M-R

Marilyn Manson is not an unknown. Not taken as seriously as he used to be, Manson has drifted into the memory of the 90's. He has yet to regain the popularity he had when he did Mechanical Animals. Still a surmisable force in the prog-goth-rock scene and still under watchful eye of the conservative mudthrowers, Manson has stepped back and done a score, a cover or two and recorded an album -- Golden Age of the Grotesque. Most recently he'll be opening a gallery of his original artwork that's been a constant throughout the years on his website and in the linear notes of MM's albums. Overall, though, the rock 'n' roll spotlight isn't so much on Rev. Manson as it's been taken by the likes of Staind, Linkin Park, and Slipknot and Mudvayne -- the new shock rockers. In my opinion, Antichrist Superstar is his best album musically, and Mechanical Animals features his best writing lyrically... probably in great thanks to Billy Corgan, who helped out on that album. Here's hoping that Manson tones down the gimmick and sticks to writing the stuff that matters to people on an emotional level, like "Coma White", "Disassociative", "Speed of Pain" and "Last Day On Earth". Manson's live DVD, Guns, God and Government Tour, was released the Tuesday before Halloween '02.