MARILYN MANSON
MARILYN MANSON “One Assassination Under God, Chapter 1”
By Iron Sheik
MARILYN MANSON rising like a phoenix comes back with an excellent release of anger and outspoken truths of what he has experienced in recent years on new album “One Assassination Under God Chapter 1”. Since 2021 he has dealt with the loss of his record label, booking agent and management all severing ties with him. "Obviously my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims are horrible distortions of reality" MANSON proclaimed in a 2021 Instagram post. Now in 2024 he speaks out through an excellent new album.
Sounding like MARILYN of all eras this album throbs with a bottom end in a steady constant motion. At times there is a fleeting glimpse of “The Beautiful People” or even “Mobscene” as he declares left and right his disdain and seething anger over what has happened to him. Tracks like “As Sick As The Secrets Within” with a haunting vibe, pulsating bass and heavy guitar are typical MANSON fare. “Nod If You Understand” states "no reason to ask forgiveness, pain is the language that was spoken to me, now it's my time to answer" which seems to sum up the attitude on this album. “Meet Me In Purgatory” continues with the pulsating vibe to its asking "How much worse than me can we be" and "are you gonna pray for me when I am in purgatory?"
Throughout the album are leanings towards a melancholy state akin to sounding like THE CURE. It seems as though this album relies more on a different dark atmosphere but still undeniably MANSON. Tracks that were aforementioned are my favorites, but the title track rocks hard and others like “Sacrilegious” hint at the past with its “Mobscene” sound, and the other tracks are at moments akin to 70s David Bowie sound like with the last track “Sacrifice Of The Mass”. And it ends with the statement "the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb..."
“Assassination...” rocks, vibes with throbbing bottom end and an ethereal sound. It definitely leaves the listener wanting more because it is more focused. I wrote a paper for an English Composition class in 2011 while attending my local community college working on my Associates Degree that centered around the Columbine shootings, MARILYN MANSON being blamed for them and freedom of speech. I was surprised to learn he was being used as the scapegoat for the blame of the shootings. It brought his career to a grinding halt as have the lawsuits filed in 2021. Yet as with “Holy Wood” being his response to the Columbine misplaced blame he responds here in 2024 with a great album showcasing a seething anger. “Assassination...” proclaims that anger as a response to the people who all played a part in his second fall and this rise can be just as heavy as the screaming guitars of this and earlier releases. Minimalist guitar and keys create a melancholic gothic atmosphere that at times has danceable vibes. MARILYN proves on “Assassination...” that he cannot be held down. Risen, he has!