By Slick Nick
During the 90s, if you bought even one copy of Kerrang! magazine, you couldn’t help but be exposed to the monstrosity that was Marilyn Manson, who came to represent everything that could possibly go wrong when a bunch of lads entered a recording studio. They were everywhere, and the release of each new album was treated, ironically given their Satanist leanings, like the second coming of Christ himself by the press.
Manson, real name Brian Warner, was the very definition of style-over-substance, where looking like a dick and saying silly things in interviews could generate a shit ton of record sales even if the music on those records was as bad as that of ‘Mechanical Animals’, his third album.
With a lead singer that relied almost solely on image, and a group of cohorts all named after serial killers, it just screamed of childish attention seeking from the get-go, as if they knew they were never going to write any music that was worth listening to but couldn’t bare the thought of making the coffee in an office for the rest of their lives.
Growing up, a few things puzzled me about this band. Obviously the music had zero merit; it wasn’t particularly heavy, and there certainly wasn’t any melodies to remember . There was no sex appeal unless you happened to have a fetish for very ugly, under fed men. The instrumentation was basic and would never be admired by proggy muso types in the same way that something like Tool would have been. Yet the group’s army of misguided fans kept growing. Despite all their controversy, musically they had more in common with T Rex than Slayer, and the only shocking effect they had on the impressionable youth of the day was postponing their discovery of decent music for a few years. For myself, that band/act was Rod Stewart, but I digress slightly.
‘Mechanical Animals’ is an hour of inconsistent, incoherent balls. Every song starts and ends with noise, and inbetween fails to satisfy in every way. The vocals are the same monotonous, crap-sounding dirge, underpinned by sometimes glam/sometimes industrial but always dull nothingness. It’s so fucking slow and drawn-out as well, with each song about two minutes longer than necessary. Lead single ‘Dope Show’ is a particularly big offender; less music, more torture.
There are fleeting moments of listenable guitar work but these are over quickly to make way for more rubbish. It must have been frustrating having to make this album as a guitarist with someone as up themselves as Manson at the helm of the operation. I’m sure they consoled themselves with the buckets of money they made though.
Finally, the genre-skipping really winds me up. This can’t make up its mind as to whether it wants to wank over David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust material or be featured in a straight to DVD film in a scene where a load of douchebag characters enter an ‘alternative’ nightclub for the first time in their lives. If you’re going to dip into every genre found on allmusic.com then before you do so, you’d better make sure you’re some kind of fucking musical prodigy like Brian Wilson or Will.I.Am first, lest you end up with a piece of shit like ‘Mechanical Animals’ on your CV.
We’re all slaves in the… crap music show.
Right because people listen to music for violent sex appeal and not art right? You also talk of decent music, while I’m pretty sure you’re the kind of person that would listen to bands such as Nickleback. While lyrically the and musically Mechanical Animals will probably outdo any other Manson Album, I’ll agree that everything after Mechanical Animals, except for Golden age of Grotesque and Eat me Drink me, was absolutely horrid.
Mr Warner could only dream of writing an album half as good as ‘silver side up’.
Oh really? Just as I thought, just another person to promote horrid music. While Mr. Warner may not be liked, it has come down to the fact that lyrically and even musically he is by far better than something Nickleback could ever, and ever will write. Especially Mechanical Animals. Some bands tend to do this, but especially Nickleback. They were recently exposed recycling their music in their two hit singles, “How You Remind Me” and “Someday”, which sound nearly identical when played simultaneously. Now I’ve never heard a Manson song or even a Tool song where they recycle their own music. Bands such as Nickleback are ruining the world of good music and art itself and should be removed from the face of the planet. That’s no opinion. It’s truth when you compare Nickleback to probably any artistic band.
Those singles you mentioned aren’t really Nickelback’s best work… ‘Silver Side Up’ has some monstrous riffage on it. They are what they are – a decent radio rock band.
Manson is just annoying noise with silly costumes and shock tactics, passed off as ‘art’.
Thanks for reading/commenting btw.
Honestly I don’t see how really anyone can like Nickleback. However it is music I guess. You can like whatever you want. Personally I don’t see Manson as annoying noise, especialy not Mechanical Animals, now Smells like children, yes. I will agree with you completely on an album such as that. That album was more along the lines of “We’re Marliyn Manson, look at how evil and dark and cool we are.” You’re welcome. ;3
I think my article this coming Saturday will change your mind 100% on Nickelback.
I’ll make sure to give it a read.
wow who ever wrote this article is a real idiot because mechanical animals is the best album ever made!
I’m going to frame that comment and put it on my wall, Matthew.
