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Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews

Marilyn Manson Antichrist Superstar Review by Gary Hill Marilyn Manson is very controversial, but if you really take the time to listen to the music, there is a dark beauty and charm to it. Certainly the album is not for people who get offended by foul language, but this is a wonderful choice for any time that you want to feel a little dark, and a little frightened. It combines elements of metal, techno, and even prog into a wall of sound that is quite engrossing. The band is Marilyn Manson, Twiggy Ramirez, M.W. Gacy, Ginger Fish, and Zim Zum. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: The Early Years Volume 3 at garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-The-Early-Years .

Track by Track Review

Irresponsible Hate Anthem Processed crowd sounds begin this cut, which then thunders out its opening riffs. The sound is techno meets metal, and some of the keyboard segments on this number are quite dramatic.

Beautiful People Electronic mayhem starts this cut. This is a percussion driven number with a catchy, but extremely hard edged metallic mode. The brigde has a creepy and intriguing texture.

Dried Up, Tied Up, and Dead to the World This is a crunchy song with a funky texture.

Tourniquet Creepy spoken voices serve as the intro to this one, which is an alternative rock song that is very accessible. The guitar and bass interplay, coupled with a wonderful guitar sound, really makes the track.

Little Horn This number is very hard edged, fast paced dark metal.

Crypt Orchid Crypt Orchid is a spooky, atmospheric cut. The early segments have that texture, then the cut takes on a keyboard/vocal segment that has an awesome atmosphere.

Deformography This is a percussive rocking cut with potent textures.

Wormboy This is a straightforward rock cut with a twisted vocal and percussion break.

Mister Superstar This is a rather complex number that integrates metallic and techno modes into a tapestry that both shocks and entertains. This is one of the best cuts on the album. This one jumps straight into Angel With the Scabbed Wings.

Angel With The Scabbed Wings Feeling a bit like Nine Inch Nails does Black Sabbath, this one also has some hip hopish rhythmic patterns.

Kinderfeld This hard rocking cut really has a nice groove to it, and some very creepy moments. It is a very atmospheric cut creative and unusual vocal arrangement.

Antichrist Superstar This is a hard rocking song with intriguing changes.

1996 Jumping hard fast and disonant, the opening riff of this cut almost feels like a harder edged King Crimson. Then, it changes gear to straight ahead hard and frantic rock.

Minute of Decay This number has a bluesy low key texture to the early segments with an almost Concrete Blondeish feel at times. It also has harder edged segments, as well, but the mode is more hauntingly chilled than anything else.

The Reflecting God This one is very Nine Inch Nails influenced, but also includes a verse that is very much in an old Bowie vein. "Everything I show you is a piece of my death".

Man That You Fear This one is haunting and frightening, but still quite beautiful. It is quite lush at times, dark, but yet progressive. "The boy that you loved is the man that you fear." This one ends by kind of dissolving into chaos followed by processed spoken words.

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