Holy Wood
The impact of Marilyn Manson's subversive musical agenda has waned, and what's left is a provocative, talented artist writing affecting, powerful, and yes, controversial songs. AlthoughHoly Woodis the third title of a trilogy that began with 1996'sAntichrist Superstar, the album stands on its own. Rife with references to theBeatlesand the Kennedys, and full of pop-culture barbs,Holy Woodis a musically diverse and powerful statement. The memorable sing-along "Disposable Teens" boasts the same kind of staccato, Teutonic, first-thrusting power introduced with "Beautiful People," while "Fight Song" is theSex PistolsmeetsBlurby way ofNirvana. While a futuristic, nihilistic tint pervades Manson's work, passion is also prevalent, notably in the spooky acoustic number "A Place in the Dirt" and the brutal "Death Song." Like Marilyn Manson the man,Holy Woodis intelligent, dynamic, and multifaceted, with myriad charms that are evident to the tuned-in listener.--Katherine Turman