May 13, 2003 - The Golden Age Of Grotesque

A week after my last release and two years since his last appearance in my library, Marilyn Manson released his fifth album "The Golden Age Of Grotesque" on May 13, 2003. Longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez has left the band and replacing him is new bassist Tim Sköld. Marilyn Manson was actually a little fed up with the popularity of nu-metal at the time and he strived to make this album less traditional nu-metal and goes more of an electronic/industrial vibe, while still keeping things nice and heavy. This is my only full album by Marilyn Manson, let's check it out!

The album begins with a short intro song called "Thaeter" and it's got a slow, industrial vibe like a factory just starting up it's operations. It leads right into the album's lead single "This Is The New Shit" and Madonna Wayne Gacy plays some dark and creepy keyboards, John 5 plays a low, stop-and-start guitar riff and Ginger Fish adds a cool offbeat drum beat. Manson begins the verse slowly and quietly, but moves into a really cool fast verse as he quickly sings and he lets out a nice high scream as they move into the heavy chorus! Manson is belting out the chorus in this nice high scream snd the chorus riff is nice and heavy with John 5 playing some great headbanging stuff. It's a really cool verse and a great heavy chorus that combine to make this possibly Manson's best song in my opinion! After a couple rounds Gacy plays a cool new synth riff overtop some more heavy guitars and Manson sings another cool fast part that is somehow white catchy while still sounding pretty creepy. After a nice final chorus the song slowly fades out with wisps of it's highlights coming back for one last go, and it's done really well! A pretty awesome song! Track 3 is "mOBSCENE" and they dive right into a solid heavy chorus riff with John 5 leading the way on guitar, then the electronic vibe takes over for the verse as Manson sings a catchy verse overtop a simple keyboard riff. The loud chorus sounds much better and Manson sounds pretty good yelling overtop. Some women sing at the end of the chorus in an almost cheerleader Chant kind of way in a bit of a weird finish. Aside from the catchy chorus this isn't one of his best songs, but the chorus is good enough to carry things for most of the song. The next track is "Doll-Dagga Buzz-Buzz Ziggety-Zag" and Manson sings that line in a pretty catchy way as they form a a catchy and upbeat riff that matches the same rhythm with some loud and creepy keyboards. It's a little repetitive and Fish plays the same drum beat for the whole song I'm pretty sure, but it's undeniably bouncy and catchy and it's hard not to sing along once you get the hang of it! Track 5 is called "Use Your Fist And Not Your Mouth" and John 5 once again jumps right into a catchy and decently heavy chorus riff and the rest of the band falls in behind to support him with another cool industrial rhythm section. The verse is quieter with a cool bassline by Skold and Manson nicely leads the way with a solid verse. He sings fast and nicely in the chorus overtop the heavy guitars and this one is pretty catchy and cool! It's also a little repetitive by the end, but it's got a great swinging chorus. Up next is the title track "The Golden Age Of Grotesque" and it's got a slow, industrial beat to it with Manson singing a creepy verse nicely overtop. The guitars and keyboards are slow and creepy and the whole mood is really well done. The verse and chorus are pretty much the same and it's not very flashy, or heavy even, but the creepy, haunting vibes are ever-present and it's Manson's non-stop singing that carries things. Track 7 is "s(AINT)" and it's stylised like this because, as you'll hear Manson sing in the chorus, "hold the S because I am an aint". John 5 plays a cool stop-and-start guitar riff while Gacy and Skold form another dark and creepy rhythm section and Manson comes in eith another pretty catchy verse. The chorus has a smooth and catchy guitar riff and Manson delivers a pretty catchy chorus as well that's hard not to sing along to once you get it. They play the chorus probably a little too much, especially at the end, but it's still a very catchy and cool song. The next track is "Ka-Boom Ka-Boom" and the jump right into a simple but decently catchy chorus with Manson repeating the name of the song overtop a loud but pretty standard riff. Manson leads a solid verse overtop a very industrial verse riff with almost no guitars, mostly bass and keyboards. The guitar returns for the loud and repetitive chorus and this song is not bad by any means, but it's very formulaic and not all that exciting by Manson's standards. Track 9 is "Slutgarden" and John 5 leads the way with a slow but cool guitar riff and Skold backs him with some nice industrial bass that sounds pretty cool as well. Manson sings a very sexual verse overtop and things get loud snd heavier as they move into a pretty catchy chorus with Manson nicely yelling. They don't stray far from this verse/chorus, but the chorus is cool and catchy enough to carry the weight. Up next is a song with just the symbol "♤" (or Spade if your computer can't do that) and it's got a slow, almost psychedelic main riff as everybody seems to just slow it down and chill a little bit with Manson singing a quiet verse overtop the creepy main riff. The chorus is much louder and heavier, but still somewhat psychedelic as Manson holds some long, raspy notes that sound interesting for sure. After another long, slow round it's solo time and John 5 delivers a simple but pretty epic guitar solo before they roll back into the chorus. Travk 11 is the six-minute "Para-Noir" and it starts slow and quiet with Skold leading the way with a cool bass riff. We hear a woman start to talk overtop this backdrop  and every phrase she says starts with "I fuck you because..." and every reason is some sort of excuse. It's a little weird, and Manson continues the same vibe once he takes over; it's not my favourite but it's tolerable. The chorus is louder and kind of catchy, but the verses are long and a little dull. There's a very distorted guitar solo that sounds pretty epic and cool that spices things up for sure. The next track is "The Bright Young Things" and it's John 5 leading the way with a hard-hitting, stop-and-start main riff that sounds pretty sweet. Manson sings a nice fast verse and he sounds pretty heavy and good in the catchy and hard-hitting chorus. I'm not shocked this was one of the singles, it's got a nice bouncing beat and is pretty catchy, while still being very Manson. It's got a bit of an anticlimactic finish, but it was largely a cool song for sure. Track 13 is "Better Of Two Evils" and Manson whispers the first chorus right away before they slam into a typical main riff with some loud keyboards leading the way. Manson leads a decent verse but and the chorus is decent as well, but there's not a ton of guitar on this one and it's not one of his best in my opinion. It's got a nice new part after the first couple rounds, but then it's right back to the main drag. Up next is "Vodevil" and it's slow getting going as they eventually "ramp" into the first verse. Manson leads the way with a solid verse, then they slam nicely into a loud and heavy chorus that is super catchy. Things are just so more captivating than the last song and my head is banging along. It's a little repetitive, but it's still pretty solid. The final song on the album is the sheer track "Obsequey (The Death Of Art)" and it's got a quiet, slightly psychedelic vibe with some weird noises and some quiet piano by Gacy. Two voices talk simultaneously, so it's difficult to understand, but it just sounds like Manson and someone else in the studio. A very strange way to wrap things up, I'm not a fan.

That is the end of "The Golden Age of Grotesque" and I thought it was a good album, but not an amazing one. It's My only full Marilyn Manson album, so I do think it's his best one, but the industrial/electronic elements can be a bit repetitive despite a ton of catchy riffs and choruses. It's not the last we'll hear from Manson though!