Thanks for reading.
this made me laugh since Mechanical Animals was named the 2nd best album of 1998 and the 2209th best album of all time. dumb people are just so…. entertaining! you listened to about half of this album and went “WUT???? ME NO GEHT WUT FAHG ISH SHAYEENG??? Y FAHG SHO GEHAY????? DISH ISH SHTOOPED!! WUT R ‘MEHTUHFORSH’???? LAWLZ IMMA GO TROLE NAO!!!” and went back to listening to 80s covers done by black eyed peas and revelling in the autotuned trash. i think its sad that you hold any position of remote authority over anything or anyone. oh and look up the phrase “concept album” and if you crack open your head for a moment you might gain some musical taste and appreciation for philosophy. in conclusion, youre a troll. a really bad one, too. the way you view the world…. ugh it just makes me cringe.
1. Voted 2nd best album of 1998 by who, you?
2. LOL @ album 2209th being some sort of accolade. So that’s basically every rock/metal album made being superior.
3. I listened to the entire album several times over a period of days and it was all terrible.
4. You mock autotune, as if Manson is some sort of garage rock DIY hardcore kid recording songs on his 4-track. He is no stranger to studio fuckery. Case in point: his vocals alone sound like they’ve been passed through a dozen filters.
5. It’s not trolling to post opinions on a private blog.
6. You’re a twat and like awful music.
7. Thanks a lot for reading my words. x
The explananation why it was terrible to you is because your mund is not srong enough to understand this, the best albun frm MM.
Fucking brilliant… can’t challenge that one.
hahah nice
I am a fan of marilyn manson big time, and while i dont like your opinion and think your a troll, personaly im not going to argue with you because its pointless.
How is it trolling to write a review of a terrible album, with specific reasons, on a private blog? You’re the troll if anything.
I couldn’t help but notice that your article was stated more as fact, and not the opinion that it is. It reads as very arrogant, misinformed, and self-serving. What makes you the authority on “good” music? Every single person has music that they like, and music they don’t. But how could anyone then say music that they don’t like is bad? To me, that is almost conceded. If even one person connects with a song, and thinks its good, what gives someone else the right to say its not?
Your very credibility is gone, to me, as soon as you classify an album that went Platinum in 3 countries (Canada, USA, New Zealand), as the worst album ever made. Impressive considering the negative opinions on the mainstream. Then you move from criticizing the album, to the entire band, making statements with examples that are short sighted, if not complete falsehoods. Release after release, tour after tour, people continue to relate. The band has longevity which is more then I can say for a lot of bands. Also, the Rod Stewart comment gave me some insight.
Many people relate to this music, including myself. I listened to Marilyn through junior high and high school (as well as a mix of all types of music). Now I am almost 30 and I can still put in a Marilyn Manson and enjoy the music and even remember most of the words! Can’t say that for most music. For me it is timeless and still relevant today.
You have freedom of speech, so I respect your right to put what ever you want in an article or on a blog. I would advise you to be aware of how you display and frame your opinions. Your opinion would have a lot more credence and attract more readers if it was presented as such and not fact. Your blatant over exaggeration has taken all credibility away from what you say and I look forward to not ever reading any of your posts again.
I will leave you with this. This article reminds me of a person defending their religion, or attacking another religion, based of unsubstantiated facts that are intangible and not provable.
Keep up the great work!
And your credability is gone when you try and use record sales to challenge a record or band’s suckability.
PS> Let me know when Mazza sells as many records as Rod Stewart, yeah?
x x
So someone respectfully disagrees with you and you respond with acting like a pompous little prick? Im sure you have a lot of friends.
You’re the prick if anything, chipping into a conversation in which you’re not needed.
And PS. The picture you posted isn’t of Marilyn Manson.
Well I really love this album, but obviously the reviewers opinion is relevent because this post if farely high up on google
That probably makes it even less relevant actually but thanks for stopping by.
You do realise that picture you posted is not marilyn right .Its ginger fish
I don’t think that’s true, Jade.
I’M unsure how old this article or “review” is….however you are obviously one of those mainstream douchebags that thinks bands like nickelback and creed are the greatest bands ever….which lends ZERO substance to your opinion on GOOD music…..that is all….
I’M unsure how old this article or “review” is….however you are obviously one of those mainstream douchebags that thinks bands like nickelback and creed are the greatest bands ever….which lends ZERO substance to your opinion on GOOD music at all …..that is all….
Twat. If you only judge a band by how many or how few fans they have then you’re the douche. By the way, Manson is hardly underground is he? He was playing arenas in the UK 10 years ago.
This is a really biased article
1. Only the last names are named after serial killers and the first name is after someone good like marilyn monroe hince the name marilyn manson.
2.His lyrics are more of a reflection of other peoples thoughts not his own
3.just because you like it doesn’t mean its terrible, we all have different opinions about what music we like.
Yeah but I’ve written my opinion clearly and methodically… why can’t any Manson fans do the same about why they like the music, instead of just getting butthurt?
Lmao oh ya and the picture is ginger fish not even marilyn manson