Marilyn Manson "Antichrist Superstar" (1996)

Antichrist Superstar
release date: Oct. 8, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Sean Beavan, Marilyn Manson, Dave Ogilvie, Trent Reznor
label: Interscope - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" - 2. "The Beautiful People" - 4. "Tourniquet" - 7. "Deformography" - 12. "Antichrist Superstar" - 15. "The Reflecting God" -

2nd studio album by American industrial metal band Marilyn Manson originally released by Nothing Records. Guitarist Daisy Berkowitz (aka Scott Putesky) left the band while still recording the album with bassist Twiggy Ramirez, vocalist Marilyn Manson, additional musicians Danny Lohner and Robin Finck, as well as both co-producers Sean Beavan and Trent Reznor taking over the remaining guitar recordings.
Stylistically, the album marks a shift to a harder, simpler and in many ways more traditional hard rock style with loans from punk rock, gothic rock and metal rock. The band has left, what I find a murky, style and also the many samples and instead focused on a clearer industrial form, which has been praised by many. The two single releases (tracks #2 and #4) were both promoted with (acclaimed) music videos directed by Canadian-Italian director Floria Sigismondi. The album is regarded as the band's breakthrough album, and it was nominated and awarded several prizes. It's also the so far only Marilyn Manson album to be enlisted in "1001 Album You Must Hear Before You Die."
The album is not a favourite of mine but I do acknowledge the musical qualities of the album, although, I find it hard to listen to in its entirety. Tracks #1, #2 and #4 are the clearly best tracks here, and they all have a distinct punk rock influence, whereas several other tracks are more metal rock-founded, and therefore, from my perspective, less interesting; however, as a whole, I find it quite amusing / disturbing and clearly the band's best effort.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Spin 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Marilyn Manson "Smells Like Children" (1995) (ep)

Smells Like Children, ep
release date: Oct. 24, 1995
format: digital
[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,16]
producer: Trent Reznor
label: Nothing Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 6. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" - 9. "I Put a Spell on You"

Studio ep by the band Marilyn Manson, which by now also consists of bassist Twiggy Ramirez (aka Jeordie Osbourne White) and new drummer Ginger Fish (aka Kenneth Robert Wilson). The album is filed and issued as an ep, although, it enlists 16 tracks and rightfully consists of 10 ordinary tracks, but with a playing time at above 54 mins, it seems like a rather long ep.
Stylistically, it's very much in the same ball game as the debut album. And the only reason I wanted to listen to this in the first place was because of the inclusion of 3 cover songs: The Eurythmics song "Sweet Dreams" , Screamin'Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You" and the Patti Smith composition "Rock 'n' Roll Nigger", none of which come close enough to the quality of the original versions.
However, I think, this is even worse than the debut, and I can't really find any reasons for listening to the album.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Marilyn Manson "Portrait of an American Family" (1994)

Portrait of an American Family
release date: Jul. 19, 1994
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,32]
producer: Trent Reznor
label: Nothing / Interscope - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 5. "Cyclops" - 7. "Get Your Gunn" - 8. "Wrapped in Plastic"

Studio debut album by American metal rock band Marilyn Manson produced by Nine Inch Nails' front figure Trent Reznor and released through his newly founded label Nothing Records. At this stage Marilyn Manson was now seen as a band, although, it was initially named Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids from 1989, which included founding member Marilyn Manson [aka Brian Warner] on vocals with guitarist Daisy Berkowitz [aka Scott Putesky] and bassist Olivia Newton Bundy [aka Brian Tutunick]. From around 1990 Bundy left and was replaced by Gidget Gein [aka Brad Stewart], and from around '91 the band also included keyboardist Madonna Wayne [aka Stephen Bier] and drummer Sara Lee Lucas [aka Fred Streithorst]. The band name was shortened to Marilyn Manson in '92 when the five initiated the works on what would be this album - initially titled "The Manson Family Album", but the band was very unsatisfied with the production sound and contacted Reznor who accepted to rework the recordings at what point Gein was replaced by the band's roadie Twiggy Ramirez [aka Jeordie Osbourne White] due to Gein's heroin addiction.
Stylistically, it's industrial metal and alt. metal, which incorporates various samples on almost all tracks, and thematically, the band keeps to compositions and songs drawing its attention on the hypocrisy of American lifestyle.
The early works by Marilyn Manson nor this album has never been a personal favourite of mine. It's simply too heavy metal-based for my liking, and I reject the music like I do with albums by Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, Metalica, Korn and many others who deal with heavy metal, as I never was a fan of the metal 'circus'. The only reason I ever came around this album is because of my interest in the band's later works with a stronger gothic rock tone pointing at some of the 1980s post-punk artists, and because I do like some alt. metal bands, who incorporate elements from the world of alt. rock, post rock or punk-rock, and then I really like the videos Marilyn Manson made together with Canadian-Italian director Floria Sigismondi.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 2 / 5 stars ]