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Rating: Marilyn Manson
Antichrist Superstar
(Nothing/Interscope - 1996)
Album, Heavy Metal
The album of consecration, and probably their highest point of expression. Yes, their, because behind the name Marilyn Manson, there's the whole band, always evolving due to the many line-up changes over the years. The music production of this album is entrusted to Twiggy Ramirez, bassist and friend of Manson, who also writes guitar parts, due to the "in-progress" departure of Daisy Berkowitz, who still participates partly.
Besides the contribution of Madonna Wayne Gacy, keyboardist and member of the band since its inception, the music production is also curated by Trent Reznor, who discovered and launched the group, and acts here as a sort of spiritual guide. The contribution of the musician behind the Nine Inch Nails signature is very strong, inspired: his masterpiece of a few years before, The Downward Spiral (1994), is evident, from which Antichrist Superstar takes some cues, especially when moving into industrial territory. The entirety of the lyrics is entrusted to Marilyn Manson himself (real name Brian Warner), who delivers lyrics dense with hate, frustrations, provocations, and imaginary characters (Angel With The Scabbed Wings), from which emerges a concept album about the transformation of a worm-man into an angel. An album steeped in symbolism, numerology, satanism, all recurring elements in certain productions. But here there’s something different: the lyrics, always over the top but never trivial; and the apocalyptic and mystical atmosphere, created especially when the industrial veins of the record are emphasized.
It starts with "Irresponsible Hate Anthem", a true hate anthem that bursts with force, in which the beloved/hated reverend blatantly tells everyone to go to hell, without sparing jabs and provocations (a characteristic that will always dominate his discography and persona). After this frontal attack comes "The Beautiful People", one of the group's most famous tracks, upon which numerous other successes will be built, most notably "Disposable Teens" and "Doll Dagga Buzz buzz ziggety zag", thanks also to its vaguely swing-like rhythm. In "Dried up, tied, and dead to the world", the lyrics take on a primary role, supported by good distorted guitar riffs, filtered, with keyboards to support and fill everything.
The following "Tourniquet" is one of the flagship songs, a very catchy piece in which Manson showcases his vocal qualities.
"Little Horn" draws attention back to provocations and straightforward rock, while the next "Cryptorchid" is a sort of experimentation, in which Brian Warner seems to recite a sort of macabre nursery rhyme, abandoning guitars in favor of keyboards and dark, apocalyptic atmospheres. "Deformography" and "Wormboy" can pass somewhat unnoticed, as can "Mister Superstar", if not for the initial guitar riff.
"Angel With The Scabbed Wings" is one of the album's heaviest pieces, and it's immediately apparent from its incisive and sharp attack. "Kinderfeld", although not one of the best tracks, is somewhat a summary of this entire album, where all the various elements heard so far are fused.
With "Antichrist Superstar", we're in the realm of stadium rock if you can call it that, with crowd chants marking the rhythmic pace of the track, nonetheless, these rather grotesque characteristics, the piece is one of the best. "1996" is a piece, like Little Horn, very direct and fast, but supported by always very effective lyrics. "Minute Of Decay" shows us the sad and broken side of Marilyn, the only track entirely written by him.
"The Reflecting God" revisits the "classic" riffs already present, for example in "1996" and "Irresponsible Hate Anthem", although here the alternation between musical fullness and void is much more marked. The last track, closing the album, is "Man that you fear" (although the album has 99 tracks, of which only the first 16 are music, the rest are empty tracks, except the 99th, composed of overlapping and sometimes incomprehensible voices, aimed at maintaining this sort of mystique and unease in the listener). This last track can be considered a ballad, with piano and much more relaxed atmospheres compared to the rest of the production, where Manson sings reaching melodies and vocal clarity never heard before.
In the year it was released, it divided critics, and even sparked discussions amongst politicians and American parents. Power that the Reverend has lost today, for various reasons.
This album is Marilyn Manson. For those wanting to approach his music, I believe it's mandatory to start here, leaving aside the latest productions, increasingly devoid of soul and inspiration.
