After concluding the European and Japanese legs of their tour on August 8, the band withdrew from public view. The early development of "Holy Wood" coincided with Manson's three-month seclusion at his home in the Hollywood Hills, during which he considered how to respond to the controversy. Manson said the maelstrom made him re-evaluate his career: "There was a bit of trepidation, [in] deciding: 'Is it worth it? Are people understanding what I'm trying to say? Am I even gonna be allowed to say it?' Because I definitely had every single door shut in my face ... there were not a lot of people who stood behind me." He told "Alternative Press" that he felt his safety was threatened to the point that he "could be shot Mark David Chapman-style." He began work on the album as a counterattack.