2007-08-22
Marilyn Manson's popularity is measured a bit differently from other pop artists. While they are measured by charts, and record selling, Manson is measured by how long it takes for him to be accused in destroying the mind of children after any traumatic school shooting\lonely teenage suicide and etc., and as unpleasant as it may be saying it, in the last school shooting no one mentioned his name even once.
The fact that Manson hasn't released anything relevant in quite some time now made him understand that he needs to get up and do something meaningful. Ok, so he contributed his cool version of "This is Halloween" for the re-release of "The nightmare before Christmas", but in the long run, it won't count.
"Eat me, Drink me" feels therapeutic for Manson. And probably the closest thing to banal relationship songs we'll ever hear from him. His imagery world for broken hearts, and torn apart relationship metaphors may differ from James Blunt's world of butterflies and angels, but trust me, Manson has a heart and he promises that if you won't break it he won't break you heart shaped glasses.
Marilyn Manson releases "Eat me, drink me" not long after divorcing
Dita Von Teese and announcing his relationship with 19-year old actress
Evan Rachel Wood. This raised a lot of eyebrows for whom the album is written for. We have Wood acting in "Heart shaped glasses" but lyrically, the album goes for a break up album, the worst kind of break up.
What damages this album is the fact that Manson's musical career goes hand in hand with displays of abnormality, and the dark twisted freaky side of nature much more then it does with heart issues. It doesn't matter how much of the "children's guide to goth" rules he'll apply into the album (vampires, Christmas, loads of blood), this is still a broken hearts album. And as long as that heart doesn’t belong to a dead body near his house, it will hardly claim any attention.
Musically, Marilyn sounds softer, less angry, and basically not mad at the world. He does sound hurt, sensitive, looking for a shoulder to lean on and a listening ear for his troubles. His music is much more bluesy, and rock n 'roll oriented then ever before. You can find it in songs like "Putting holes in happiness", in the general guitar riff and long solo. "The red carpet" sound like something that Queens of the stone age could've written. If that doesn't simplify how Manson's album covers had become much more threatening then his music, I don't know what will.
"Eat me, drink me" displays a new Manson, musically and lyrically. His fixation on the morbid gothic look, in his sound and visual aspect of it, is what holds him down. This album actually had a chance to straighten him up in a new direction, moving forward with his music and life. But until he will be willing to do an actual step towards reinventing himself, he will stay in the same hole in the ground, trying to understand why he doesn't fit there anymore.
Roy Povarchik
