Marilyn Manson – The Pale Emperor

In the nineties Marilyn Manson brought Goth back and made it very profitable. He was the Dark Lord of the decade. While selling millions of albums he made enemies out of many a parent who was frightened of what he was peddling. Then it seemed for a while like the parents won as Marilyn Manson disappeared from the top of the charts. Now he is back with his latest album, The Pale Emperor, and he seems totally reinvigorated. This is some of his best material in years. Over the past fifteen years his music has undergone an evolution from industrial metal to glam and now seems to have rested on a creepy brand of grunge. Yes, the same grunge that was popular during his heyday of the nineties. You’ll hear influences from the likes of Nirvana as well as the Doors. What have not changed are the subjects dwelled upon and lyrics used. He sings of sex, drugs, needs, meaninglessness, power, and violence. His old staples. What he does better than most is make you believe he has either experienced or felt what he sings of. There is a genuine nature in his music that few other artists achieve.