Antichrist Superstar

No, thanks. I don’t mind abrasive music, but the grinding guitars and snarling vocals here wear me down rather than draw me in. Everything seems determined to sound threatening, and after a while I’m paying more attention to the effort than to the songs.

A few riffs catch my ear, but they’re not enough to keep me interested through the whole performance. I can hear how much work went into creating this atmosphere; I just don’t particularly enjoy spending time in it. The album wants to get under my skin. Mostly, it gets on my nerves.

POSER

Es wirkt wie ein Ritual, das sich selbst verschlingt. Der Industrial‑Metal pulsiert, aber oft eher wie ein Todeskrampf, in dessen Innerem ein Hauch von Musik flackert, bevor er wieder im Lärm erstickt. Manson inszeniert den Abgrund mit großer Geste, doch viele Songs verlieren sich in reiner Pose

I don't really know how I feel about this one. I knew and liked his biggest hits as a teenager, but never listened to a full album and it seems too late now. Listening to this actually made me feel a bit queasy in places. I was so disappointed to learn about his abuse allegations, because he always seemed to prove misconceptions about him wrong when he appeared in the media, for ex speaking so eloquently and thoughtfully about the Columbine shooters at the time.

Anyway, here's my best attempt at a subjective review after 2 listens: Good in places, but overall feels like a poppier NIN. Tourniquet is a great song, and there are a few others in the middle third of the album I like. But overall it just made me want to do another deep dive into the NIN discog.

3.25 begrudgingly good.

I like some of Marilyn Manson. This album tho... eh... could be better.

This is certainly an album. I could tolerate it but i didnt hear anything special. I’d take nine inch nails over this any day.

Ha! A good Limp Bizkit followup, I guess. Talk about taunting me with the idea I could be listening to Nine Inch Nails instead, though!!! What's next, the social network soundtrack?!

I am now learning for either the first or 500th time that Marilyn Manson is a band and not (just) a dude. I'm pretty sure the dude is problematic though ((checks wiki)....yep). Too bad because this is an extremely nostalgic sound. I know it's loud, and there's even yelling and guitar, but it's generally a low enough pitch(?) that I find it all comforting rather than annoying. Like brown noise, or something. This is probably like a 3.5 for me, but since it is strictly worse than every NIN album, I'll give it a 3.

Slur count = 4.

Highlights: the music :'), 'The Beautiful People', 'Minute of Decay', 'The Reflecting God', the Apple PlainTalk voice (I miss her) :'')

Lowlights: the lyrics (lol edgy to the max... lotta rape talk..)

This is to Nine Inch Nails what Slipknot is to System of a Down. Edge and shock value simply don't equate to meaningfulness, and while there are some admittedly tight and infectious riffs on display, the persona singing along completely ruins any interest to be had. It gets to the point of being unintentionally goofy; I implore everyone to take a look at The Beautiful People's music video, and tell me the Jared Leto-brand Jonkler energy isn't off the charts. Get outta here.

Many of the records on this list haven't aged well at all. This is probably one of them. Immediately at the album's start, you hear a mostly mediocre metal track with exceedingly poor lyrics(white guy using the N-word in a song's chorus, among other things). The rest of the album mostly follows this pattern, with some decent songs mostly ruined by Manson's awful vocals. He can't sing at all, so he just does a weird whisper thing that is pretty annoying or screams, which is a facsimile of rage lacking any real passion. This album is mostly decently hooky metal songs brought down by bad lyrics and vocals. It's not particularly memorable or worthwhile, and it does suffer from CD-era bloat. So, yeah, time has kind of left this one behind, if it was ever that good to begin with. This is not an essential album by any means.

This album is the lowest ranked album of 1996 globally. Other 1996 albums rated by me:
The Score(1/28)-4
Tigermilk(8/28)-3
Everything Must Go(11/28)-3
Emperor Tomato Ketchup(13/28)-4
1977(14/28)-2
Better Living Through Chemistry(15/28)-2
Oedipus Schmoedipus(23/28)-3
Now I Got Worry(27/28)-4

This gives off the vibe of a failed musical theater kid who wrote songs inspired by his hidden private browser history. Normally, I can separate the art from the artist in my review, but Manson refuses to do so in his songs, so I’m pleased to say, ‘fuck this rapey creep and his talentless bullshit’. 🖕🏼

Despite the vocalist being an all around horrible person I still enjoyed this album. Maybe because it is essentially Nine Inch Nails but not quite as good. Another one to add to the folder of white guys saying the N-word. Favorites were The Beautiful People, Tourniquet, Antichrist Superstar, and The Reflecting God.

I could never get into Marilyn Manson. He always felt like a cheap copy of Nine Inch Nails who was trying to be as shocking and controversial as possible. It doesn’t help to find out it’s more than just performative and he actually is a creep in real life.

The music here is actually a lot better than I was giving him credit for. It does sound a lot like Nine Inch Nails at times, but Trent Reznor’s fingerprints are all over this album. There were a few standout tracks, the Beautiful People in particular is an excellent song. I still think I’d rather just listen to Nine Inch Nails than return to this album though.

Very conflicted. I don't care about the anti-christian crap, but this dude is garbage. Separating the artist from the art, I don't think this has aged well. Like maybe I would have liked it when I was younger and into bands like Korn, but now it just sucks. Listened to 3.5 songs and got the idea, 1*

My first and hopefully only did not listen. Don't give this loser nonce any of your streaming money. Cringe

I have never really enjoyed nor understood. Marilyn Manson as a touchstone in Rock. I went to see nine inch nails in 94 and he was an opener along with Jim Rose circus. I loved both the other acts but I just sort of felt like his brand of music was shocked for the sake of shock? He himself seems quite contemplative. I think for him this sort of expression is a means to a paycheck. I don't think there's anything wrong with that and clearly people enjoy it. It's well made. It's a product. I don't particularly enjoy it.

There's stuff like Mr. Bungle Out there in the world. That occupies the same territory, but does it in a way that is truly challenging and creative and sort of mind-boggling. Same statements made. More musical complexity. Probably more edgy if that's what you're trying to buy. Definitely more poetic.

If you like this album, go try Mr. Bungle's California as a soft on-ramp to that weird world.

no

I bought 'The Golden Age of Grotesque' at the time which I thought at the time was a great album (though I haven't listened to it in a while).

I like their heavy guitar/bass sound and the songs where he makes more or an attempt to 'sing', or at least a more restrained growl. I dislike the out and out screaming numbers.

Some stuff on here I love (Tourniquet) and some I don't (Irresponsible Hate Anthem). But mostly it's ok.

Everything about this album and artist is foul and putrid. The toughest listen yet.

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.