Marilyn Manson - Holy Wood (In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death)
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Free Music Notes for Holy Wood (In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death)
Free Music Review: Your Quintessential revolutionary Rock N Roll album
Hit: 5 Stars
Holy Wood is the most sophisticated album in recent times, particularly on a lyrical level. Only Tool, Radiohead, and Nine Inch Nails are in the league of Marilyn Manson in the Rock or Industrial genres, in my humble opinion. I beseech you, inconclusive reader of my review of this incendiary, or explosive record, purchase this album as you will not be disappointed. As true ART, Holy Wood serves as an album that's defined by the individual, and at the same time has unquestionable symbolizations for you as the listener, or fan to research. As another reviewer made mention already, this album is much like a history lesson. Simply put, this combined with his "Mechanical Animals" and "Antichrist Supertar", which forms a storyline that will hopefully be released as a book, isn't for you to listen to one time and go "That was a blatantly obvious message". That said, all of Marilyn Manson's radical religious opposition is trifle. It turns out Marilyn Manson fathoms Jesus as a revolutionary being he compares himself to, and doesn't have a problem with the Bible.
When you think you've figured out Manson, you have not. He is the anti-hero of our time with more enchanting puzzles enriddled in his records than you could shake a stick at. You might think the man is ungodly, though you'd be suprised at how many of his morals actually coincide with yours once you research them.
This album is musically intriguing. "President Dead" contains a particularly great guitar riff and solo (unfortunately the only solo on this album). As for as musicianship goes, this album probably exceeds all of it's predecessors, and is Marilyn Manson's peak thus far as we await the Golden Age of Grotesque. This album is what Mechanical Animals and AntiChrist Superstar was musically, but more multi-dimensional. This is comming from someone who can play essentially, all of Marilyn Manson's songs from the tryptich on guitar.
Holy Wood is a roller coaster of emotions, and is probably the most underrated album of our time. Some fans expected a carbon copy of AntiChrist Superstar, and others wanted a dramatic change like Mechanical Animals was. Therefore, they dismissed this album one listen through, and never understood how enchanting it was. This album is both, and a hell of a lot more.
Free Music Review: Revolution
Hit: 5 Stars
This Album is without a doubt one of the best Manson has made. First off "Portrait of an American Family" and "Smells like Children" were Will Wonka knock offs were manson looked from the view point of children on how harshly the world treated them. "AnitChrist Superstar" was the beginning of a trilogy representing being an AntiChirst and trying to create scary sounds and lyrics which many say worked. "Mechanical Animals" was the second of the trilogy which showed how some of us are given into temptation of society because we want to be "normal" as most say meaning going by fad to fad and never knowing who is truely your friend or who just trys to help him/herself out. "Holywood" however was the two combined with the creepy (but not as dark) sounds of AntiChrist and Lyrics and meanings of Mechanical Animals. Fight Song, Disposable Teens talk about how Adults and Society treat Teens/Kids who try to individualize themselfs cruely as if they knew what was best. Nobodies talks about Columbine and how the two who shot students in there school did it because they were harassed and abused by the students all the time, one of the lyrics says "you should have seen the ratings that day" talks about how the media dosen't care about anyone or anything except ratings and how many film photographers and reports didn't even lift a finger to help just like the poperotcy and Princess Diana case. Death Song talks about how everyone is a childs hero and therefore the children and youth of America don't have a future. Born Again talks about Mechanical Animals and how many fans betrayed him thinking he repented and went pop went he was imitating pop stars, Count to six and die talks about how this is the end and how Coma (a woman he talks about in some songs) is going to commit suicide as said in his lyrics "she's got her mouth on the metal" (meaning gun) and how Marilyn Manson too plans to die (I think he means dieing from the public spotlight) he says "I won't ask forgiveness my faith has gone dry" meaning that if there is a god he won't ask foregiveness because the world he lives in had made him this way and it isn't his fault. I think Hollywood is a Revelution and the perfect end to the trilogy and to what could be an artists career.Free Music Review: Marilyn Manson's Holy Wood is the band at it's best
Hit: 5 Stars
Manson has evoluted since their mainstream debut Portrait Of An American Family, produced by Nine Inch Nails mastermind, Trent Reznor. Since then, we've seen him transforming himself into the american-hated Antichrist Superstar, the beautiful-disgusting alien from Mechanical Animals, and the cynical rock star Omega from that album too. Now, Manson takes his act even further, and blends his two past albums with a new edge that will take 4 or 5 listenings to grow on you and fully expand its petals in your brain. Holy Wood is one depressing and violent take on today's stupid death worshipping through TV and the media in general. Those bozos who picked on the band and on different movies, blaming them for the Columbine massacre, are the same hypocrits that sell you prefabricated Talk Shows, sex driven commercials, and greedy religion; all in one beautiful package that pretendas to pass as morality. Manson shows no mercy to them, speaking about Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (The Nobodies), Kennedy and John Lenons (In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death), and seducing controversy and danger with no fear (The Death Song). Holy Wood sounds different from ACS and MA, but at the same time it owes its sound to them very strongly. This is not an album which will pass without notice, this is a hammer-in-the-head statement about our dumbness. We can live happily with our families or whatever, but we can be shot in the street by some idiot who doesn't like our skin color our our ideas, just because the whole media culture has posted standards for race, beauty, wealth and all those unnecesary subjects. Buy Holy Wood, watch Fight Club, and you'll get close to the whole idea.Manson is one of the few mainstream artists that makes their audiences think and try to understand further things better than Hit Me One More Time or She Bangs or A.D.I.D.A.S., maybe he's ot the better example for a young generation, but if you're concerned about the kind of music or movies or TV that your children are exposed to, start by showing them that those Britney, Ricky Martin and Oprah dweebs are a danger too. There's always variety for everyone of us.
