The Golden Age of Grotesque - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
The Golden Age of Grotesque was inspired by the seamy underside of Weimar Berlin, circa 1930. The album is constructed along the lines of Alice Cooper's 1975 gem, Welcome to My Nightmare, dipping in to the same cabaret of Cooper's "Some Folks." Unlike Cooper, however, this is no comic nightmare. "This isn't a show / This is my f*cking life / I'm not ashamed / You're entertained," Manson snarls in "Vodevil," making it abundantly clear that the singer was born in the wrong time and place and is more at home among the absinthe-drinking revelers in pre-Nazi Germany. The album possesses a dark, accessible beauty rather than the twisted industrial dissonance that pervades much of his earlier stuff. "mOBSCENE" is a thumping rocker that features a deranged cheerleading squad. "Ka-Boom Ka-Boom" is a rousing stomper that Manson penned in response to an exec's complaint that the new songs didn't rock. Its simple yet seditious chorus decries, "I like a big car, 'cause I'm a big star / I'll make a big rock & roll hit." Since 1998's Mechanical Animals, Manson's albums have become progressively more tuneful, and Grotesque continues the trend. --Jaan Uhelszki

Customer Reviews: Read 170 more reviews...

3 out of 5 stars

A hard album to rate July 14, 2005
31 out of 38 found this review helpful

It's very hard to find the right number of stars when rating Manson's fifth full length album, "The Golden Age of Grotesque." Am I somewhat disappointed with it? Yes. And do I enjoy listening to it? Well, yes, actually. This disc doesn't have the sharp impact that its predecessors had, mostly because the lyrics are a big disappointment. Manson regurgitates his same subject matter (religion, sex, profanity, and killing your parents, etc.), unfortunately many of these words come across sounding like Manson is trying too hard to live up to his infamous name. It's sort of surprising when he tells his fans, on the third track, to "Be obscene!" But halfway through the C.D., as when he shamelessly states "Hold the `S', `cuz I'm an ain't," he sounds a little too predictable. And when he proclaims "We're five middle fingers on one motherf-cking hand" on track 13, whatever shock value has worn off and he now sounds somewhat contrived.
In addition to puffing his chest, Manson takes one too many swipes at the media. The ironic laundry list of controversial terms ("babble babble, b-tch b-tch, rebel rebel, party party, sex sex sex, and don't forget the violence") on "This is the New Sh-t" is somewhat entertaining, but after that, the pop culture jabs grow tiresome.

Finally, lyrically but also musically, nothing new is brought to the table with "The Golden Age of Grotesque." I'm not expecting John 5 to rip off a great guitar solo, but the music on this album is simply recycled from past albums (the same Nine Inch Nails meets nu-metal riffs and drum beats).

But, those complaints aside, "TGAoG" is still a fairly enjoyable listen. The album's second single (and second track) "This is the New Sh-t" is a personal favorite. This song, which is very catchy, begins in a very Manson-esque way, with ominous techno sound effects and a vocal synthesizer. The chorus is the aforementioned "babble babble..." line, and it ends with a few eerie whispers. Track three, the lead single, "mOBSCENE," is even catchier than its predecessor and it might be one of the catchiest songs Manson has ever written. The beginning techno noises are flattened when the crunchy guitars kick in. The chorus, which is a shout-along with a group of female cheerleaders, should be popular in live shows. Next, "Use Your Fist and Not Your Mouth" has an almost Tool-esque riff (which changes to a bobbing riff in places), but this song is a highlight because of its very catchy chorus, in which the volume level jumps. This chorus seems tailor made for getting mosh pits swirling. Finally, "The Bright Young Things" has a wall of electronica over which a woman talks, then Manson whispers, then Manson utters a few spoken words. Some parts are heavy but this song is, more-or-less, a techno.

Most of the rest of the album is a mixed bag. Sometimes it's the overly evil lyrics that drag a song down. Such is the case with track seven, "sAINT." It's very catchy, but Manson keeps repeating lines that begin with "I am..." (i.e. "I am not an artist, I'm a work of art.") Plus, this song has a memorable, but ultimately rather lame sounding refrain: "I've got an `f' and a `c' and I got a `k', too; the only thing that's missing is a b-tch like you." The very next track, "Ka-Boom, Ka-Boom," has stop-start, humming guitars, but a song with the word "ka-boom" in the title should be explosive; and this song is not. Also, "Better of Two Evils" is equally as catchy, but it isn't anything new. Manson's vocals are the exact same on this song, and this song, like most others on here, follows the same soft-loud song structure. Plus, Manson declares here that he is "the better of two evils." That line might have been shocking and controversial... if this song was written eight-or-so years ago. Unfortunately, this song now blurs the line between being a bad ass and being a self parody.

