In light of the recent promotional video released for Marilyn Manson's upcoming 10th studio album, "Say10" (Only a working title, apparently), I suppose that it is high time I rank Marilyn Manson albums for the Manson foreigner that seeks to delve into the wonderful artist's proud discography. These ranks will be met with brief elaborations on the circumstances of their positions on this list.
Marilyn Manson has been described by many metal enthusiasts as the last living rockstar. With Manson being my favorite artist, what would you presume my other favorites be? Ministry? Motorhead? Disturbed? Slipknot? No. Try The Beatles, The Flaming Lips, Joy Division, Mazzy Star, and Tom Waits. Marilyn Manson, my favorite artist whom I follow stringently, has not earned his place on the throne of the kingdom of my favorite artists because of his headbanging sound, catchy rhythms, and rebellious style. The aspect of Marilyn Manson that has won me over can be summarized in a word I've used numerous times on this list. Artist. Marilyn Manson is a true artist who has provoked me with the intricate values of his music's instrumentation, his provocative, haunting, and poetic lyrics, and his honest attempt to maintain artistic integrity in every effort. Manson fans may not agree with my ranking, but here we go.
9. The Golden Age of Grotesque
My relationship with this album has been very fluctuant. There was a time in which I preferred this album over at least three of his other albums, however, whether it was the albums I once perceived as inferior to this album that eventually engrossed themselves before me or the quality of this album that dwindled as I listened to it, I now perceive this album as possible his weakest album. Golden Age addresses themes of early 21st-century dadaism, the status of art and the death thereof, and his own realization that as an artist, he will change. By addressing these intellectual themes, he chooses to utilize wordplay in songs such as "mOBSCENE" and "(S)aint." It's a brilliant endeavor, but it might not have been the best choice for a Manson album.
8. Eat Me, Drink Me
For some, this would be the worst. For me? It's not quite his weakest effort, yet something in the album resonates with me. Manson has long appealed to the gothic crowd, however, his albums are not gothic in nature. In this album, the gothic aspect of Manson's personality is ostensible. This album is very personal for Manson. He was enduring a deep depression during the production, and being the powerful artist he is, he intertwined the low state of his psyche with the style of the album and created a truly powerful sound by laying on the floor with his hands cupped around the microphone. With tracks like "Just A Car Crash Away," "If I Was Your Vampire," and the titular, "Eat Me, Drink Me," I cannot concur that this is a weak album. Simply part of a short stumble for the artist.
7. Portrait of an American Family
Manson's debut album is an ambitiously raw effort to establish himself as the rock demon that he was portraying for the world. In the wake of everything that came after, Marilyn Manson's first album is the only album in which he is not quite Marilyn Manson, and I mean that in the best possible way. This is a pre-evolved Manson. This album is the equivalent of asking an unexpecting intellectual to take the stage and espouse his opinions and critiques without much preparation. The album is a critique of the hypocrisy of American family values, especially in the context of the early nineties at which point fundamentalism and progressivism were both at an all-time high, and it intelligently does so at that.
6. The High End of Low
After Golden Age and Eat Me, Drink Me, The High End of Low was a return to form for Marilyn Manson. The production values are very arranged, and the experimentation on the album is very reminiscent of a part of Manson that many fans had wanted to witness for a while. Manson isn't quite what he used to be? Manson is never anything that he ever was or ever will be. This is when fans of Manson began to realize that although one would have thought Manson contrived after Holy Wood, Manson was far from being finished in his musical endeavors. The High End of Low is vastly underrated and deserves a listening as his best album of the 2000's (not including Holy Wood, which was released in 2000).
5. Born Villain
This is where this list begins to tread the absolute masterpiece field of play. The previously listed albums are creations that would have been masterclass works for the vast majority of modern artists, but for Manson, they fall short of achieving the masterpiece status, however, they are all great albums. With Born Villain, which is easily Manson's most underrated album, we begin the countdown of the Manson mountains of pure awesomeness. The production values of this album are impeccable, and the arrangement and instrumentation of each track is done to reflect the villainous nature of more aggressive music from the punk movement. However, rather than being intentionally underproduced, some tracks enter the range of near over-production, which is a positive aspect in this context. Born Villain is an attack on human personality and interaction. It was on this album that Manson finally came to terms with the fact that, although it was apparent to the rest of his, Manson was not only a rockstar, but a genius.
4. The Pale Emperor
As you know, Manson has proceeded to be an important musical artist throughout the 2000's in my opinion, but this album marked the comeback for the artist, but I must concur that this truly is a masterclass work. Every aspect of this album achieves at least great work, and when the album shines, it is breathtaking. This album almost happened by accident. Manson is an experimenter, so most of his work is produced by throwing things against the wall in his head and seeing what sticks, but it was only after two sessions with Tyler Bates that Manson began to write this incredible recording. The Pale Emperor seems to be the knot that ties many themes found in the triptych of Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals, and Holy Wood. It is a modern rock classic.
3. Mechanical Animals
As Manson familiar could have predicted, the top 3 choices are the tryptich. Although I refuse to agree that these three albums are the only notable works in Manson's great discography, I will admit that these works are Manson's greatest work thus far. Whereas Born Villain and Pale Emperor are masterpieces in the traditional sense, each of these albums is a masterpiece by not only being near-perfect, but achieving something new, original, and timeless. Mechanical Animals produces a world inside your head. Yes, there is a story to the triptych, but it is far too elaborate for me to delve into. Mechanical Animals is very reminiscent of dark science fiction and dystopian fiction, creating a world that serves as the stage for Manson to espouse his commentary. As for all three of these choices, this album speaks for itself.
2. Antichrist Superstar
Most critics would regard Antichrist Superstar as an essential listening. I would regard it as the quintessential entry album for any individual interested in delving into the artist's music. It is absolutely amazing how quickly Manson evolved into a giant in this album, in which almost every aspect of Manson's musical and lyrical style is established in the album. Of course, the album contains the trademark Manson song, "The Beautiful People," but the rest of the album is just as good, with tracks like "Man That You Fear" and "The Reflecting God" ranking among the greatest Manson songs to date. Antichrist Superstar was a recording in which Manson protruded his personality into the record, but sacrificed some part of him to ensure the album's beauty. As the record spins, we are haunted by Manson's signature haunting lyrics and grandiose messages.
1. Holy Wood
As for my number one choice, Holy Wood is a pristine example of industrial rock in the form of an artful masterpiece. This album seems to represent the concept of a lone human being confronting powers and entities that are far above their own understanding. By doing so, it addresses themes of teenage angst, the relationship between violence and the media, and the requisition of worth for the outcasts. Manson absolutely lost himself in this effort, cultivating everything he had ever thought into this record, producing a modern classic of cultural deviation and persistence among criticism. Holy Wood touches upon every emotion that a Manson fan approaches one of his albums expecting to resonate with. Many tracks on the album are in themselves masterpieces such as "Target Audience" and "In The Shadow of the Valley of Death."
Thus concludes this ranking of Manson's albums. Say10 February 14th!
