Seeing that one of my last Marilyn Manson posts remains to be one of the most popular on the site, I figured I’d write a follow up.  So, the album is here and has been with us for just over a month. Reviews have been mixed, but generally favorable, and now that I’ve had enough time with the album that the intoxicating effects have worn off, I’m now ready to give my (hopefully) unbiased review.

This stands as what is likely Manson’s most melodic and varied albums. It ranges from acoustic guitar and piano duets to ultra distorted hard rock. There’s a bit here from every Marilyn Manson era, and that’s great for those looking for a diverse album with each song offering something unique and different. That being said, it definitely doesn’t offer the focus of past albums, specifically Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals, and Holy Wood. Much of what makes Marlyn Manson such a powerful artist is his ability to tell a story which creates parallels between his world and our own. I’m hesitant to say that this album is missing that attribute entirely, but it definitely takes a back seat to what has become more of an autobiographical piece than social commentary.

The album revolves around Manson’s breakup with actress Evan Rachel wood. It covers a progression of thoughts and emotion chronicling the process of despair to acceptance. It definitely hits home for those who have gone through similar situations and casts Manson in a more human and relatable light. I think we’d all agree that Manson has done a great deal to alienate himself over the years, and this very well may be him showing us that he’s not all that different. We find that he’s pretty much a normal guy with normal feelings and needs, something that’s not been shown to this degree in previous works.

This album also heralds the return of Twiggy, a long lost friend who we last saw on Holy Wood. Manson is great, but Manson with Twiggy is greater. Twiggy has again taken his previous role as album guitarist and bassist, and for the first time, will play guitar in the band’s upcoming live tour. Very interesting change, and most definitely something that will be great to see. I had the fortune of seeing these two together on the last bit of the Rape of the World tour, and have to say, they have chemistry, something that is very evident on the album.

I’m definitely being critical, but in the end, I love this album. It’s fun. It’s cynical. It’s addictive. Definitely buy it. Buy it twice even. There may be what I consider to be problems with the album, but in the end, they were by design, not accident.