41iemnlgggl_sl160_Marilyn Manson’s new album, The High End of Low, doesn’t have the bombast and vitriol of some previous albums, such as Antichrist Superstar and Holy Wood, and even though it lacks some of the vigor of Mechanical Animals, High is a good album and a great follow up to Eat Me, Drink Me.

High is a pretty straight forward rock album.  It doesn’t show off the more bowel churning avalanche of riffs and chords, though the rockers rock.  The weakest parts of the album are the standard and expected wallops of sound, such as “Pretty As A Swastika” and “Arma-goddamn-motherfuckin-geddon”.  They’re not bad songs, but represent ‘more of the same’.

Some fans will probably cry foul about the whole thing, from beginning to end.  At first listen it is easy to dismiss this Manson trying to reinvent himself, trying to change his style and persona.  I don’t get that feeling listening to The High End of Low.  I get more of a sense of an artist showing that he and his band are capable of more than “The Beautiful People”.  Manson can play “The Fight Song” all day, but it’s nice to know he has”Four Rusted Horses” in the arsenal as well.

“Devour” is beautiful.  “Leave A Scar” and the aforementioned, blues-inflected, ”Four Rusted Horses” are two amped Stones’ songs the Stones haven’t gotten around to writing and recording yet.  “WOW” is ready for the club, so get out there and shake your morose booty.

With some slight adjustments, this could have been a classic album.  As it is, we’ll just have to settle for a damn good album.

4 out of 5
the_novacula