 3:35 (The Golden Age of Grotesque - 2003)
4) "We're From America" - 5:04 (The High End of Low - 2009)
5) "Cake and Sodomy" - 3:46 (Portrait of an American Family - 1994)
6) "The Death Song" - 3:30 (Holy Wood - 2000)
7) "If I Was Your Vampire" - 5:56 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
8) "Great Big White World" - 5:01 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
9) "We Know Where You F*cking Live" - 4:32 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
10) "Angel With the Scabbed Wings" - 3:52 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
11) "The Love Song" - 3:17 (Holy Wood - 2000)
12) "The Flowers of Evil" - 5:20 (Born Villain - 2012)
13) "The Devil Beneath My Feet" - 4:16 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
14) "Mechanical Animals" - 4:33 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
15) "Tattooed in Reverse" - 4:24 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
16) "Born Villain" - 5:26 (Born Villain - 2012)
17) "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)/Hell Outro" - 5:36 (The Last Tour on Earth - 1999)
Playlist #2
1) "Rock & Roll N*****" - 3:32 (Smells Like Children - 1995)
2) "No Reflection" - 4:36 (Born Villain - 2015)
3) "Get Your Gunn" - 3:18 (Portrait of an American Family - 1994)
4) "Vodevil" - 4:40 (The Golden Age of Grotesque - 2003)
5) "The Dope Show" - 3:47 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
6) "Arma-Godd**n-Motherf**kin-Geddon" - 3:39 (The High End of Low - 2009)
7) "Kill4Me" - 3:59 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
8) "The Last Day On Earth" - 5:01 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
9) "Evidence" - 5:20 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
10) "Children of Cain" - 5:18 (Born Villain - 2012)
11) "'President Dead'" - 3:13 (Holy Wood - 2000)
12) "Threats of Romance" - 4:38 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
13) "Para-Noir" - 6:01 (The Golden Age of Grotesque - 2003)
14) "Mister Superstar" - 5:04 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
15) "Cupid Carries a Gun" - 4:59 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
16) "Heaven Upside Down" - 4:49 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
17) "Into the Fire" - 5:15 (The High End of Low - 2009)
Playlist #1
1) "The Fight Song" - 2:56 (Holy Wood - 2000)
2) "The Beautiful People" - 3:39 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
3) "Deep Six" - 5:03 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
4) "Long Hard Road Out of Hell" - 4:21 (Spawn soundtrack - 1997)
5) "Mutilation Is the Most Sincere Form of Flattery" - 3:53 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
6) "Spade" - 4:35 (The Golden Age of Grotesque - 2003)
7) "The Gardener" - 4:39 (Born Villain - 2012)
8) "The Reflecting God" - 5:36 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
9) "Target Audience (Narcissus Narcosis)" - 4:18 (Holy Wood - 2000)
10) "The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles" - 4:57 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
11) "Dope Hat" - 4:22 (Portrait of an American Family - 1994)
12) "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" - 4:18 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
13) "Born Again' - 3:21 (Holy Wood - 2000)
14) "1996" - 4:01 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
15) "Devour" - 3:46 (The High End of Low - 2009)
16) "Coma White" - 5:40 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
17) "Saturnalia" - 7:59 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
Marilyn Manson
10) Portrait of an American Family (1994): Going on 23 years ago, this is where it all started for Marilyn Manson. The band carried over their creepy Halloween-esque sounds from their days as the Spooky Kids to this debut album. From a sound quality standpoint, this is far and away the band's worst album. At the same time, however, it's arguably the band's most light-hearted and fun album. Yes, the lyrics tend to be thought-provoking and vulgar, yet are presented in a less serious manner than in succeeding albums. Even though I have Portrait of an American Family ranked at the very bottom of Manson's discography, there's truly only one huge miss on the album, and that's track #12, "My Monkey," which could go down as arguably the band's worst song of all time. Outside of that miss, however, this is a solid debut rock album, featuring the Manson classics: "Cake and Sodomy," "Lunchbox," "Dope Hat," and "Get Your Gunn," not to mention my personal favorite, "Misery Machine," and a sleeper in "Sweet Tooth," just to name a few. If you wish Halloween would appear on the calendar more than once a year and like to hear about America's long-standing problems being sung to you in a satirical manner, I'd definitely give this album a listen.
