The Golden Age Of Grotesque [Extra tracks]

I think this is mainly because I started getting into his music post "Holywood". It doesn't surprise me that many of the Marilyn Manson purists don't like this album. It is more mainstream than his other albums, with less of the bizarre and disturbing "sound effects" tracks that have featured in earlier offerings.
To be honest I think those tracks are rubbish and serve no purpose other than to have as background noise in a darkened room during a satanic ritual. For me, this album is more about thumping hard rock tracks that really do kick some serious ass, not about padding out an album with experimental nonsense.

If this is your first Marilyn Manson album, I would suggest you buy it. I think this is the most structured, well put together of all his albums musically speaking. I haven't listened to a new album so much for a long time, its a long term favourite in the car CD player.
If you like good, hard, angry rock music that you can play at ear-bleeding volumes, then you'll like this. It has thumping pounding beats, the occasional catchy guitar riffs and heavy basslines (Slutgarden, Para-noir, (s)AINT)) and plenty of good Marilyn Manson noise. The other great thing are the lyrics in so many of the songs, but this has always been something that Manson does well.

There really are a whole host of great tracks on this album, some will take a while to get into, others will immediately set you off. If you've heard one or two tracks you've liked, then you won't be disappointed with the rest that are on here.

My favourite tracks are The New Sh*t, mOBSCENE, (s)AINT, Slutgarden, Para-noir, The Bright Young Things, Better of Two Evils, Vodevil (must be played loud!)....
Ok, so maybe I've been drugged with the commercialisation of his new stuff and don't hold the same view as the Marilyn Manson purists, but who cares? As a stand alone album this ROCKS! Read more ›

The worst tracks on GAOG? Definately 'Kaboom Kaboom' and 'Better Of Two Evils', rushed attempts at filling up the album perhaps, which struggle as they plods through each of their uninspiring 4 mins. The best however by far are 'Use Your Fist and Not Your Mouth','Slutgarden' , and 'Vodevil', possibly the best songs the band have written to date alongside Coma White, the Dope Show and the Beautiful People, with shout-out chorus's that'll rip everyone's head off at a fair pace. So to speak. (S)aint and Doll-Dagga-Buzz-Buzz Ziggety-Zagg have to be the most mainstream tracks on GAOG here, but that shouldn't mean that they couldn't be any good,(although Im sure those metal-kid disappointed after Mechanical Animals may disagree). What matters is the quality of the music in the first place, regardless of the type.

Although these tracks are complete rip-offs of certain mainstream 70-80's pop rock bands which I won't mention, Manson has never hidden where he lifts his ideas from, and is a true artist in the sense that he takes his inspiration in song writing from a wide variety of sources and combines them into forming his own mix -eg.... the first lines of 'Lamb Of God'on the Hollywood album, and the guitar from 'Last Day on Earth' on Mechanical Animals, are obviously influenced/ripped directly from Radioheads 'Climbing Up the Walls' on OK Computer. I would recommend GAOG to anyone after a decent rock/industrial-esque album, sounding like the harsh b@strd son of Nick Cave, KMFDM, NIN and just about every 70's rock band out there. Give the album time, and you wont be disappointed. Read more ›