Line up:
Marilyn Manson: vocals and flute
Twiggy Ramirez: bass and guitars
Madonna Wayne Gacy: keyboards
Ginger Fish: drums
Daisy Berkowitz: guitars
Zim Zum: live guitarist during the world tour of the album
Track list:
CYCLE 1: THE HEIROPHANT
Irresponsible hate anthem
The beautiful people
Dried up, tied, and dead to the world
Tourniquet
CYCLE 2: THE INAUGURATION OF THE WORM
Little horn
Cryptorchid
Deformography
Wormboy
Mister superstar
Angel with the scabbed wings
Kinderfeld
CYCLE 3: DISINTEGRATOR RISING
Antichrist superstar
1996
Minute of decay
The reflecting god
Man that you fear
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Irresponsible Hate Anthem (04:17)
I am so all-american, I'd sell you suicide
I am totalitarian, I've got abortions in my eyes
I hate the hater, I'd rape the raper
I am the animal, who will not be himself
Fuck it
Fuck it
Fuck it
Fuck it
Hey victim, should I black your eyes again?
Hey victim, you were the one who put the stick in my hand
I am the ism, my hate's a prism
Let's just kill everyone and let your God sort them out
Fuck it
Fuck it
Fuck it
Fuck it
Everybody's someone else's nigger
I know you are so am I
I wasn't born with enough middle fingers
I don't need to chose a side
I better, better, better, better not say this
Better, better, better, better not tell
better, better, better, better not say this
Better, better, better, better not tell
I hate the hater, I'd rape the raper
I am the idiot who will not be himself
Fuck it
Fuck it
Fuck it
Fuck it
Everybody's someone else's nigger
I know you are so am I
I wasn't born with enough middle fingers
I don't need to chose a side
American, I cannot see anything
American, I cannot see anything
American, I cannot see anything
(?)
Fuck it
Fuck it
Fuck it
Fuck, fuck, fuck
Everybody's someone else's nigger
I know you are so am I
I wasn't born with enough middle fingers
I don't need to chose a side
02 The Beautiful People (03:38)
And I don't want you, and I don't need you
Don't bother to resist, or I'll beat you
It's not your fault that you're always wrong
The weak ones are there to justify the strong
The beautiful people, the beautiful people
It's all relative to the size of your steeple
You can't see the forest for the trees
And you can't smell your own shit on your knees
There's no time to discriminate
Hate every motherf-ker that's in your way
Hey, you, what do you see?
Something beautiful, something free?
Hey, you, are you trying to be mean?
When you live with apes, man, it's hard to be clean
The worms will live in every host
It's hard to tell which one they hate the most
The horrible people, the horrible people
It's all anatomic as the size of your steeple
Capitalism has made it this way
Old-fashioned fascism
Will take it away
Hey you, what do you see?
Something beautiful, something free?
Hey you, are you trying to be mean?
When you live with apes, man, it's hard to be clean
There's no time to discriminate
Hate every motherf-ker that's in your way
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
The beautiful people, the beautiful people
The beautiful people, the beautiful people
The beautiful people, the beautiful people
The beautiful people, the beautiful people
Hey, you, what do you see?
Something beautiful and something free?
Hey you, are you trying to be mean?
When you live with apes, man, it's hard to be clean
Hey, you, what do you see?
Something beautiful and something free?
Hey you, are you trying to be mean?
When you live with apes, man, it's hard to be clean
The beautiful people, the beautiful people
The beautiful people, the beautiful people
The beautiful people, the beautiful people
The beautiful people, the beautiful people
04 Tourniquet (04:29)
She's made of hair and bone and little teeth
The things that cannot speak
She comes on like a crippled plaything
Her spine is just a string
I wrapped our love in all this foil
Silver tight like spider legs
I never wanted it to ever spoil
But flies will lay their eggs
Take your hatred out on me
Make your victim my head
You never ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
Prosthetic synthesis and butterfly
Sealed up with virgin stitch
If it hurts baby please tell me
Preserve the innocence
I never wanted it to end like this
But flies will lay their eggs
Take your hatred out on me
Make your victim my head
You never ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
What I wanted, what I needed
What I got for me
What I wanted, what I needed
What I got for me
Take your hatred out on me
Make your victim my head
You never ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
Take your, take your
Get up out of me
I'm not proud with me
I never ever believed in me
I am your tourniquet
05 Little Horn (02:43)
There's an apple in the pussy mouth
Now I am the dinner whore
There's a tumor in the T.V. mouth
Burn it out before it grows
Someone better get the dog to kick, jaws wired shut to
Save the dick
Out of the bottomless pit comes the little horn
x4 "Little horn is born"
The world spreads its legs for another star
The world shows its face for another scar
Dead will dance for what is left
The worms will wait with baited breath
"Your blind have now become my deaf"
So says the little horn
x4 "Save yourself from this....."
