MARILYN MANSON

The High End Of Low

(EMI, 2009.)

New album of our dear Manson was announced for some time, as his returning to “Mechanical Animals” phase, what were many fans waiting with amazement. Ended product may not sound like everyone expected, but definitely comes to your ear after few listenings. Some things sound typicaly Manson alike, and they cought my ear imidiatelly, like new single “We’re From America”. Great song with great text. It was followed by “Arma-Goddamn-Motherfuckin-Feddon”, whose video, was surpsisingly censored. After few years that became rule for Manson, and we would be worried if it goes away.  Also great song, with catchy chours, Manson is playing with lyrics, and goes well with that.
“Devour” opens the album, which is one of my favourite things on album, and that surprises with chours “And I’ll love you/If you let me”. Manson??? Well the rest of text is not so soft. That is Manson, after all.
“Prety As A Swastika” follows, on track-list censored with $. Pretty heavy song, followed by slower “Leave A Scar”. Nod bad, but personally i think it is not specially inspired. A couple of good rhymes with chours “Whatever doesn’t kill you is gonna leave a scar”- OK, but he can do better. Same thing comes with next song, “Four Rusted Horses”. Melody on guitar could be acceptable if some other band recorded it, but that is why text is brutally good.
“Blank and White” is a good song, but doesn’t gain attention at first. Opposite feeling comes with “Running To The Edge Of The World” – with acoustic guitar totally typically, with riff so typically that it seems like we have heard it many times, but, among other bands. At first this song was shock to me. It is to slow, but Manson even when he was writing slow songs, they were so dark, so they ended up heavier then heavy songs. This is depresive love song for which men needs some time to get used to it. In general it is not so bad, but it isn’t interesting either, only thing that Mansons traditionally sounds good in slow songs. Last minute-two saves the situation.
Slower thing follows, this time a bit better:  “I Want To Kill You Like They Do In The Movies”. Lasts ten minutes, and it gets a bit hypnotising, but much more interesting then the one before.
“WOW” is musically somehow most propelled thing, but not in a good way. Sounds like electroexperiment which was used as filler. Better songs follow “Wight Spider” and “Unkillable Monster” with one of highlight lyrics in the album : “How the fuck are we supposed to know/if we’re in love/or if we’re in pain?”.
“I Have To Look Up Just To See Hell” starts with scream and continues in gloomy mood, and onother repetative, but very good song.
“Into The Fire” starts with piano melody, again slow and dark, it would be good album ending, but instead of that we have “15″, again with more electronics in the beginning. I would musically pronounce it filler, but good lyrics saves the things and album ends with great vocal effects, while Manson says:” Not letting you win/Won’t satisfy me/I’ll teach you about loss”.
There are some very good songs in the album, some typically Manson alike, some litlle less typically, but some songs that may not be too much, but they ruin general impression. Still, Manson didn’t dissapoint his fans, and the only thing there is left is to hope for longer tour, in which would he came to raise moral painc in our dear Croatistan.

www.marilynmanson.com

Review: Sara Profeta
sara@venia-mag.net