Some songs really fall flat. "Para-noir" simply fails to detonate; whereas "Vodevil" does have an entertaining, fist-pumping chorus, but it ultimately sounds too similar to tracks two and five.

Since many of these songs get by on a big, mosh-worthy chorus, I think Manson might have written this album just so he could have a batch of fresh, exciting songs to take on tour. Or maybe he has simply run out of ideas. Whatever the case, I think he should have spent more time on this album. His devout fans will stay with him forever, but to hold everyone else's attention, M.M. needs to find a new way to shock the listener. This album proves that simply regurgitating past lyrics won't make the listener's jaws drop to the floor.

I recommend "TGAoG" to all of Manson's fans, and you should definitely check this album out if you're an industrial-metal fan. To me, however, "The Golden Age of Grotesque" is a mostly enjoyable listen, but I think it ultimately does not show Marilyn Manson in his prime (in his "golden age"). It just lacks the sharp impact, originality, and intelligent lyrics that its predecessors had.

5 out of 5 stars

give me a break!!! October 25, 2003
14 out of 20 found this review helpful

Now some dedicated MM fans say wow this is less metal & little goth this sucks!! its more rock & a new style now i don't have time to review every song but this is another masterpiece like every Manson album Mr. Warner A.K.A. marilyn manson thank you for making masterpiece after masterpiece.

" I don't say to be like me, i say to be like you and to make a difference." - Marilyn manson

5 out of 5 stars Different, but still terrific! February 16, 2004
9 out of 11 found this review helpful

I do agree that "The Golden Age of Grotesque" is a little different from Manson's earlier releases, but the songs on this album are extremely catchy. I first heard "The New S**t" on the Matrix Reloaded soundtrack and was really impressed and then heard "MOBScene" on a local radio station and knew I had to get the album. I love it. There are many great tracks on it that get stuck in my head. The song "Golden Age of Grotesque" is always in my head. Other songs that I can't seem to get enough of are "Use Your Fist and Not Your Mouth", "Spade", "(S)aint", "Kaboom Kaboom", and "Doll-Dagga Buzz-buzz Ziggity-Zag".

I was amazed at how many negative reviews were written about this album. I think that any Manson fan should give it a try and be their own judge. I personally think it is great, but you'll have to hear it yourself to decide.

1 out of 5 stars A sad day for manson fans July 18, 2004
8 out of 11 found this review helpful

I was extremely disappointed. Everyone knows that manson has been going down hill since Mechanical Animals, but at least that CD was tolerable with classic songs like Coma White, The Dope Show, and Rock is Dead. Not to mention the unforgettable love song The Last Day on Earth, how many of us titled that "our" song. The image change was okay as long as the music was still good. Then came Holywood which was even less tolerable but at least it had meaning and lyrics that some of us could relate to like A Place in the Dirt, The Nobodies, etcetera. I still cannot figure out what Manson is trying to say to us with this CD, the lyrics are ridiculous, and there's no TWIGGY! The only song that I think is even remotely good is slutgarden, it's tune is a little catchy. I wish Manson hadn't changed. He needs to grow out his hair, put on a red and white stripped top hat, and start making beautiful music again because this SUCKS.

1 out of 5 stars Marilyn Manson's Golden Age Of Generic Music May 22, 2003
7 out of 9 found this review helpful

This isn't great. It's not horrible either. It's just boring. It's obvious that Manson has not been inspired after "Antichrist Superstar", and with "The Golden Age Of Grotesque" it's clear that he has run out of ideas. "This Is The New Shxt" sounds like something a 12 year old Slipknot fan would write in his diary. And the lyrics in "s(AINT)" sounds like he's been hanging out too much with his buddy Eminem..."What's my name? What's my name?". The worst part is that he isn't even shocking anymore.

Marilyn Manson: The Shock-less Rock Star

Now all I am waiting for is Marilyn Manson to show up right next to Alice Cooper playing golf on VH1 specials.

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