(chorus)
x4 Everyone will suffer now...
"You can't save yourself..."
(chorus)
06 Cryptorchid (02:44)
Each time I make my mother cry,
an angel dies and falls from heaven.
(when they get to you)
When a boy is still a worm it's hard to
learn the number seven.
(but when they get to you)
-5 6 7 8 never..-
(it's the first thing that they do)
-7 8 9 10 hate...-
(when they get to you)
-4 3 2 1 never get to seven...-
Each time I look outside,
my mother dies,
I feel my back is changing shape.
(when they get to you)
When the worm consumes the boy
it's never ever considered rape.
(when they get to you)
(it's the first thing that they do)
(when they get to you)
Prick your finger it is done...
The moon has now eclipsed the sun...
The angel has spread its wings...
The time has come for bitter things... (x5)
07 Deformography (04:31)
When you wish upon your star
Don't let yourself fall...fall in too hard.
I fell into you now I'm on my back,
An insect decaying in your little trap.
I squirm into you now I'm in your gut
I fell into you now I'm in a rut.
Lift you up like the sweetest angel,
I tear you down like a whore.
I will bury your god in my warm spit,
You'll be deformed in your porn.
(rock star... you´re such a)
ROCK STAR, YEAH (you're such a dirty, dirty)
ROCK STAR, YEAH (you're such a dirty, dirty)
ROCK STAR, YEAH (you're such a dirty, dirty)
ROCK STAR, YEAH (dirty, dirty, dirty)
You eat up my heart and all the little parts
Your star is so sharp it leaves me jagged holes
I make myself sick just to poison you
If i can't have you then no one will
(chorus)
You are the one I want and what I want is so unreal (x4)
I'm such a dirty rock star yeah
(I am the one you want and what you want is so unreal)
08 Wormboy (03:55)
When will realize you're already there?
So watered down--your feelings have turned to mud.
"Love everybody" is destroying the value of
All hate has got me nowhere
I know I'm slipping, I know I'm slipping, I know I'm slipping away(x2)
Oh no, it is everything they said it was
Oh no, I am all the things they said I was
Oh no, it is everything they said it was
Oh no, I am all the things they said I was
When you you get to heaven you will wish you you're in hell(x2)
When will you realize, you're already here
You'll thank us now that you have crossed over
Don't pick the scabs or you will never heal
The world shudders as the worm gets its wings
Oh no, it is everything they said it was
Oh no, I am all the things they said I was
Oh no, it is everything they said it was
Oh no, I am all the things they said I was
Then I got my wings and I never even knew it
When I was a worm, thought I wouldn't get through it...
When you you get to heaven you will wish you're in hell(x2)
Oh no, it is everything they said it was
Oh no, I am all the things they said I was
Oh no, it is everything they said it was
Oh no, I am all the things they said I was
10 Angel With the Scabbed Wings (03:52)
He is the angel with the scabbed wings,
Hard drug face, wanna powder his nose
He will deflower the fascist crop
Dry up all the wombs with his rock and roll sores
(Rock and roll sores)
(Rock and roll sores)
Dead
Is what he is, he does what he please
The things that he has you'll never gonna see
What you're never gonna be now
Sketch a little keyhole for the looking-glass people.
You don't want to see him,
Only want to be him.
Mommy's got a scare crow, gotta let the corn grow.
Man can't always reap what he sow.
"He is the maker"
(He is the taker)
"He is the saviour"
(He is the raper)
Dead
Is what he is, he does what he please
The things that he has you'll never gonna see
What you're never gonna be now
Sketch a little keyhole for the looking-glass people.
You don't want to see him,
Only want to be him.
Mommy's got a scare crow, gotta let the corn grow.
Man can't always reap what he sow.
(chorus)
Get back you're never gonna leave him
Get back, you're always gonna please him.
