Marilyn Manson

Manson puts as much effort into constant reinvention as he does his music, and on album No. 7 he once again proves his talents for both. Stripped down and more musical than previous offerings, featuring clean guitars and departures into pained balladry ("Devour," "Leave a Scar") while brimming with sharp, disdainful lyrics like "Everyone will come to my funeral to make sure that I stay dead" ("Four Rusted Horses"), High End displays a dark, romantic progression. Standouts include "I Want to Kill You Like They Do in the Movies" and "Arma-goddamn-m*th*rf*ck*n-geddon."

At a time when extreme sex and violence are available 24/7/365 at the click of a mouse,
Devil Incarnate is a career choice that pays increasingly diminishing returns. But Marilyn
Manson still wants the gig. In 1996, refrains like "You're as pretty as a swastika" and "It's
Arma-goddamn-motherfuckin'-geddon" might have raised a few hackles, but in 2009 those
lyrics hold little shock value. The best moments come in ballads like the blues-ti... More >