Be sure to check out the 10/29/98 Update.

The main article is preserved here for posterity and reference, but keep it was written in '97 and my opinions can change, can't they?

Ahem...

Because they SUCK! that's why. The band was going no-where fast before the parents and religious leaders started trying to ban them from playing. Honestly, had you ever heard of them two years ago? Probably not...

If it weren't for everyone making a big stink about how evil they are, they would have collapsed under the ponderous weight of their own incredible lack of talent. Now, let me qualify that. The musicians are competent at the least, quite good at best. It's the material that's the problem. It's all style, and no substance. They're too caught up in the "Look at me, I'm so evil" motif, that they don't even have to be any good to sell records. It's been done before, better. Alice Cooper did it better, My life with the Thrill Kill Kult still does it better. Ozzy has always done it better. And why? Because Alice has the brains and lyrics to back it up, TKK can make you dance whether you like them or not, and Ozzy... well... He's Ozzy, what more do you want?

Let's review my first encounter with Marilyn Manson. When they were touring with Nine Inch Nails a while back, I'd never heard of them. The Jim Rose side show finished their set, and we all sat in anticipation of this evil-sounding band. (Being a Goth-punk, most of the bands I listen to have evil names) The lights went down and Marilyn starts ranting right, but it sounds kind of familiar... Wait a minute, he's quoting from Willy Wonka (The boat scene)... Cool, I think, this guys twisted, and he likes Willy Wonka, score points for Marilyn. Unfortunately, he stopped quoting, and started singing, and it has to be one of the least memorable experiences of my life. Everyone, or at least a significant percentage of the audience left to go to the bathroom, or concession stands. Some left to go smoke, those remaining mostly started talking to their neighbors, and yawning a lot. The applause after each song was only slightly above the obligatory politeness level.

This band is not new. But it's strange that no-one heard of them until they started being so overtly evil. Marilyn admits to being a Satanist, instant fame. I lump him in with all of my religious friends, I don't care what your religion is, as long as it's not the majority of your personality. I have several Wiccan friends, I can deal with that, it's just the ones who feel the need to TELL you they are Wiccan that annoy me. Same for Christians, Mormons, Mennonites, etc. I'm happy that you've found what you're looking for, just don't force it into every friggin conversation okay? And stop telling everyone you meet how you found God within the first five conversations you have with them!

But I digress. If I were a Satanist, why would I go around telling everyone. It's none of their business... Unless, of course, I have some deep-seated need to make myself seem more interesting than I really am. It's like Ellen coming out of the closet. Howard Stern is right, If her show was number one, she never would have come out, she would have hidden it away for fear of losing her audience. But since she lost her audience anyway, she figured she'd go out and get a new one. And I watched the show before, I LIKED IT! I have always liked her comedy, but now since she came out, the show has turned into a one-joke show, One gag, One subject... YAWN!

But I digress again. People have to stop paying so much attention to things because of their shock value, and take a look at the quality of the goods. (Or lack thereof) The Thrill Kill Kult has always been sort of evil, but when that last album came out (13 under the moon, or whatever that thing was called), we all sort of agreed, it sucked. Ya gotta EARN those album sales.

Look at GWAR, here's a band that sucks on purpose, why are they still around? Because they are entertaining, It's fun to go and get fake blood and gore splashed all over you while listening to really loud music, that you can't understand the lyrics to, and will probably never buy. They are the first to tell you "We suck, and we're going to suck forever because we're immortal"

I ran into a kid at a Stabbing Westward concert who didn't even know who the Eurythmics are. He though Marilyn Manson wrote "Sweet Dreams", he said it was his favorite Marilyn Manson song. To sum up my opinion on that...
If your only hit is a cover, you suck. (Unless you are the Dickies, in which case that's the whole point)

So please, everyone, just ignore him, maybe he'll go away, or maybe he'll put a little more emphasis on the material than the presentation.  I'm waiting anxiously for him to put something out I like.  I want to like him, he's just not giving me an excuse.

Update,

(Mechanical animals doesn't suck)

Okay, now I've heard it, and seen his "look dujour". And he seems to be done with the "Look at how scary I am" phase and is content to be captain strange. Technically, the album is very well put together. Vocally, Marilyn seems more to my liking this time around. Musically, the album has more of a funk influence, most noticeable on track 9, I don't like the drugs, but the drugs like me.

Marilyn has made extensive use of one of my personal favorite pieces of equipment in the world, the vocoder.These things are the greatest! Every band should have one. They can keep it in the equipment trunk next to the e-bow, the second coolest musical gadget in the world.

The addition of an extra track, only noticeable to those who sometimes listen to their CDs in the computer is a nice touch. I see no mention in the booklet of this track's existence.

Last updated 10/05/01 Site contents Copyright © 1999-2001 Mel Grubb II