This article was originally published upon the release of The Pale Emperor. 

Review: Marilyn Manson “The Pale Emperor”

For most of my life, I’ve felt a strong hatred towards Marilyn Manson.

He seems to embody every pretentious emo kid who has a Myspace and considers himself aware of the evils of capitalism or whatever, because he skimmed through a Wikipedia article about The Communist Manifesto once.

Not to mention the fact that his shock tactics feel overly calculated and contrived. Keep in mind this is coming from someone whose favorite movie for a period of time was Pink Flamingos, in which a transvestite eats dog poop.

But the difference between Pink Flamingos and Marilyn Manson is that director John Waters knew he was being stupid when, in Pink Flamingos, a contortionist lip-syncs “Surfin’ Bird” using his anus. Marilyn Manson thinks he’s being profound when he proclaims himself to be the “Antichrist Superstar.”

My mom always tells me this story about something that happened when she took me to a playground, back when I was just a toddler.

A group of goth teenagers were hanging out around the playground equipment, and, upon seeing them, I apparently proceeded to loudly express my disgust towards the way they were dressed, and even made a futile attempt to pull down the belly shirt that was being worn by one of the goth girls, much to her amusement.

Even as a kid I was a pompous elitist who couldn’t stand rebellion for the sake of rebellion. So as you would expect, I’ve never been fond of Marilyn Manson.

But his latest effort, The Pale Emperor, came as an extremely  pleasant surprise to me.

This album represents a sleeker, more mature Manson. It seems like he’s finally ditched the cheap shock value, and replaced it with a far more natural sounding brand of blues influenced, artsy alt-rock, while still maintaining his trademark gothic aesthetic.

The Pale Emperor represents a new, ambitious chapter in Marilyn Manson’s career. No longer is he concerned with simply offending as many conservative Midwesterners as possible (although, I’ll admit, that is a pastime that I can find enjoyment in,) but with letting his stellar musical talent be on full display.

Let’s examine what exactly it is that makes this such a good album.

The Lyrics

Much like the last album I reviewed, I see a lot of Jim Morrison’s influence on the lyrics of this album, with only a fraction of the pretension.

Manson cleverly alludes to mythology, folklore, and Biblical concepts, with quatrains like “Love is evil/Con is confidence/Eros is sore/Sin is sincere,” from “Deep Six,” one of the album’s best tracks.

Lyrically, as well as overall, my personal favorite track is “The Mephistopheles Of Los Angeles,” which also has what is probably the coolest sounding title that I’ve heard this year.

“Lazarus has got no dirt on me/And I’ll rise to every occasion/I’m the Mephistopheles of Los Angeles,” Manson sings.

And while it may not seem that much different from when he said he was the Antichrist in 1996, the reference is certainly more literate and obscure, which is a clear sign of growth in my opinion.

Side note: Please begin referring to me as the Mephistopheles of Ballwin from now on. Thank you.

My only complaint about the lyrics is the sparseness of them.

The lyrics don’t provide a foundation for the tracks, and are instead abstractly scattered throughout.

The album is more centered on its new sound than it is on lyricism. I wouldn’t necessarily call that a bad thing, but on this album Manson seems to tease a newfound lyrical sophistication without leaving me completely satisfied.

I loved what I heard, but I wanted more.

The Performance

Manson’s performance on this album has been described as reminiscent of the bluesmen of the past, with comparisons being drawn to musicians such as Muddy Waters.

I too see that influence present on Manson’s vocal delivery, but to me it seems more grungy than anything else, as he alternates between a guttural whisper and punk-rock primal screams, not dissimilar to the loud-soft dynamics of Kurt Cobain.

Interestingly enough, Manson sings in a different key than any of his previous albums (he claims his voice can emit five different tones at once.)

I appreciate the performances on this album far more than the overstuffed, hammy ones on his past albums.

The developed vocal performance complements the equally developed sound of the album.

The Composition

The music on this album is a skillful blend of blues rock, alt-rock, hard rock, and it even shows tinges of alt-country at times.

Manson’s past sound was characterized by its combination of heavy metal with aspects of industrial rock and electronic.

I actually don’t have a problem with the industrial metal of Manson’s previous work (it’s the attitude that annoys me above everything else,) so the new sound isn’t necessarily an improvement per se, but it’s certainly refreshing.

In my review of Honeymoon, I discussed how I find it vital for an artist to evolve and change their style over time, so I don’t feel the need to dwell on that so much this time around, but I will say that this is the perfect direction for Manson to go in.

It’s new, but it isn’t a completely farfetched development.

It’s still dark and gothic sounding, and fits very well into his mythos. I think it’s an impressive feat to reinvent oneself, while still sticking to the realm that one began in.

It’s almost like finally hearing the Marilyn Manson that should’ve been, but never was. That is, until now.

The sound is also lush and kaleidoscopic, which remind me, of all things, Alabama Shakes’ stellar Sound and Color.

The sound is best captured on the aforementioned “Deep Six,” which has been described as showing clear inspiration from metalcore music, while also having pop appeal.

The sound of this album is executed nicely, and distinctly performed as well.

The Verdict

This album works not only as a comeback for Manson, but also as a really solid standalone album.

The lyrics are sophisticated, the sound is fresh, and the performances are stimulating, while avoiding anything over-the-top.

The only thing I find at fault here is that the scattered lyrics left me a little bored at times, but the issue is more miniscule than one would expect.

I have no snarky comment to end this review. Just listen to the album.

Rating: A-