Friday, August 10, 2012

HEAVY T.O 2012: Marilyn Manson

I was fortunate enough to hit up the 2011 edition of HEAVY T.O. and even purchased the tickets before the band were announced.  For some reason, I had a feeling it was going to be a good year :-)

Now, for these articles, I usually throw around some opinions and constructive criticisms.  I'm going to keep all feelings aside and just report on some need to know facts about these bands to make your experience at the festival a little more enjoyable.  If you know of someone going to the festival, pass the articles along and get them just as stoked as we are!  For today, AFGM brings you MARILYN MANSON!


Marilyn Manson is an American band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Marilyn Manson (aka Brian Hugh Warner) and Daisy Berkowitz, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early 1990s. This attention subsequently developed into a worldwide fanbase. The band's lineup has changed between many of their album releases. The current members of Marilyn Manson are the eponymous lead singer, guitarist Twiggy Ramirez (who previously played bass), bassist Fred Sablan and touring drummer Jason Sutter. 



Although grounded in industrial metal, the band has come to be known for altering both its image and its musical trappings frequently; the group's sound incorporating, at various stages, elements of spoken word poetry, glam rock, vaudeville and burlesque. Up until 1996, the name of each member was originally created by combining the first name of an iconic female sex symbol and the last name of an iconic serial killer (Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson), doing so to demonstrate laudatory appraisal of the US and its peculiar culture. The members of the band dress in outlandish makeup and costumes, and have engaged in intentionally shocking behavior both onstage and off. In the past, their lyrics often received criticism for their anti-religious sentiment and references to sex, violence and drugs. Their performances have frequently been called offensive and obscene, and, on several occasions, protests and petitions have led to the group being banned from performing. 


As this controversy began to wane throughout the 2000s, so did the band's mainstream popularity. Despite this, Jon Wiederhorn of MTV.com, in June 2003, referred to Marilyn Manson as "the only true artist today". Marilyn Manson has garnered much success: four of the band's albums have been multi-platinum, and 2 more have been gold, and the band has seen seven of its releases debut in the top ten, including two number-one albums. VH1 has ranked Marilyn Manson as the seventy-eighth best rock band on their 100 Great Artists of Hard Rock. Aggregate site AcclaimedMusic.net lists Marilyn Manson number 723 in their artist rank for greatest of all time. Marilyn Manson has sold over 50 million records.

Manson has also gone through a couple of changes for his lineup in the past few years.  Here is what his roster currently has for this tour:


Marilyn Manson – Vocals | Twiggy Ramirez – Guitars | Fred Sablan – Bass | Jason Sutter - Drums

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Manson has wide array of albums and single to choose from, so no one really know what his set list is going to entail, but most likely some material from the eighth LP, "Born Villain". It was released worldwide on May 1st, 2012 via Hell, etc. (Marilyn Manson's own label), a sub-company of Cooking Vinyl Records. Funny fact of the album...The album is the band's first release since their contract with longtime record label Interscope Records ended in late 2009.


1. Hey, Cruel World...
2. No Reflection
3. Pistol Whipped
4. Overneath the Path of Misery
5. Slo-Mo-Tion
6. The Gardener
7. The Flowers of Evil
8. Children of Cain
9. Disengaged
10. Lay Down Your Goddamn Arms
11. Murderers Are Getting Prettier Every Day
12. Born Villain
13. Breaking the Same Old Ground

Bonus track:
14. You're So Vain (featuring Johnny Depp)



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The eighth-studio album from alt-rock firebrand Marilyn Manson, Born Villain is the follow-up to the band's 2009 effort The High End of Low. Described as having a heavier sound than its predecessor, this is also purported to be a concept album of sorts, in the vein of similar works by longtime Manson influence David Bowie. As Manson parted ways with Interscope Records in 2009, he was set to release Born Villain via his own imprint Hell, as well as his new parent label, Cooking Vinyl. A promotional film in support of the album directed by actor Shia LaBeouf premiered in Los Angeles in 2011. Included on Born Villain is the lead-off single 'No Reflection.' -All Music

(Photo courtesy of Agata Alexander)

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After the album’s first single ‘No Reflection,’ the record begins to slow down into a continuously uneasy path with ‘The Gardener’ and ‘The Flowers of Evil,’ the former of which starts off with Manson whispering, 'I’m not man enough to be human, but I’m trying to fit in, and I’m learning to fake it.' Having taken inspiration from acts such as Joy Division, Birthday Party and Killing Joke, the middle of the record feels like a dance party in limbo.

