Antichrist Svperstar

Earlier today I was writing a very long winded email to a friend about "what hip hop means to me." I touched on who I liked, who I didn't, etc. It got me to thinking, the only rap I really liked is from the 90's. The 90's was the last decade of the Music Store, pre-digital era, where it seemed people were more on the same page, many just listening to what MTV told us to like. A G-Funk era, if you will... And then I got to thinking about the complete opposite of rap (which wasn't hard to do). I started thinking of 90's ROCK bands. What were some of the albums to really splash those magazines like Rolling Stone and Guitar World, a big pop-culture album...

Not too long ago (thirty minutes ago) I just repurchased Marilyn Mason's Antichrist Superstar, and I'm listening to it now. Yes, it was an impulse buy, but I had some leftover iTune's gift certificate dough, so whatta I got to lose? It's been a while, you know, and I'm willing to go there. Anywho, this album is total horror music for your ears! "Tourniquet" is my choice-song, great opening guitar riff, amazingly terrifying music video complete with zombies, mutilation, and hasty nipple shaving. shivers... I must admit I do consider this a guilty pleasure. Rocking out like the stranged and esteemed Masonites, fans of Marilyn Manson, just comes natural to me.

The album is considered a concept album. In a three part storyline, an abused and apathetic person (represented by "The Worm") becomes an influential celebrity and finally transforms into the powerful "Disintegrator". In an issue of Kerrang! magazine edited by Manson, he stated that the album was a tribute to - and inspired by - the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Much of the album content is deliberately vague, allowing listeners to draw independent conclusions. [source]

I remember when I first heard of Marilyn Manson back in middle school, I was honestly terrified of him as a human being. His music seared images of demon-like creatures playing rock instruments loud and threatening, trying to scare... I didn't spend too much time listening to his music, but his videos did scare me, "He must be possessed by the devil!" Back in those days I had the Lord living in my heart and mind, so I feared The Reaper... "Lead me not into temptation." But given the taste of my personality, of course I secretly enjoyed the extremes of pop artists like Nine Inch Nails and Manson. Total characters, like Ziggy Stardust with evil powers. The best part about Antichrist Superstar is that its produced by Trent Reznor, the mastermind behind NIN; very dark, industrial, fuzzy guitars, screeching guitars, weaping guitars, whispers, screams, BIG SCREAMS, drums that sound like they're being beaten to death... a very dramatic piece of work...

I've been digging it, fucking rocks, dude (throws up "the sign of the beast"). I'll listen to it on my way to Hagerstown. I'm trying to make my Greyhound experience as terrifying as possible! I'm sure this album isn't for everybody, plenty people can't stand this shit. The winning Manson listener is either be a disenchanted teenager with raging hormones and a fondness for the goth, or an adult open-minded listener who appreciates the horror, dedication, and uniqueness of Manson's art, particularly Antichrist Superstar. Sorry folks, this ain't for the kiddies.