Marilyn Manson
Holy Wood


5.0
classic

Review

by Simon K. STAFF
September 1st, 2014 | 76 replies


Release Date: 2000 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Throwing the kitchen sink at album number 4.

I remember the year 2000 fondly, it was the year Lars Ulrich decided to put out a lawsuit on Napster for file sharing, Eminem released his third studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP, and Marilyn Manson released his counter-attack against the media for his blame on the horrific Columbine High School massacre in 1999 with Holy Wood -- Marilyn Manson’s fourth album.

Holy Wood contains some of Manson’s most accessible work to-date but is, debatably, the angriest, darkest and most well thought-out LP he's ever released. This album was his way of fighting back against all the accusations being put on him by the media; and his way of turning the limelight onto the corrupt, rotten society he saw it in. The usual topics Manson talks about are present here: religion, war and the media, but Manson is at his creative peak here, turning what we’ve come to expect from him and turning it on its head. Basing a large chunk of the album around Jesus and his crucifixion in a modern day world, whilst interestingly putting across Jesus being the world's first “celebrity”. Other topics go for JFK and John Lennon’s deaths and you’ll find them scattered throughout the album. Manson talks about these figure heads so much to point out the way the media makes these people out to be the same sort of iconic status Jesus is. “The Love Song” is one of my favourite songs on the album lyrically, because it takes the basis of modern America and its values and makes it extremely twisted. Other topics aim towards relating to the listener, like “Disposable Teens” and more abrupt songs like “The Nobodies” that attacks the media head on. While songs like “The Fight Song” and “A Place in the Dirt” are centred on Adam Kadmon.

Speaking of Adam Kadom, Holy Wood is also the first installement of the “Triptych” trilogy that follows one, Adam Kadmon, a perfect being, who sets out to start his own revolution but upon arriving at Holy Wood is soon converted to “Celebritarianism”, Holy Wood’s religion, and becomes obsessed with its ideology of violence, guns and the idolization of dead celebrities. It’s obvious from the well thought out concepts; Manson meant serious business with this record and put his heart and soul into it. Musically, it’s a very heavy record and once again a different style in terms of sound, than the former two albums. It’s a much more “heavy metal” record than previous, but still incorporating a fair amount of industrial elements. The album is a whopping 19 tracks and most albums of this size normally fall in on itself from the sheer length, but there isn’t a single bad or dull track on here. Furthermore, a lot of the songs on Holy Wood sound extremely radio-friendly and catchy, which is surprising considering the cynical and dark subject matter contained within. The three singles “Fight Song”, “Disposable Teens” and “The Nobodies” will get stuck in your head for hours.

For me, this is a rare album to come by. You could spend hours picking apart the subjects and concepts Manson has laid out in Holy Wood, but even with all that aside, the music behind all this is fantastic, dark, disturbing, bouncy and sometimes uplifting. There is a huge split of opinion on which is Marilyn Manson’s finest hour, but for me this has everything you could hope for. It's also debatably the last truly great Manson record. Preference aside, it’s fair to say Manson got his opinion out to the media.

Essential.



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user ratings (1365)
4
excellent
other reviews of this album
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Comments:Add a Comment 
DrGonzo1937
Staff Reviewer
September 1st 2014


18466 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

part two of my manson discog reviews.



Thought I'd take a different approach this time round concentrate more on the concepts of the album than the music itself. Hope you guys like it.



As always, constructive feedback welcome.

Froot
September 1st 2014


1910 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Paragraphs are a bit short, but you develop your points well enough to warrant a pos.



Album is heavy as shit. Fight Song and Cruci-Fiction are my slays.

SIMBOLIC
September 1st 2014


6740 Comments


probs could've done with more the sound of the album and less on the intro but good review

never been into manson but i dig that he's his own dude

DrGonzo1937
Staff Reviewer
September 1st 2014


18466 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Cheers guys.



My reviews are always heavily based on the sound, i just thought this time I'd work more on the hard work he put into the lyrics and themes.

Froot
September 1st 2014


1910 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Sound isn't everything; your points said what needed to be said. If anything, I wouldn't bother given how many reviews this has already that go in-depth about the album sonically.

DrGonzo1937
Staff Reviewer
September 1st 2014


18466 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

true dat froot.



Best Manson for you?

BassDemon333
September 1st 2014


3435 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Album is a straight 5 and represents the pinnacle of Mansons sound. He'll never get close to being as good as this again. Between the band lineup, the flow of the album, and all of the standout tracks this record is incredible.

ScuroFantasma
Emeritus
September 1st 2014


12192 Comments


Good review man, pos'd. Never really been into Manson but I haven't given him much time either.

DrGonzo1937
Staff Reviewer
September 1st 2014


18466 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Cheers Scuro. The trilogy Antichrist, mechanical and this are -- while I try not to preach -- essential to at least try out once.



And agreed hard demon.

Froot
September 1st 2014


1910 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Best Manson for you?




only one I've heard. will give Grotesque a try sometime for dem John 5 solos

Supercoolguy64
September 1st 2014


11838 Comments


Nice review. This cd sounds cray-cray. Pos

BassDemon333
September 1st 2014


3435 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

God Eat God is one of the most chilling openers ever

DrGonzo1937
Staff Reviewer
September 1st 2014


18466 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Cheers sup!



That chorus is so creepy!

Mesm277
September 1st 2014


1109 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Definitely his best

LepreCon
September 1st 2014


5481 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Cool review. Great album but a few shite songs prevent this from being any higher than a 4 for me tbh

DrGonzo1937
Staff Reviewer
September 2nd 2014


18466 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

Fair enough, man. Which songs do you think don't cut it?

DrGonzo1937
Staff Reviewer
September 2nd 2014


18466 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

only one I've heard. will give Grotesque a try sometime for dem John 5 solos



The solos are real nice! You should try mechanical animals, that's a brilliant record.

TalonsOfFire
Emeritus
December 20th 2014


20995 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Pos'd, great review and agreed on pretty much everything except there's some definite filler on this.

DrGonzo1937
Staff Reviewer
December 20th 2014


18466 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

You think, Talons? Which tracks?

TalonsOfFire
Emeritus
December 20th 2014


20995 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Cruci-fiction in space, Adam, and king kill everything else is pretty much gold



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