I noticed the appauling lack of Manson reviews on this site, so I felt that I would add one of my own for his epic breakthrough album Antichrist Superstar. While this is not my favourite album of Manson's (Mechanical Animals and Holy Wood tie for that position) it is perhaps his darkest and most sinister album and great to listen to when in a bad mood. The low point of the album definetily lies in the guitar work, Zim Zum's playing is very unclean and sounds almost like that of a garage band guitar, which works on a couple songs such as Beautiful People and Angel With The Scabbed Wings but sounds really out of place in others. Regardless, Manson's lyrics make the album come across beautifully anyways.
Irresponsible Hate Anthem
A good introduction, recorded live for some reason. A furious start to the record, with Manson proclaiming "I hate the hater, I'd rape the raper". Serves as an anthem for his anger at a censored and politically correct soceity. It's also the great mystery of the album; while it was released in 1996 it says on the inside cover that this track was recorded live in February 1997? Likely just a typo. 3/5
The Beautiful People
Possibly his most famous song, and with good reason. I love the floor tom at the beginning and the scratchy guitar sound works good on this track. The song was inspired by Manson feeling isolated from other famous and wealthy people who considered themselves to be better than human. Manson's screaming during the chorus shows it ferocity. 4/5
Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World
I didn't much care for this song the first time I heard it, but it grew on me in a hurry. Recently released on the House Of Wax soundtrack, this song has a slower beat to it making it almost ballad sounding. Ginger's drumming is good. It picks up intesnity on the outro as the guitar comes in with a heavier, almost bludgeoning riff. 4.5/5
Tourniquet
My favourite song on the album. The bass intro stays in my head for days. A sad but aggresive song that sounds like Manson is reflecing on a bad relationship with someone. The lyrics are some of his best, an example being the line "She's made of hair and bones and little teeth, and things that cannot speak". It should have gotten more airtime as a single. 5/5
Little Horn
Nothing special about this one. A 2 minute 43 second song about some creation that will lead to mankinds downfall. The music isn't that great, I usually just skip over it. 2/5
Cryptorchid
Kinda interesting and creepy, the electronic drums work well ont his track. However, like the last one, it is short and doesn't amount to much. 2/5
Deformography
A good song with some nice guitar on the bridge and decent screaming on the latter choruses. The song to me is about the human need for beauty and perfection, but how we are all deformed in our own ugly way. Gets the album moving again 3.5/5
Wormboy
This one sounds a little more relaxed and not as dark. The roto-tom at the beginning sounds cool. Manson sings high on the chorus and then back down to his normal range, giving it a cool two-voice sound. 3/5
Mister Superstar
There is an excellent build to this song, which starts out slow but gradually picks up speed and intersity. The song is about fanatisism and how some people can become overly obsessed with their idols. The ending gets a little cheesy with Manson repeating "Superstar, super*** baby" but its still a good song. 3.5/5
Angel With the Scabbed Wings
A nice heavy track with a choppy guitar intro and Manson screaming almost the whole way through. Good lyrics, "He will deflower the freshest crop dry up all the wombs with his rock and roll sores" 4/5
Kinderfeld
This is a strange one, inspired by an event that occured in Manson's childhood (see his autobiography The Long Hard Road Out Of Hell). The title I believe is the rough german translation of 'Smells Like Children', which was the EP released before this album. The song is written as if sung by various voices and has a very creepy tone to it both through lryics and music. Despite its interesting background, it isn't all that much to listen to. 2.5/5
Antichrist Superstar
Lyrically the best song on the album, the title track reflects on Manson's own status as a shock rocker hated by many middle class households and bible-belters. The music is simple and repetative, but it works to emphasize the power of its words, "Cut the head off, grows back hard, I am the hydra, now you'll see your stars". The outro is a little long and pointless, with three or four voices repearting the same thing over and over untul they fade out. 4.5/5
1996
An aggresive reflection on the time in which the album was released. The use of the 'anti' throughout the song makes it interesting "Anti song and anti me, I don't deserve a chance to be" but it doesn't really stand out on the album and it's not my favourite. 2.5/5
Minute of Decay
Manson himself solely wrote the music on this song. The bass intro is beautiful and catchy, and the words are deep and meaningful. The song is slow and relatively soft until the second chorus, where it comes in hard and screaming. I don't know why this wasn;t released as a single. 5/5
The Reflecting God
Also recorded in part live, this song is a dark and moody stab at human existance and our unworhtiness of life. Heavy and driven by catchy guitar and Manson wailing on the chorus. The outro is the best part of the song, Manson screaming "Shoot motherf***er!" to a bludgeoning guitar riff. The last heavy part of the albunm. 4/5
Man that you Fear
The album's only real sad song, it end the album nicely with a slow, tragic feel and features more great lyrics "Pray onto your splinters, pray onto your fears, pray your life was just a dream, a cut that never heals". Like Antichrist Superstar, it has a stupid outro with voices speaking and what sounds like automobiles racing. Overall, an excellent closing 4/5
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