As the album proceeds into ‘Children of Cain,’ Manson injects a bit more energy into the record, creating a crescendo that continues into one of the album’s highlight tracks, ‘Murderers Are Getting Prettier Every Day.’ The song boasts the classic full-speed-ahead industrial style of Manson, reminiscent of ‘Astonishing Panorama of the Endtimes.’



The end of ‘Born Villain’ rounds off into a mixture of Manson’s various styles with the title track and ‘Breaking the Same Old Ground,’ which perhaps in a poetic sense of irony, feels like anything but breaking the same old ground. Despite the pessimistic title, the end of the album portrays a harmonious confidence that will translate heavily with listeners.

Despite the notion put forth by naysayers that Manson’s best work is behind him, ‘Born Villain’ proves not only that the connection between Manson and his fans can still grow stronger, but that the rock icon still has much more to say. -Loudwire

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(Photo courtesy of Francesco Carrozzini)

"You can’t kill the bogeyman. Just when you thought it was safe to write off Manson, he rises again like the slasher-flick anti-hero he deserves to be. The shock rocker’s eighth album finds him musing about destructive love, pondering his humanity and quoting Macbeth — while riding a downward spiral of slow-grinding goth-metal and glam-slam.

Sound and fury signifying maturity? Go figure."-Ottawa Sun

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"But then comes the music. And as is often the case, it’s just… alright. Yeah, he definitely sounds more energised, and like he’s got his mojo back and revisited the records – in his words 'Killing Joke, Joy Division, Revolting Cocks, Bauhaus, Birthday Party' – that inspired him in the first place. Yeah, opener ‘Hey, Cruel World…’ sets a tone of requisitely sleazy guitars and processed industrial beats, and yeah, “teenage rape” gets a seemingly obligatory mention (during ‘Slo-Mo-Tion’). And yeah, at the end of the record, he lobs in another semi-comedy cover – this time of Carly Simon’s ‘You’re So Vain’ – with Johnny Depp on guitar.

 
(Photo courtesy of Andrew Stuart)

Again, this all sounds good, right? Right. The truth is, though, there’s just a lack of magic, a lack of something special going on. It’s not bad. It’s not good. It’s just… Well, look, the thing is, for a guy whose whole raison d’etre is ‘American Psycho’-esque dark comedy/shock horror, getting shrugs and six out of 10 – defined at the start of this section as 'better than average' – is not really what it’s all about. It should be zeroes and tens. But musically, it just ain’t." -NME

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For more info on MM and what the band has been up to lately, check them out on an of their official links:





*MARILYN MANSON WILL BE PERFORMING ON SATURDAY (THE 11TH) ON THE JAGERMEISTER EAST STAGE FROM 20:00-21:00*

And of course I have to share the best single (in my opinion) from Manson and with a little help:



Another really odd/funny note here.  Recently, a few websites have gotten ahold of a hand written letter sent from Charles Manson himself to Marilyn.  Now, keep in mind this looks and sounds comepleely out of left field, but I think it loosely translate into Charles requesting that Marilyn donate profits of his to environmental causes, considering his alter ego is based off MARILYN Monroe and Charles MANSON.

To Marilyn Manson –

It’s taken me a long time to get there from where I could touch M. Manson. Now I got a card to play – you may look into my non-profit, ATWA, and give Manson what you think he’s got coming for Air, Trees, Water, and you. Or I will pay Manson what you think Manson got coming – the music has make Manson into Abraxas Devil, and I’m SURE you would want some of what I got from what I got. It’s a far out balance. Beyond good and bad, right, wrong. What you don’t do is what I will do – what you did a sing-along, and let it roll and said how you saved me a lot of steps – I don’t need, it’s not a need or a want. Couped – coup. Ghost dancers slay together and you’re just in my grave Sunstroker Corona-coronas-coronae – you seen me from under with it all standing on me. That’s 2 dump trucks – doing the same as CMF 000007

Charles Manson

(Post card, August 2012)

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