He is the angel with the scabbed wings,
Hard drug face, wanna powder his nose
He will deflower the fascist crop
Dry up all the wombs with his
Rock and roll sores.
Rock and roll sores.
Rock and roll sores.
Rock and roll sores.
Rock and roll sores.
Rock and roll sores.
Rock and roll sores.
Rock and roll sores.
Rock and roll sores.
Rock and roll sores.
11 Kinderfeld (04:52)
he lives inside my mouth
and tells me what to say
when he turns the trains
on he makes it go away
the hands are cracked and dirty and
the nails are beetle wings
when he turns the trains on he
unties all of the strings
"tell me something beautiful,
tell me something free,
tell me something beautiful
and i wish that i could be."
(then i got my wings and i never even knew it,
when i was a worm, thought i couldn't get through)
come, come
the toys all smell like children
and scab-knees will obey
i'll just have to kneel on broomsticks
just to make it go away
[the inauguration of the worm]
(then i got my wings and i never even knew it,
when i was a worm, thought i couldn't get through it)
"because today is black
because there is no turning back.
because your lies have watered me
i have become the strongest weed" weed...
the taste of metal
disintegrator
three holes upon the leather belt
it's cut and swollen
and the edge is showing
" there's no one here to save ourself."
this is what you should fear
you are what you should fear
12 Antichrist Superstar (05:13)
You built me up with your wishing hell
I didn't have to sell you
You threw your money in the pissing well
You do just what they tell you
REPENT, that's what I'm talking about
I shed the skin to feed the fake
REPENT, that's what I'm talking about
Whose mistake am I anyway?
Cut the head off
Grows back hard
I am the hydra
Now you'll see your star
Prick your finger it is done
The moon has now eclipsed the sun
Angel has spread his wings
The time has come for bitter things
Prick your finger it is done
The moon has now eclipsed the sun
Angel has spread his wings
The time has come to..
REPENT
I shed the skin to feed the fake
REPENT, that's what he's talking about
Whose mistake am I anyway?
Cut the head off
Grows back hard
I am the hydra
Now you'll see your star
The time has come it is quite clear
Our antichrist is almost here (x3)
Cut the head off
Grows back hard
I am the hydra
Now you'll see your star
halliluyah! halliluyah mother fucker!
13 1996 (04:01)
Light a candle for the sinners,
Set the world on fire
Anti choice and anti girl
I am the anti flag unfurled
Anti white and anti man
I got the anti-future plan
Anti fascist, anti mod
I am the anti-music god
Anti sober, anti whore
There will never be enough of anti more
I can't believe in the things
That don't believe in me
Now it's your turn
To see misanthropy
Anti people now you've gone too far
[Here's your] antichrist superstar
Anti money, anti hate
Anti things i fucked and ate
Anti cop and anti fun
Here is an anti-president gun
Anti Satan, anti black
The anti world is on my back
Anti gay and anti dope
I am the faggot anti-pope
I can't believe in the things
That don't believe in me
Now it's your turn
To see misanthropy
Anti people now you've gone too far
Antichrist superstar
Anti people now you've gone too far
[Here's your] Antichrist superstar
This is where your faith is
Anti peace and anti life
Anti husband, anti wife
Anti song and anti me
I don't deserve a chance to be
Anti people now you've gone too far
Antichrist superstar
Anti people now you've gone too far
[Here's your] Antichrist superstar
14 Minute of Decay (04:41)
There's not much left to love
Too tired today to hate
I feel the empty
I feel the minute of decay
I'm on my way down now, I'd like to take you with me
I'm on my way down
I'm on my way down now, I'd like to take you with me
I'm on my way down
(chorus)
The minute that it's born
It begins to die
I'd love to just give in
I'd love to live this lie
I've been to black and back
I've whited out my name
A lack of pain a lack of hope
A lack of anything to say
There is no cure for what is killing me
I'm on my way down
I've looked ahead and saw a
World that's dead
I guess that I am too
(chorus)
I'm on my way down, I'd like to take you with me...
15 The Reflecting God (05:36)
Your world is an ashtray!
We burn and coil like cigarettes,
The more you cry your ashes turn to mud......
The nature of the leeches! The virgin's feeling cheated!
You've only spent a second of your life.....
