A Call to Arms for Marilyn Manson

       On May 1st, shock rock veteran Marilyn Manson will unleash his 8th full length record, Born Villain, into the world. Detractors will cry foul at Manson's (admittedly arrogant and outlandish) assertion that Born Villain is his best work yet, without ever taking into consideration that every artist ever has to say that their new work is their best on a press tour. I have been reading a lot online and in print about what the various metal-minded folk of our great nation think Manson's place in the world is, and I have to say it looks dismal.        The general viewpoint on matters considering the artist formerly known as Brian Warner is that he is a washed up has been who no longer warrants the time of day from the myriad of bloggers whose childhood walls he once adorned. Hipster culture, it seems, will win out again.

       I didn't grow up on Marilyn Manson, I consider myself a convert. I always knew who he was, but I avoided him like the plague. I didn't like the way he looked or sounded and, quite frankly, he didn't jive too soundly with my Dickies and Hurley t-shirt. Simply put, when Manson was in his heyday, I was a little busy with pop punk. It wasn't until I watched Michael Moore's documentary Bowling for Columbine that I gained interest in Manson. He was dressed freakishly, of course, but when Moore asked him about his alleged inspiration and effect on Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, Manson was incredibly verbose and well spoken. I was awestruck by the way he carried himself and found myself watching every interview with him I could find, and reading his book The Long, Hard Road Out of Hell. Then I bought all his records. Then I saw him live on the Eat Me, Drink Me tour and I was hooked.

       Without shame, I can say that I am absolutely fascinated by Marilyn Manson and the circus that surrounds him. On his 2002 tour DVD, Guns God & Government, Manson dresses as a pope, tears a Bible to shreds and smashes instruments left and right. That whole tour, he was met in every city by Christian protestors who wanted him shut down for his Satanic imagery. He persevered. He was constantly attacked from all angles about his secular, drug fueled lifestyle and the influence it had on his fans. Manson sparked an excellent national conversation about the personal responsibility of youth and the theatrical qualities of rock n' roll. Parents feared him for the same reasons their children revered him.

       Marilyn Manson is, in 2012, not anywhere near as shocking as he was in 1998. Looking back at the songs and albums and images that set people off back then, a lot of the things he said and did would be considered tame today. The general consensus surrounding those cooler types who decide what the rest of us should listen to is that Manson hasn't much left to offer us; the well of his antics seems to have run dry. He is older, he has gained weight, and his last couple records left something to be desired by those who weren't already big fans. Manson has acted increasingly brash in interviews to try and regain some attention, but he still seems to be playing smaller and smaller venues each time he tours.

       After the less than impressive sales of his less than impressive 2009 effort The High End of Low, Manson parted ways with longtime label Interscope Records. Honestly, after those numbers, I can't imagine they were sad to see him go. He went to work on the much-delayed Born Villain, and released a pretty pretentious video directed by Shia Labeouf (who is making a documentary about Manson as we speak) where he tries to quote Shakespeare for affect and actually flubs the quote. I would have to say, hardcore fans aside, the anticipation for new music from Marilyn Manson is at an all time low. 

       And this is why he has to strike now and prove that he is still relevant and still has something to offer. For the second time in his career, Manson has to rise to the top and prove everyone wrong. There have been these glimmers of greatness in his last two albums (I actually thought Eat Me, Drink Me was pretty awesome) that suggested he still had a hit record left in him. He has never been known as a particularly excellent vocalist, but his epic sense of songwriting put him on top, and it can get him back there. He's got Twiggy Ramirez back in the band,  he's got Cooking Vinyl Records onboard, and he still has a dedicated legion of cult followers as a good base for promotion. Marilyn Manson, the Billboard Top 200 does not realize how much it needs you. It's a little safe out there, and we need you to come back and stir the pot a little bit, just like the old days.

       In summation, I will be purchasing Born Villain in May, and I really hope it's good. Rock stars are a dying breed, and Manson is one of the few we have left. You'll miss him when he's gone..