Marilyn Manson - The High End of Low
Rating
RIYL
Nine Inch NailsRob Zombie
Static X
Release Date
05/19/2009
Label
InterscopeTracklist
1. Devour2. Pretty As a 卐
3. Leave a Scar
4. Four Rusted Horses
5. Arma-Goddamn-Motherfuckin-Geddon
6. Blank and White
7. Running to the Edge of the World
8. I Want to Kill You Like They Do in the Movies
9. WOW
10. Wight Spider
11. Unkillable Monster
12. We’re From America
13. I Have to Look Up Just to See Hell
14. Into the Fire
15. 15
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Marilyn Manson is certainly an odd child. For nearly two decades, Manson’s prime objective has been to try to scare the skin off of our bones with shocking and horrifying music along with an appearance that would force you to believe he’s been dead for nearly a century. With a generally impressive catalogue of music, you would hope that he’d come up with some new and clever way to make us a cringe, if even just a little. Unfortunately, we have reached a stale point with Manson’s latest disc, The High End of Low.
If there was one word that could sum up the album, it would be “boring”. Everything heard on this record is nothing new, you know, like when a clown pulls a rabbit out of a hat, or when Paris Hilton has a new best friend. It’s just expected. Most of this record has a blasé feeling, and when Manson tries to come up with a witty way to offend any religious, moral, or political persona, his efforts fall flat leading you to not really care anymore. Some of his lyrics seem as though he’s trying too hard. For example, in the track “Pretty As a 卐” Manson gives the compliment, “When the sun is shining / you’re as pretty as a swastika."
Clever, right?
Compounding Manson’s lack of creativity, he has also gone on to blabber about absolutely nothing in his lyrics. Manson. He does his best to explain to all of us with what makes him say the word, “Wow”, as well as titling the track with that same word. While being an uninspiring electronica song, lyrics like, “When something is unbelievable / when I’m not able to believe how unbelievably unbelievable / That you believe you could not be-lievable / that’s when I have to say / Wow,” you begin to wonder if he was too busy drinking his new Absinthe while writing this line, then made the conscious decision not to clean it up the next morning. Still, to go on to say that every track on the album is bad would be a falsity because there are certainly a couple of good songs on here that deserve some praise.
The opening track, “Devour,” builds on rising tension to a murderous ending as Manson strains his voice screaming, “Pain is not ashamed to repeat itself.” Manson also shows us his journalistic abilities with the song “We’re from America”, a faster punk-paced song where he reports back with what disgusts him about the U.S. sporting lines such as, “We don’t believe in credibility / Because we know that we’re fucking incredible,” and, “We’re from America / We turn or literature into litter,” shows that not all is lost for Manson.
Another track that deserves some mention is the single, “Arma-Goddamn-Motherfuckin-Geddon.” With its hook laden chorus, “First, you try to fuck it / Then, you try to eat it / If it hasn’t learned your name you better kill it before they see it,” denying how catchy it is would be a sin in Manson’s eyes, it’s just not something you’re going to want to sing to yourself while waiting in line at the bank. Either way, it’s a classic Marilyn Manson-styled song fused by industrial rock guitar tones.
The rest of the album is full of songs that make it hard to keep your attention. Songs like “Blank and White”, “Leave a Scar”, and “I Have to Look Up Just to See Hell” are space wasters on the album, leaving it a bit cluttered. The track “I Want to Kill You Like They Do in the Movies” is possibly one of the worst songs written by Manson. At 9 minutes long, the song is incredibly painful to listen to as you constantly look at how much time is left until it’s over. The song builds up to absolutely nothing for nearly 4 minutes as Manson screams nonsensical lyrics like, “This is business, not pleasure baby,” or, “You were only acting baby.” Riddled with clichés, it’s certainly a sore spot on the album.
The High End of Low is just not worth the hour and ten minutes of music it contains. It appears Manson is afraid that in his 40s he can’t be as outrageous as he used to be, which is found to be disappointing. Even when trying to write a normal straight laced song, Manson just seems tired and lacking the energy to give his full effort. Even with the reunion of guitarist Twiggy and Manson this will be an album that will disappoint Manson fans and music fans alike.
--Andrew Beam
Comments
Coopersburg, PA
I agree with you, this is definitely a tamer and more boring Manson album. I've always like his voice and his general style so I do enjoy some of the tracks on here but it's not something I'll return to very often. Plus, the lyrics are pretty bad as you mentioned.
Leeds, England
Manson has never released a solid album, and this is probably his worst & most dullest yet.
And "Pretty like a 卐" just seems like a cheap attempt to be controversial.
Claremont, CA
i enjoy this album quite a bit, actually. especially the song "wow", it's fucking great. i disagree that the lyrics are bad, i think they're immensely heartfelt and uncensored, which manson is pretty good at achieving.
West Haven, CT
Did you listen to his last CD?
This is a vocal step up.
He hasn't really put out a great CD since Mechanical Animals. But his last two are decent.
The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.
Coopersburg, PA
I actually haven't listened to any of his albums since Holywood. I stopped following him for awhile and then started again in the last two years, and mainly listened to his earlier works. I'll check out those other releases though, there will probably be at least a few songs I like on them.
Milwaukee, WI
That was exactly what I was thinking. He obviously isn't where he used to be within the world's conterversies so it seems like he is trying to draw attention to himself.
I am not a huge fan of his but I usually find a few songs to enjoy his albums. This one I listened to once and I was done. Just boring, like everyone else has said.
West Haven, CT
I think this CD is alright. His last one was alright too. He sort of threw way too much chorus in his last one and he sounded like his mom just died of cancer and he got aids all in the same night. The two-three Cd's before that were utter shit and turned me away from my younger days when I was a HUGE Marilyn Manson fan. Oh well.
The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.
Leeds, England
If I Was Your Vampire from his last record was great.
I own his Greatest Hits Cd (Lest We Forget), and that's all you really need.