Best tracks: "Cake and Sodomy," "Get Your Gunn," "Sweet Tooth"
Worst tracks: "Prelude (The Family Trip)," "My Monkey"
9) Born Villain (2012): Following Marilyn Manson's triptych between the years of 1996 and 2000, the band was trying to find direction. Singer Marilyn Manson has long been a hybrid of Alice Cooper and David Bowie, as he's valued shock appeal, yet also tried to integrate a change in sound and story for every album. This search for direction was most noticeable in the 2009 and 2012 albums, The High End of Low and Born Villain, respectively. With Born Villain, while it felt the band hadn't yet found the exact direction in which it wanted to travel next, it also appeared they were on the right track and would soon reach their end goal, which happened with 2015's The Pale Emperor. While this album comes across as trying too hard at times to bring back the old sounds of Manson, there are some solid tracks. "No Reflection" has a classic, haunting, hard-rocking Manson sound to it. Things go a little more mid-tempo, dark, and biblical with "Children of Cain." Two of the better songs on the album are the final two tunes - the title track and "Breaking the Same Old Ground." My personal favorite off the album, "The Gardener," features Manson speaking the verses like he's at a poetry slam, before belting out the catchy chorus. Marilyn Manson also teams up with actor Johnny Depp on the track, "You're So Vain" - once again, putting his creepy twist on a classic song. Born Villain may not be among Manson's best efforts, but it shouldn't be dismissed as a throwaway album, and was likely a necessary step toward the greatness that was The Pale Emperor.
Best tracks: "No Reflection," "The Gardener," "Born Villain," "Breaking the Same Old Ground"
Worst tracks: "Disengaged," "Murderers Are Getting Prettier Every Day"
8) The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003): This was Marilyn Manson's first album post-triptych and had been rumored to be the band's final album. On it, the band experimented with rap beats and vaudeville themes. While sales for the album went up as Manson stated the band could very well be done after it, the controversy regarding the band which had at least partially been responsible for their popularity, had waned, and Manson had to think about how to again increase support and sales. Among Manson's nine efforts to this point, I feel this might be the most overrated of the bunch. While there are some great tracks and I appreciate the experimentation in sound, I think that, overall, the album falls short of many critics' lofty praises. One does have to appreciate the wordplay in the tracks "mOBSCENE" and "(s)AINT." In "Para-Noir," an ex-girlfriend of Manson's speaks the verses before the singer sings the chorus. My personal favorite has to be "Spade" - a mid-tempo goosebump-inducing rocker. No, The Golden Age of Grotesque isn't my favorite Marilyn Manson album, but it's still a solid effort and helps expand to the band's already impressive catalog.
Best tracks: "mOBSCENE," "The Golden Age of Grotesque," "Spade," "Para-Noir"
Worst tracks: "Slutgarden," "Better of Two Evils"
7) Eat Me, Drink Me (2007): This could go down as the most divisive of all Marilyn Manson albums. After a four year hiatus following 2003's The Golden Age of Grotesque, the band released this album - a record with an '80s rock sound and the most personal lyrics to date. While many Manson die-hards hated this album upon first hearing it, though, years from now, I think we'll look back on it as a hidden gem. The only thing darker than the title of "If I Was Your Vampire" is the track's sound, and I mean that in a good way. "Putting Holes in Happiness" and "They Said That Hell's Not Hot" have a Tom Petty quality to them. "Just a Car Crash Away" may be the most emotional I've heard Manson vocally sound. "Heart-Shaped Glasses" is the catchiest, most commercial-sounding song on the album. Three of my favorites come toward the end in: "Evidence," "Mutilation Is the Most Sincere Form of Flattery," and the title track. To Manson fans that loathed this album upon first hearing it, I recommend you check it out again. It's much better the second, third, and fourth times.
Best tracks: "If I Was Your Vampire," "Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)," "Evidence," "Eat Me, Drink Me"
Worst tracks: "Are You the Rabbit?" "You and Me and The Devil Makes 3"
6) The High End of Low (2009): This is the only Marilyn Manson album where I don't feel any consistent theme in sound or concept. It comes across like a history of the band, ranging from the sounds of the Spooky Kids days to the industrial metal in Antichrist Superstar to the glam rock in Mechanical Animals to the goth rock in Holy Wood to the electronica sound in The Golden Age of Grotesque to the '80s rock sound in Eat Me, Drink Me and beyond. The lyrical subject matter often recycled topics of old. If one is able to place all of that to the side, however and just listen to the music, The High End of Low winds up being the most underrated Marilyn Manson album, in my opinion. The band is at the top of their game with the tracks: ""Devour," "Four Rusted Horses," "Running to the Edge of the World," and "Into the Fire." "We're From America" is angry, head-bang worthy, and increasingly more relevant. "Leave a Scar," "Arma-Godd**n-Motherf**kin-Geddon," and "Blank and White" are incredibly catchy as well. That isn't even mentioning the grand wordplay in the song, "WOW," where Manson says, "When something is unbelievable, when I'm not able to believe how unbelievably unbelievable, that you believe you could not be-leavable." Yes, say that five times fast. The High End of Low isn't the band's most creative album, but it's arguably one of the best sounding, and for that alone, I've learned to appreciate it.
