Nearly a quarter-century into his career, Marilyn Manson continues to explore the grimy underside of humanity that makes other artists shy away to safety, and enthralls his fans. This is not an easy task and while his missteps have been very public, it would take a very jaded listener to find fault with the recorded consistency he has put down, especially of late. I’m not sure why 2015s The Pale Emperor (Hell, etc) took so many off guard; as if the man wasn’t capable of holding our attention any longer. That album exuded a mature brilliance; an almost “an elder statesman of rock” type of vibe. A modern classic rock album, the type we used to get often, but are now scarce since real rock gods are dead or in hiding. Manson is not ashamed to swing his sticky rock star dick around, but it’s his writing, lyrics and vocal delivery that really sent that album over the top. In some ways he has actually done one better on the follow-up, Heaven Upside Down (Loma Vista/Caroline International). Continue reading →