Marilyn Manson's "Eat Me, Drink Me" Is Different, but Rockin'

I've listened to the upcoming Marilyn Manson album, "Eat Me, Drink Me", two full times through now and even though it's quite different from previous work on multiple levels, it's a quality rock album that seems to improve with each listen.

It appeared that Marilyn Manson had fallen off the rock'n'roll earth for a time, as this is his/their first album (LP) since the 2003 disc, "The Golden Age of Grotesque". Guitarist Tim Skold made his debut for the band on that disc and makes his presence felt even more fervently on this disc. Madonna Wayne Gacy is utilized less in this album than in previous ones and it's unknown (by me, at least) who all are responsible for the drums. For the most part, it's a two man record, in Marilyn Manson and Tim Skold.

I typically have an array of mixed feelings when I hear or read about a band's evolution from one record to another or from one sound to another. Critics and/or fans may claim that the band has grown, matured, and their work obviously shows that growth and maturation. There are many different ways a band can evolve. It's my belief, however, that from a musical standpoint, Manson has improved on every record, and that includes this one. From "Portrait of an American Family" to "Antichrist Svperstar" to "Mechanical Animals" to "Holy Wood (In the valley of the shadow of death)" to "The Golden Age of Grotesque" to "Eat Me, Drink Me", Manson has shown improvement as a musician.

One reason I've always been excited about upcoming Marilyn Manson albums is the fact that I've never known what to expect. With a band like Static-X, one can predict fairly accurately what they're going to hear on the record, lots of noise, whether it be Wayne Static screaming at the top of his lungs, loud and fast drum beats, or hard and heavy guitars. If I ever picked up a Static-X album and it played like a hybrid of Tom Petty and The Beastie Boys, I'd be in shock. I'd have to scrub my eyes nice and clean, so that I may look again to see if the name on that case was indeed Static-X. That's never been the case with Manson, though. With their first album, "Portrait of an American Family", the album was strung-out with a creepy, Halloween-esque (Rob Zombie-like) sound to it. "Antichrist Svperstar" illustrated more of the Trent Reznor influence on Manson, as the album played more like Industrial Metal. The band went a completely different direction with their third LP, "Mechanical Animals", as it was very glam rock, David-Bowie-esque. They formed a hybrid sound from their previous two records to construct "Holy Wood (In the valley of the shadow of death)". "The Golden Age of Grotesque" was a bit more mainstream sounding than any of the previous records. It sounded like "Holy Wood" with a bit of a poppier edge to it. Finally, that brings us to "Eat Me, Drink Me", which plays like a hybrid of "Mechanical Animals" and "Holy Wood", in that it's very reminiscent to an '80s rock CD with a darker, Manson-like edge to it.

Lyrically is where one may have to adjust the most. All throughout the band's history, the lyrics have dealt more with the outside world, whether it be religion, government, school shootings, or what have you. Three albums ("ACSS", "MA", and "HW") compiled a story that Manson wrote in book form, but has never been released. The lyrics in this album are much more personal and true to Manson's actual life, in that the inspiration to even make another record came with the break-up between he and his now ex-wife. This album is not attempting to provoke thought or anger, as has been commonplace with previous works, but is simply trying to express emotional pain with the fans and use the music as a form of catharsis.

On to the songs. The CD starts off with perhaps the best overall track on the album, "If I Was Your Vampire", a very dark, multi-layered, gothic rock track that sets a certain mood and tempo that is rarely swayed away from.

"Putting Holes in Happiness" has more of an upbeat feel than the previous song. It's a decent song, but doesn't quite have the catchiness and strength in chorus as the first.

Following that is "The Red Carpet Grave", which returns to a darker form of rock, similar to that of the first track, but a bit heavier in guitar riffs.

Fourth is "They Said That Hell's Not Hot" sounds a bit like Tom Petty at first, then thrusts with a darker edge following the "Free Fallin'" intro (not really).

"Just a Car Crash Away" is the fifth song on the disc and plays somewhat similarly to "Fundamentally Loathsome", the 12th track on "Mechanical Animals". But, for the record, while I love the ending to "FA", as a whole, "Just a Car Crash Away" reigns supreme between the two. It's quite possibly the slowest song on the disc, but a very good one. Manson experiments vocally in the chorus lines and comes away with a very gut-wrenching, heart-felt effect because of it.

The first single off the album, "Heart-Shaped Glasses" is sixth and one of the better tracks, in my opinion. There are many quality songs on the album, but this very well could be the catchiest track, as even though it's not my all around favorite on the album, I've had it stuck in my head on a number of occasions.

The song "Evidence" comes next at #7 and starts fairly strong before a great riff and chorus bolsters it to another level. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album.

"Are You the Rabbit?" may be the heaviest song on the album and it's probably one of my least favorite. It's not bad, by any stretch of the imagination. But, the riffs are rather generic and not too catchy, in my opinion.

Up next is the song called "Mutilation is the Most Sincere Form of Flattery" and this is another of my favorite tracks, as it starts with a great drum beat, includes fantastic guitar riffs and solos all the way through the song, and a solid chorus.

At #10 is my least favorite track on the album, "You and Me and the Devil Makes 3". To say that it's the worst is to say something about the album as a whole, because it's not a bad song. There's just something lacking in this song, as opposed to the others. It feels a bit monotonous.

Finally, just as the album started strong with "If I Was Your Vampire", it finishes strong with "Eat Me, Drink Me". It's a very good and fitting final track on the album, as Manson shrieks his heart out in the chorus and then mutters the words, "Eat Me, Drink Me".

Alright, if I had to grade the songs out of 5 (or 10) stars, here's how I would do that:

1. If I Was Your Vampire - 5/5 (10/10)
2. Putting Holes in Your Happiness - 3/5 (6/10)
3. The Red Carpet Grave - 3.5/5 (7/10)
4. They Said That Hell's Not Hot - 3/5 (6/10)
5. Just a Car Crash Away - 4/5 (8/10)
6. Heart-Shaped Glasses - 4.5/5 (9/10)
7. Evidence - 4.5/5 (9/10)
8. Are You the Rabbit? - 2.5/5 (5/10)
9. Mutilation is the Most Sincere Form of Flattery - 4.5/5 (9/10)
10. You and Me and the Devil Makes 3 - 2/5 (4/10)
11. Eat Me, Drink Me - 4/5 (8/10)

40.5/55 (81/110) = 73.6%

For only listening to the album two times thus far, that's a very solid score, with only one song scoring below an average 5 out of 10 and only two songs scoring at an average of 5 of 10 or lower. From what I've heard thus far, I'm quite impressed and have a feeling that it'll only improve upon each and every listen.