Antichrist Superstar [PA] - Marilyn Manson > Reviews > Things Keep Falling Off Buildings

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money

Advantages:	Some good songs
Disadvantages:	Can be samey and dull

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The named to shock ‘Antichrist Superstar’ was the album that brought Marilyn Manson into the global view (His first release was in 1994!). Strange really that this album seems less about shock than the others. Oh he still sets out to shock it’s just slightly more subtle about it. There’s no song titles along the lines of “S****y Chicken Gang Bang”, although he seems to be on a bit of a offend as many as possible mission with the album artwork, which I won’t even go into.

* Irresponsible Hate Anthem *

Hey, it’s actually pretty good – mainly noise-as-a-tune metal with the odd quieter, mildly spooky bits thrown in. It’s a fairly fun shout along metal song that features the hook line “I wasn’t born with enough middle fingers”. No stupid “I will shock people stuff”, no stupid white noise stuff and most importantly, no glam stuff. Good song!

* The Beautiful People *

This one’s better though, mixing properly spooky quiet bits with mumbled vocals, loud spooky bits with clearer vocals and a full out metal moment with vocals that are just screamed enough to have the effect whilst still actually being vocals. Like Irresponsible Hate Anthem, it’s nothing overly clever – just some good fun metal.

* Dried up, Tied and Dead to the World *

This track’s less great though, Manson’s vocals have the whiney quality that I don’t like with a fairly forgettable medium paced metal background – one to skip methinks.

* Tourniquet *

Starting with a promising opening, there’s metal with melody going on here as a guitar wails a mournful tune. Intro over it’s onto a fairly laid back section with calm vocals that leads into a chorus based on the intro melody but with more anger and vocals to match. This is actually quite similar to some of the tracks you can find on Mechanical Animals and is pretty good!

* Little Horn *

It’s either a slow thrash riff or a fast metal riff depending on your point of view that starts this song that sounds very similar to “Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World” if you’re not concentrating. Pretty dull really, although in it’s favour it is short!

* Cryptorchid *

“Each time I make my mother cry an angel dies and falls from heaven” starts this dark and unsettling track. Made up of several vocal styles and layers of sombre synths. It proceeds thusly for a while before turning into a sorting gothic version of Greensleaves with vocoded vocals. Spookily good stuff.

* Deformography *

A quiet intro with a NINish synth bubbling away unhappily in the background leads onto a fuzzed up bass led track that gradually grows extra layers. It gets better and better until we reach the chorus which is, initially, a disappointment but eventually the “dirty dirty rock star” chant embeds itself in your brain. Again, not bad at all.

* Wormboy *

Title sounds like a kids TV show as does the strangely happy intro (Although minus the whispering I’d guess) and indeed, so does the whole song in a rather bizarre fashion. The chorus is the highlight of the song, pumping drums, crunchy guitars, hand claps and falsetto vocals. Good in a strange sort of way.

* Mister Superstar *

A strange stalker/obsessive song about various rock/porn/etc stars. It’s mainly pretty average with a couple of good bits in, although it improves for the dramatic ending. Not as bad as Little Horn but not as good as The Beautiful People.

* Angel With The Scabbed Wings *

I already know and like this one. Haunting metal with a strange rhythm thing going on, a bit like a horse galloping in slow motion. It mixes a will it/won’t it quiet bit with some staccato guitar stabs, slaps and mutes and tops it off with a melodic noise chorus. The song has a big sense of always being about to go somewhere without ever actually getting quite where you think it’s supposed to be getting. The net result leaves you never quite comfortable with the song.

* Kinderfeld *

Dentist drill synths, distorted base and Marilyn whispering down your ear is not the most pleasant of ways to start a song. Nor is it the most comfortable way of carrying on a song. Spooky factor 10 is reached in a section with hugely strummed guitars and a wibbling vocal effect and continued in the moody bass and squeaky guitar section that follows. Like Cryptorchid, it’s spookily good.

* Antichrist Superstar *

Huge thumping guitar/drums – “hey” shouts do for an intro which is followed on with a huge guitar riff which is pretty good. The song looses the plot a bit at the start of the chorus which is mainly shouting and noise, but regains it for the evil synth led remainder of the chorus. A mixed bag of a song really, doesn’t seem to be entirely sure where it’s going.

* 1996 *

Was the year of release for the album. Anyway, the song lights up with a drum roll and a load of discordant noise. Which is pretty much what you get for the whole song but with a bit more tune. One to skip methinks.

* Minute of Decay *

Slow and haunting, this bass led song features the by now obligatory spooky synths and angry guitars, but slower and with more room than before. Not overly exciting but effective.

* The Reflecting God *

Marilyn returns to dull metal once again, just slower. Not much interesting to say about it really! Although it does show signs of growing a tune two minutes in and indeed, it does improves to a noise with a tune hybrid. Still not the best on the album though.

* Man That You Fear *

A slow plodding song that promises nothing and delivers it :). Really though, it’s a quite a dull way to end the album – although quite a lot of the end of the album was dull.

* NIN Style Secret Track at track 99 *

Just a bunch of noise, not even instrument noise – just noise. Dull.

Well, Antichrist Superstar was on it’s way to getting four stars there but the rather feeble last third of the album (Called “Cycle III – Disintegrator Rising”) along with the sameyness of some of the album knocks it down to three. Better luck next time Marilyn!