Review Summary: The 90's shock rocker delivers yet another solid album.
Ah the 90's, a time when rock and metal were shaken up yet again, as hair metal died, industrial metal rose to take its place. One such artist was the artist in question, Marilyn Manson. Born Brian Warner, he has been the centre point for many a controversy, his off the wall lyricism horrifying soccer moms and giving philosophers a boner alike. After the release of such successful albums such as "Mechanical Animals" and "Antichrist Superstar", he fell into obscurity after being blamed for the columbine massacre of '99. Nonetheless, he persevered, and whilst "Holy Wood" and "The Golden Age of Grotesque" were very successful, solid releases, they didn't make as huge a splash in the rock world like his previous works did. He disappeared from the limelight, his antics having as much shock and edge as a spoon, but he came back in a big way with "The Pale Emperor", a much more sombre, mellow, bluesier take on the Manson character, and when he announced the follow up, then titled "Say10" and said it would go back to the heavier, angrier Manson, my ears perked. After many teases and push backs in release dates, the album is finally here, now titled "Heaven Upside Down". Does it live up to what Manson promised at the start of the year? Well... Yes, and no.
The first single "WE KNOW WHERE YOU ***ING LIVE" is definitely classic Marilyn Manson. Buzzing industrial samples, catchy grooving guitar riffs and some of the most aggressive, harsh vocals we've heard from Manson in a very long time rule the roost here. Sound wise, the production style really fits the mood of the song, very murky, very buzzing and staticky, and it definitely sounds like something you'd have heard from Antichrist. Lyrically however, and this a gripe I personally have with the record as a whole, Manson just appears really edgy, like a Rottweiler without teeth, a lot of bark, not a lot of bite, his words not having as big an impact as they did in the 90s, as seen in the chorus:
"We know where you ***ing live
We know where you ***ing live
We'll burn it down, burn it down
They won't even recognize your corpse"
The followup tracks, "SAY10" and "KILL4ME", are both very solid. The tempo slows down, just a tad, with the industrial effects taking their feet off the pedal, to make room for catchy riffs, funky bass, and a decent beat. Especially in "KILL4ME" whose bassline I still can't get out my head. These are probably my personal highlights in terms of Manson's vocal performances. Lyrically not as edgy as the previous track, "SAY10" opens with a slow, ambient almost poetic Manson who says;
"Something is shedding its scales
Crying from the heat of the light
Or the empty shell on the stage
And cash is a poor man's money
Cash is a poor man's money"
And then for the chorus, which can be boiled down to "You say god, I say SAY10", the industrial effects are turned down a bit so the guitars, bass and drums can shine. Not as catchy as say "The Beautiful People", but is still a solid chorus. "KILL4ME" is catchy, no other word to describe it really, the funky bassline, the bluesy guitar licks, a dance beat take centre stage, making this track that could actually be played in clubs, and contains a line which I think sums up Manson's perseverance;
"Because I take death threats
Like the best of them"
Goes to show that if the columbine massacre didn't completely ruin him, nothing will.
"KILL4ME" concludes side A. Overall, very solid, some of the best vocal performances from Manson in a while, and then we get to side B...
Opening with "Saturnalia" a nearly 8 minute song, supposedly penned as an ode to Manson's old man, who died in July, which is sweet, opens with about a minute and a half of industrial ambience, with distorted bass and eerie guitars seeping in and out at seemingly random, then coming back again as the song plods on, whilst it is a great performance by Manson vocally, the messy, murky production takes you out of the mood that the track is trying to set. This is honestly the only track that the production kind of ruins, it just flat lines, I remember looking at the running time every few seconds going "Are we done yet?"
"JE$U$ CRI$I$", "Blood Honey", the title track and "Threats of Romance" are at best okay, some highlights for me including the chorus of "JE$U$ CRI$I$" and the main verse, I say main verse because its repeated A LOT, and the bluesy nature of "Blood Honey" as a whole. The industrial effects not as grand and in your face, giving room for Manson's vocals to shine through, if you liked "The Pale Emperor" you'll enjoy this track.
Compared to side A, side B just feels lacklustre, whilst some highlights do save this album from becoming a glorified EP.
Overall, Marilyn Manson's 10th studio album "Heaven Upside Down" is a solid album.
Favourite tracks:
KILL4ME
Blood Honey
WE KNOW WHERE YOU ***ING LIVE