My world is unaffected, there is an exit here,
I say it is and it's true.......
There is a dream inside a dream,
I'm wide awake the more I sleep,
You'll understand when I'm dead.......
I went to God just to see.....
and I was looking at me....
Saw heaven and hell were lies.....
When I'm God everyone-
-DIES! SCAR CAN YOU FEEL MY POWER?!
SHOOT, HERE AND THE WORLD GETS SMALLER!
SCAR, SCAR CAN YOU FEEL MY POWER?!
ONE, SHOT AND THE WORLD GETS SMALLER!
Let's jump upon the sharp swords,
Cut away our smiles
Without the threat of death
There's no reason to live, at all,
My world is unaffected, there is an exit here,
I say it is and it's true....
There is a dream inside a dream,
I'm wide awake the more I sleep,
You'll understand when I'm dead......
I went to God just to see....
and I was looking at me...
Saw heaven and hell were lies....
When I'm God everyone-
-DIES! SCAR CAN YOU FEEL MY POWER?!
SHOOT, HERE AND THE WORLD GETS SMALLER!
SCAR, SCAR CAN YOU FEEL MY POWER?!
ONE, SHOT AND THE WORLD GETS SMALLER!
SCAR, SCAR CAN YOU FEEL MY POWER?!
SHOOT, HERE AND THE WORLD GETS SMALLER!
SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT MOTHERFUCKER!
SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT MOTHERFUCKER......
Each thing I show you is a piece of my death!
No salvation, no forgiveness, (repeated)
(This is beyond your experience.....)
No salvation, no forgiveness, ("FORGIVENESS!" x 7)
No salvation, no forgiveness....
(applause)
(acoustic guitar)
I went to God just to see.....
and I was looking at me...
Saw heaven and hell were lies.....
When I'm God everyone-(exit acoustic guitar)
-DIES! SCAR CAN YOU FEEL MY POWER?!
SHOOT, HERE AND THE WORLD GETS SMALLER!
SCAR, SCAR CAN YOU FEEL MY POWER?!
SHOOT, HERE AND THE WORLD GETS SMALLER!
SCAR, SCAR CAN YOU FEEL MY POWER?!
SHOOT, HERE AND THE WORLD GETS SMALLER!
SCAR, SCAR CAN YOU FEEL MY POWER?!
ONE, SHOT AND THE WORLD GETS SMALLER!
SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT MOTHERFUCKER!
SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT MOTHERFUCKER!
SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT MOTHERFUCKER!
SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT MOTHERFUCKER!
16 Man That You Fear (06:10)
The ants are in the sugar
The muscles atrophied
We're on the other side, the screen is us and we're t.v.
Spread me open, sticking to my bony ribs
Are all your infants in abortion cribs
I was born into this
Everything turns to shit
The boy that you loved
Is the man that you fear
Pray untill you're number
Asleep from all your pain
Your apple has been rotting
Tomorrow's turned up dead
I have it all and I have no choice but to
I'll make everyone pay and you will see
You can kill yourself now
Because you're dead in my mind
The boy that you loved
Is the monster you fear
Peel off all those eyes
Crawl into the dark
You've poisoned all your children
To camouflage your scars
Pray unto the splinters, pray unto your fear
Pray your life was just a dream
The cut that never heals
Pray now baby
Pray your life was just a dream
(I am so tangled in my sins that I cannot escape)
Pinch the head off
Collapse me like a weed
Someone had to go this far
I was born into this
Everything turns to shit
The boy that you loved
Is the man that you fear
Peel off all those eyes
Crawl into the dark
You've poisoned all your children
To camouflage your scars
Pray unto the splinters
Pray unto your fear
Pray your life was just a dream
The cut that never heals
Pray now baby
Pray your life was just a dream
The world in my hands
There's no one left to hear you scream
There's no one left for you
(When all of your wishes are granted
Many of your dreams will be destroyed)
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Other reviews
By cliffburton86
"Not all evils are to cause harm" fits perfectly for this album.
"Musically the result achieved is quite interesting... blending glam-rock-metal with electronic textures and samples."
By tonu87
This second work of the group indeed stands out for its originality and definitely deserves to be heard.
The much-hated Marilyn Manson might surprise you...
