Review MARILYN MANSON “One Assassination Under God”

The enfant terrible of rock and metal, Marilyn Manson, releases “One Assassination Under God Chapter 1”, his first new album in four years. It’s his twelfth studio album in total and contains nine new songs.

With “As Sick as the Secrets Within” the lead single from the new record was released in August and it gave an idea of what to expect from the latest studio effort. It is a moderately paced song, done in typical Manson fashion. There is a dark vibe that runs through the song and the entire album, which is something that could have been expected. The song gets its intensity from the almost hypnotic repetition, which means that there are little ups and downs.

“Raise the Red Flag” followed a few weeks later and the basic principle remains. It’s an industrial track that’s not really heavy. It is more of a vicious song where Manson talks about his view on bullies.

“Death is Not a Costume” is different. It is a dark and atmospheric song. It is one of the softer moments on this release and still feels like a heavy weight on your soul. Slow and steady the beat pulls you into this track; a song where every note goes straight into your subconscious.

The album begins with the title track, a hypnotic entry point to a tracklist that reflects the gray shades of human life while the band’s early days are echoed in the furious “Nod If You Understand.” The interaction between the oppressive verse and the exploding chorus is the spice that makes the song one of the real gems of the album. Not to be forgotten is “Meet Me in Pugatory”. The song blends some rock and gothic vibes reminiscent of the late 80’s and shows another aspect of Manson’s musical panopticon.

“One Assassination Under God” feels like a musical catharsis for Manson, both in terms of the music and the lyrics. The controversial frontman may see himself in the role of the victim when it comes to all the accusations of the past years, but if we separate the personality of the protagonist from the music, it must be said that the songs on “One Assassination Under God” offer heavy and harsh industrial music with a solid essence of rock and metal.