Cd Review
Marilyn Manson
The Pale Emperor
2015
Hell, etc.
Review: Robert Winans
Marilyn Manson is a name synonymous with being a rock musician who is known for over the top imagery, with a song repertoire to match. He is also arguably the most well known name in shock rock music in the last two decades. Despite having a history of being at the center of media controversy, you cannot deny his success over the years. This time out, Manson has taken a very different approach to his music that has this reviewer excited for everything to come. I listened to his latest release The Pale Emperor and was instantly blown away, those who know me know I don’t impress too easily.
Manson decidedly seems to have stripped much of the over the top sounds, driving beats, and signature screams found in such fan favorites as “The Beautiful People” and “The Fight Song” and has instead opted for a more bluesy, raw sound. Now that might seem like a complete opposite for Manson if you say it out loud, but not really. His last album Born Villain was taking a step in a similar direction with stripping down the background and not overdoing the music.
You might question if this ends up sacrificing emotional power or dark meaning to the music, and I would meet you with a resounding no. It intensifies that unsettling feeling without having to make it as blatantly obvious. Its kind of like going from watching the Saw films to watching the original film Psycho. Because the audience automatically expects it, but is instead met with subtle nods to that impending feeling of a monster that instead we don’t see, it leaves more to the imagination.
However, that’s not to say that’s all it does well either. The album mixes this bluesy sound that is slow and simplistic with background guitar plucking simple melodies that well contrast to bring out an anxious and brilliant sound right off the bat with “Killing Strangers” leading us into the hit “Deep Six” which has more of that Born Villain feel to it. If you’ve heard it, you probably cant get it out of your head.
Overall, this album is a mix of powerful transitions that does not waste one-second of time jumping right into raw power and emotion. The song, “Warship My Wreck” is in my opinion one of the best he ever sang. There’s a lot of earthy and raw connotation in his lyrics and in the sound of his performance that goes beyond anger, and in all seriousness he found a way to make the album gripping, powerful, aggressive and driving instead preferring less over the top, more focus on self. It sounds personal, it doesn’t sound phoned in, and its conceptually some of the best work he’s put out in over a decade and it was done without a truckload of synth and sound, its beautiful. Strangely it seems like part BB King, part Rocky Horror Picture Show, part D.H. Lawrence. I cannot say enough positives about it. Marilyn Manson is showing great promise outside of his norm, and if you haven’t heard The Pale Emperor yet you need to.