Best tracks: "Devour," "Four Rusted Horses," "Running to the Edge of the World," "Into the Fire"
Worst tracks: "I Want to Kill You Like They Do in the Movies," "I Have to Look Up Just to See Hell," "15"
5) Antichrist Superstar (1996): This is the album that essentially put Marilyn Manson on the map. With it, they generated millions of sales, protests all across the country, hundreds of outlandish rumors, and incredibly angry politicians and religious leaders. Antichrist Superstar was the first album in Marilyn Manson's critically-acclaimed triptych, providing listeners with arguably the rawest and angriest songs in the band's history. Fifteen years old at the time, this was my introduction album to the band, and I've been hooked ever since. As I age, I find myself listening to it less and less, opting instead for the albums which succeeded this (yes, I'm getting old). In saying that, however, I'll forever appreciate this album, how it opened my eyes to hypocrisy in the world of religion and politics, how it prompted me to never fear questioning authority, and how it helped me learn that rumors should always be greeted with research, not acceptance. I may not listen to Antichrist Superstar as much as I did 10-20 years ago, but I'll always consider it a rock 'n' roll masterpiece.
Best tracks: "The Beautiful People," "Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World," "1996," "The Reflecting God"
Worst tracks: "Cryptorchid," "Deformography"
4) The Pale Emperor (2015): After struggling to find direction in 2009's The High End of Low and coming closer with 2012's effort, Born Villain, the band finally reached their goal with this album, The Pale Emperor. With it, Manson integrates a blues rock sound and pulls it off to near perfection. Of the ten tracks, the only one which isn't great is the Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque "Birds of Hell Awaiting." Besides that, though, this may very well be the band's best album in 15 years. "Deep Six," "Third Day of a Seven Day Binge," "The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles," and "Cupid Carries a Gun" are all grade A songs. "Killing Strangers" starts things off with a mid-tempo blues rock riff, and the album closes with an epic "Fundamentally Loathsome"-ish track in "Odds of Even." Yeah, for everyone who said the band Marilyn Manson was dead, The Pale Emperor proved them wrong, and makes me excited for what's still to come.
Best tracks: "Deep Six," "Third Day of a Seven Day Binge," "The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles," "Cupid Carries a Gun"
Worst tracks: "Birds of Hell Awaiting"
3) Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (2000): After Marilyn Manson was (wrongly) blamed for the Columbine shooting, the band released this gem. Holy Wood is the final installment in the band's triptych and was rumored to be the title of a book written by the singer, which has yet to be released. Whereas Antichrist Superstar had an industrial metal approach, and Mechanical Animals went more toward glam rock, the band decided to go hard, heavy, and goth with Holy Wood. As Manson has said, Holy Wood is the glue to the triptych, and quite the quantity of glue it is, as there are 19 songs on the album. From a sound standpoint, the album is solid, but where it rises above the rest of Manson's work is lyrically. As sad as it is to say, being scapegoated for the Columbine shooting brought out the very best in Manson's writing, as he wrote and sang with a passion and purpose not heard before. Holy Wood is an essential addition to any Manson fan's library, without question.
Best tracks: "The Love Song," "The Fight Song," "Target Audience (Narcissus Narcosis)," "Born Again"
Worst tracks: "A Place in the Dirt," "The Fall of Adam"
2) Heaven Upside Down (2017): Manson masterfully takes the best elements from his nine other albums and meshes them together with a modern-day twist to form what is, in my opinion, his best album in close to 20 years, Heaven Upside Down. Even with all these meshes and changes of sound, the album flows extremely well. The concept is vague, topical, and powerful, allowing listeners to interpret the message as they so please. From track 1 through track 10, there isn't a weak link. All ten songs are catchy in their own manner and memorable. I think I've had all ten stuck in my head at one point or another. With Heaven Upside Down, several critics exclaimed that "Manson is back!" Actually, he never left. However, he did just produce his best record in 19 years.
Best tracks: "Saturnalia," "Heaven Upside Down," "Threats of Romance," and "Kill4Me"
Worst tracks: "Say10"
1) Mechanical Animals (1998): Here it is, my all-time favorite Marilyn Manson album. Mechanical Animals is the middle album in the band's triptych, as their sound went from industrial metal on Antichrist Superstar to glam rock, which surprised many, including yours truly. From "Great Big White World" to "Coma White," there isn't a weak track on Mechanical Animals. The album is the best sounding one to date for the band, and is outdone lyrically by only Holy Wood. Here's where Marilyn Manson truly defined himself as an artist, showing that he was more than just shock and anger. Manson fan or not, this album should be heard. It's a classic, brilliant in both sound and scope, and in my opinion, the best album the band has released in their 22+ years together.
