Mechanical Animals
There's no question that Marilyn Manson's 1995 albumAntichrist Superstarwas a great-sounding record. It brooded, ripped, and clattered in all the right places, mixing industrial beats and samples with roaring heavy-metal riffs, echoing Goth keys, and the occasional tuneful pop vocal. But for all the sonic appeal, some of the songwriting wasn't too strong. No such problem on Manson's new record,Mechanical Animals, which forsakes some of the band's former grind in favor of dynamic glam rhythms and good old-fashioned melody. When the band tones down, as on the largely acoustic "Speed of Pain" and "Fundamentally Loathsome," Manson even sounds like a candidate for anUnpluggedsession. Most often, however, as on "Rock Is Dead," "User Friendly," and "The Dope Show,"Mechanical Animalsis a brash, decadent, and glittery display of self-indulgent hooks and melodramatic vocals that sounds likeAladdin Sane-era David Bowie and T. Rex at their most boisterous crossed with the more modern sounds of today's industrial nation.--Jon Wiederhorn