Antichrist Superstar [CD]

I do not pay much attention to the stigma that one has come to associate upon hearing the name Marilyn Manson. To say he and 'evil' are synonymous is a bold statement and a complete matter of opinion. To be quite honest I don't care what the man chooses to get up to on stage, all I know is that I have discovered (for myself) that Marilyn Manson is an extraodinary music writer and artist, a fact that AntiChrist Superstar makes evident. While listening to the album one can not help but to embark upon its journey. Every song is a confession and a story within itself and they are all so compelling that you find it difficult to hit the stop button on your stereo. My overall view of ACSS is that it is very informative in an evasive kind of way. Mr Manson is making a statement with each song and having a great amount of fun whilst doing so. It is a very angry, creepy (not to mention 'Anti', obviously!) album with some fantastic sounds, gut-gripping rock tunes and lyrics that will make you stop and think about things for a while. That is, at least, how the album appears on face value, on another level it's actually very deep. Listen to the songs while reading the inlay booklet and you'll discover a deeper message: Ostensibly implying a transmogrify from 'worm' to 'angel', and why not, christians believe in being born-again into a higher spiritual state, maybe Marilyn Manson is speaking about his own higher state. After reading other reviews it appears to be unanimous that 'Man That you Fear' is the real high point of the album, and I would certainly agree, however, the song does not over-shadow the rest of them. One of my favorites is the techno/rock sound of 'Deformography', or the sheer power of 'The Reflecting God' in both its words and music, or the out-and-out creepiness of 'Kinderfeld' and the all time classic heaviness of songs like, 'Irresponsible Hate Anthem', '1996' and 'Angel with the Scabbed Wings'. I could rant on about every song but all the reviews in the world will never capture this albums vision or quality. Buy it if you like heavy-rock per say or if you're into deep philosphical lyrics, on all levels Antichrist Superstar is an all compelling, intriguing and totally fascinating album.

Three words
Buy
This
Album

If that doesn't help you, I'll elaborate. This is quite simply one of the best gothic albums in creation.
The album opens with a typical high-energy Manson track, with the most simply descriptive title I can think of. the Irresponsible Hate Anthem is 100% Manson, with power chords that will send you into a frenzy, and drumming to die for. The Beautiful People was a huge hit, and for a good reason.
It rocks
It's then that the album takes a darker turn, with DUTADTTW and Tourniquet taking centre stage. The greif in Tourniquet is touchingly deep, and the chorus is practically cried out in some form of desperation. Litte Horn is another fantastic track, loud and angry, and something to scream out when drunk :D
The all-out weirdness of the next few songs simply sells itself. Or it could be the creepy basslines and distortion that really rules this part of the experience.
Suddenly, whats this? The title track of the album.....and the world explodes just as the heartbeat ends, and the thumping begins.......
Antichrist Superstar the song is a musical eruption, the drums, the chords, and the whole band come together to form the ultimate hate song.
In the dying embers of that fury, we are treated to a second shockwave in the form of 1996, which howls its message to heaven. Finally, the album begins to slow down, until only the evil undertones of Man That You Fear are left.
Finally, put the album on repeat. Play track 16, then track 17, then track 1. Note how they blend into each other.
It wont die, its here to stay

This is the cycle

This is the Antichrist

I love this album. Manson has a unique ability to produce music which contains pure aggression and hopelessness and yet somehow is also fragile and uplifting. It truly is a strange experience to listen to this album, but you must pay it the attention is deserves or it will pass you by. Tourniquet for me is my all time favourite Marilyn Manson song, it contains the bitterness of a love abused which any adult can relate to from some stage in their life. Manson doesn't have a particularly strong singing voice, however he makes it crack and grate in a way that is expressive and never been done before. More advanced than previous albums and dirtier than releases since, this is still the defining moment of the Electric Antichrists career to date.