Free Music Review: "Some of us were really born to die..."
Hit: 5 Stars
This was my first Manson CD and was the first Manson i had ever really listened to period. The only things i had ever heard about Manson were bad things, like he was just some angry shock rocker who wrote about things he hated. But that was a load of crap, i realized after listening to this. This is yet another good lyrical masterpiece, and Manson uses his intelligent and insightfull view to tackle many subjects such as religious hypocricy, judgemental America, fame, and the many untold truths of our time. Actually pick up and read some of the lyrics and you cannot honestly say that it doesnt have any deep meaning. Truely Manson is a spokesman for the masses. His music has changed me so much and inspired me as well, and im sure that he can do the same to you. For some reason, this album sounds so much more like classic heavy rock to me, unlike the glaim rocker 'Mechanical Animals' or the industrial sludge of 'AntiChrist Superstar.' The album starts with the humming lure of GodeatGod, which introduces you to the Kennedy Assisnation that makes its way as a prominent subject throughout the rest of the CD. And then you listen your way through "the Love Song", an ironic song showing america's obsession with guns and how they all love to hate. Then Holy Wood's ingles 'The Fight Song' and 'Disposable Teens' which makes an unforgettable statement. My Favorie songs of this album are the wierdest ones, 'Target Audience' and 'In the shadow of the Valley of Death.' I was drawn to their uniqueness seeing as how they don't sound like they belong on here, but yet they belong perfectly. But then agian, its hard to catagorize music like Mansons, and I'm glad to say that this is his most diverse album yet, which makes it my favorite. Sure, all of his music is unique, but this one sure does stand out. And its apparent that Manson did a lot of studying of religion in writing these songs, becuase the refrences he makes to religious texts really are legit. Say what you will, but this man is a genious, and its not his fault if you dont want to hear the truth. Live on, Mr.Manson! You are the king!
Free Music Review: Most complete album to date
Hit: 5 Stars
A band you either love or loathe, Manson never stray far from their blueprint - the deeply cynical lyrics of the band leader Marilyn Manson, the slow dirge type songs and the high energy two-fingered salute rock songs to mainstream America. Combining the metallic edge of Antichrist Superstar with the Glam-inspired Mechanical Animals has resulted in Holywood, the most complete musical statement the band have made in their highly controversial career to date. The killer one-two of The Love Song and The Fight Song are the standout moments on this very long album. The Fight Song sounds like Blur's Song Two put through the industrial blender to create a Stooges-sounding energy rush. First single Disposable Teens is basically The Beautiful People revisited but still is one of Manson's strongest work. President Dead has an amazing chorus that marks it as one of the most immediate tracks on first listen. Delve deeper and you will find the sequel to 1998s Coma White, titled here funnily enough as Coma Black. If you look at this from a cynic's point of view, a band running out of ideas and from a fan's viewpoint, taking one of Mechanical Animal's finest moments to create a more than worthy follow-up. Burning Flag sounds to similar to Ministry's earlier recordings for comfort but still remains Holywood's most angry track.
The Nobodies written in the aftermath of the Columbine massacres is an intent statement of American youth of the 21st century. Early editions of the CD feature an acoustic version of The Nobodies, which sounds like it was recorded live in the studio. The one track that ruins the flow of the album is Crucifiction In Space but that becomes decent after a while. Every track is worthy of a mention, from A Place In The Dirt anthem qualities to King Kill's industrial weirdness.
Just like the predecessor, Mechanical Animals, Holywood plummeted down the Billboard charts, which is a shame as this would be highly regarded as a classic rock album if the band were not perceived as some devil-worshipping goths instead of talented musicians they are.