Marilyn Manson
Lest We Forget - The Best Of

THE REVIEW

The name Marilyn Manson emerges as a clash between two American personalities drenched in fame: Monroe, an icon of sensuality and femininity, and Charles Manson, a symbol of perversion (a psychopath who went down in history for killing numerous people, including Roman Polanski's wife, who was five months pregnant). The choice of the name comes from Brian Warner, the real name of the Reverend of metal music, intending to capture some contrasting aspects found in society. The singer himself has stated: "I thought that the two opposites positive/negative, male/female, good/evil, beauty/ugliness created precisely the dichotomy I wanted to represent". Thus, one of the most contested phenomena of American music was born, a grotesque, polemic, surreal, and genius icon.

Lest We Forget, released at the end of September, encompasses all those songs that determined the artist's success, moving from the rockish atmospheres of the early albums to the darker flair of Holy Wood, from the "noise" of electric guitars to the call of the Berlin cabaret. This album proves to be a tangible testimony to the musical and aesthetic evolution of the Reverend, who has repeatedly changed both his image and his musical style. All the tracks stand as manifestos of American society, such as "The Love Song," a love anthem to violence; on the same level are "Mobscene," which describes a world made of "war-time full-frontal drugs, sex-tank armor plate" and "Lunchbox," in which a child nurtures violent dreams, managing to take down the bully of the moment through force and violence.

In every song, one also senses Manson's rejection of religion and faith, a rejection driven by the nihilism deeply rooted in the singer's soul. Songs on this vein include: "The Fight Song," in which the Reverend intones: "I'm not a slave to a god that doesn't exist"; in "Get Your Gun," the singer curses the Holy Hand for having given life to a sick society, the same society described in "The Reflecting God," where a helpless God watches the destruction. Also worthy of consideration are "The Beautiful People," an anthem against the rampant "bigotry" in American society, "Rock Is Dead," which states: "Rock is deader than dead, shock is all in your head, your sex and your dope is all that were fed, so fuck all your protests and put them to bed", "Torniquet," where a deteriorated universe reigns. The album also presents three covers, the now-famous "Sweet Dreams," "Tainted Love," and "Personal Jesus," the original song by Depeche Mode.
Intriguing, dark, gloomy, tenebrous, compelling, versatile, this album has all the cards not to be banished to the depths of oblivion.