Marilyn Manson
Smells Like Children

THE REVIEW

A few days ago, while rewatching the original version of the film 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory', I was reminded of this old EP by Marilyn Manson, certainly the work that opened the doors of the mainstream to the band thanks to the excellent cover of 'Sweet Dreams' presented.

Released a year after their remarkable debut work, 'Smells like Children' is a chaotic, schizophrenic, grotesque work, deliberately vulgar, but of little value. It feels like entering the hidden sideshow of the darkest amusement park to admire the freaks of nature: here is the bearded woman, the man with two-meter long nails, the man with a stomach of iron. At the end of the ride, the only sensation left is a certain air of disappointment, not at all shocked by the attractions proposed.

The album essentially consists of three main ingredients: interludes, remixes of old songs, and covers. If the former are quite incomprehensible (apart from "F### Frankie", dedicated to the ex-tour manager who escaped after pocketing a good portion of the proceeds), it is the remixes that are completely inconsistent. By focusing more on the industrial matrix and only achieving a bland cacophony, Marilyn Manson takes a step back in what is their musical proposal, accentuating their darker side, but stripping the tracks of all the irony of the original versions.

A separate discussion should be made for the three covers proposed, 'I put a spell on you' (Screamin' Jay Hawkins), 'Sweet Dreams' (Eurythmics), and 'Rock'n Roll Nigger'' (Patti Smith): decidedly successful, they begin to outline the contours of that sound that will be perfected in the acclaimed 'Antichrist Superstar'. In particular, 'Rock'n Roll Nigger' is offered in a live version (but it’s clear that it has been reworked in the studio) that is extremely engaging, supported by a solid sonic wall where Manson's voice fits perfectly.

Ultimately, a transitional chapter that unsuccessfully explores the more experimental side of Marilyn Manson.