Best tracks: "Great Big White World," "Mechanical Animals," "The Last Day On Earth," "Coma White"
Worst tracks: "I Want to Disappear"
My Ultimate Playlists
Trying to include at least one song from every album in the playlists, here are my ultimate Marilyn Manson playlists, listed in descending order, with my very favorites presented last:
Playlist #4
1) "mOBSCENE" - 3:26 (The Golden Age of Grotesque - 2003)
2) "Hey, Cruel World" - 3:45 (Born Villain - 2012)
3) "Killing Strangers" - 5:36 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
4) "Putting Holes in Happiness" - 4:31 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
5) "Disassociative" - 4:51 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
6) "Blank and White" - 4:27 (The High End of Low - 2009)
7) "Snake Eyes and Sissies" - 4:07 (Portrait of an American Family - 1994)
8) "User Friendly" - 4:17 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
9) "Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)" - 5:06 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
10) "The Nobodies" - 3:35 (Holy Wood - 2000)
11) "Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World" - 4:16 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
12) "They Said That Hell's Not Hot" - 4:17 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
13) "Slave Only Dreams To Be King" - 5:20 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
14) "Eat Me, Drink Me" - 5:41 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
15) "Odds of Even" - 6:23 (The Pale Emperor - 2012)
16) "Blood Honey" - 4:10 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
17) "Breaking the Same Old Ground" - 4:27 (Born Villain - 2012)
Playlist #3
1) "Revelation #12" - 4:42 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
2) "Rock Is Dead" - 3:10 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
3) "Use Your Fist and Not Your Mouth" - 3:35 (The Golden Age of Grotesque - 2003)
4) "We're From America" - 5:04 (The High End of Low - 2009)
5) "Cake and Sodomy" - 3:46 (Portrait of an American Family - 1994)
6) "The Death Song" - 3:30 (Holy Wood - 2000)
7) "If I Was Your Vampire" - 5:56 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
8) "Great Big White World" - 5:01 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
9) "We Know Where You F*cking Live" - 4:32 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
10) "Angel With the Scabbed Wings" - 3:52 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
11) "The Love Song" - 3:17 (Holy Wood - 2000)
12) "The Flowers of Evil" - 5:20 (Born Villain - 2012)
13) "The Devil Beneath My Feet" - 4:16 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
14) "Mechanical Animals" - 4:33 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
15) "Tattooed in Reverse" - 4:24 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
16) "Born Villain" - 5:26 (Born Villain - 2012)
17) "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)/Hell Outro" - 5:36 (The Last Tour on Earth - 1999)
Playlist #2
1) "Rock & Roll N*****" - 3:32 (Smells Like Children - 1995)
2) "No Reflection" - 4:36 (Born Villain - 2015)
3) "Get Your Gunn" - 3:18 (Portrait of an American Family - 1994)
4) "Vodevil" - 4:40 (The Golden Age of Grotesque - 2003)
5) "The Dope Show" - 3:47 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
6) "Arma-Godd**n-Motherf**kin-Geddon" - 3:39 (The High End of Low - 2009)
7) "Kill4Me" - 3:59 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
8) "The Last Day On Earth" - 5:01 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
9) "Evidence" - 5:20 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
10) "Children of Cain" - 5:18 (Born Villain - 2012)
11) "'President Dead'" - 3:13 (Holy Wood - 2000)
12) "Threats of Romance" - 4:38 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
13) "Para-Noir" - 6:01 (The Golden Age of Grotesque - 2003)
14) "Mister Superstar" - 5:04 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
15) "Cupid Carries a Gun" - 4:59 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
16) "Heaven Upside Down" - 4:49 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
17) "Into the Fire" - 5:15 (The High End of Low - 2009)
Playlist #1
1) "The Fight Song" - 2:56 (Holy Wood - 2000)
2) "The Beautiful People" - 3:39 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
3) "Deep Six" - 5:03 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
4) "Long Hard Road Out of Hell" - 4:21 (Spawn soundtrack - 1997)
5) "Mutilation Is the Most Sincere Form of Flattery" - 3:53 (Eat Me, Drink Me - 2007)
6) "Spade" - 4:35 (The Golden Age of Grotesque - 2003)
7) "The Gardener" - 4:39 (Born Villain - 2012)
8) "The Reflecting God" - 5:36 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
9) "Target Audience (Narcissus Narcosis)" - 4:18 (Holy Wood - 2000)
10) "The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles" - 4:57 (The Pale Emperor - 2015)
11) "Dope Hat" - 4:22 (Portrait of an American Family - 1994)
12) "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" - 4:18 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
13) "Born Again' - 3:21 (Holy Wood - 2000)
14) "1996" - 4:01 (Antichrist Superstar - 1996)
15) "Devour" - 3:46 (The High End of Low - 2009)
16) "Coma White" - 5:40 (Mechanical Animals - 1998)
17) "Saturnalia" - 7:59 (Heaven Upside Down - 2017)
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