I'm not going to check, but it seems like I start these reviews in the same fashion. Okay, I just checked, and my hypothesis was proven to be irrefutable. I always say that I'm currently in the mood to jam anything but Marilyn Manson. I believe it was atmospheric black metal the last time around. As for right now, I'm listening to...atmospheric black metal. My capricious tastes drift further and further away from industrial rock. So why cover this genre? For starters, I made a commitment (that I'll be breaking soon enough). But also, my tastes did align with those of your average goth kid at one point in my checkered past. I never looked the part, but my inner child was festooned in dog collars and tar-colored lipstick.
In high school, I didn't mix with any particular clique. I roamed from circle to circle like a nomadic jester, angling to make jocks and nerds laugh at the same jokes. Through all of my peregrinations, I secretly identified the most with the aforementioned goth crowd. I paid attention when their idols were scapegoated for the Columbine massacre, and to be honest, I kinda felt bad for them. It was patently clear that the music in their headphones wasn't going to turn them into copycat killers. Of course, Manson shouldered the strain of society's disfavor, and I remember thinking that he addressed his critics with tact. That was then. Today, I'm not sure that he takes his image seriously, and to me, it shows in his art.
That's where I'm heading with all of this folderol, by the way. I'm trying (and possibly failing) to draw parallel lines between Manson the dude and Manson the rock star. In 2000, he was at his creative peak. I don't think it's a coincidence that Holy Wood contains his best vocal takes. That may be conjecture on my part, but girl, you know it's true. "GodEatGod," the album's investiture of sorts, demonstrates his control over his baritone range. He has a nice vibrato, too. It goes without bleating that Mr. Warner's primal scream is in fine form. Overall, this record is habitually heavier than its predecessor. The fact that Mechanical Animals dwelled on ballads didn't bother me, but I'm cool with headbanging to the staunch riffs of "The Fight Song" and "Burning Flag." You could say that I'm multi-talented. Y'know, if you wanted.
The radio hits ("Disposable Teens," "The Nobodies") are fun, but as with Antichrist Superstar, the pudding is in the deeper cuts. Or the proof is in the pudding. I don't know...insert your pudding idiom here. "Lamb of God" capitalizes on a synthetic drum loop, resulting in a pensive tune that contends with "Target Audience (Narcissus Narcosis)" for the title of Dom's Favorite Track. I'm serious about curating my own awards ceremony. That's a tangent for another day, however. I referred to ballads earlier; Holy Wood possesses some of Manson's more enchanting mellow moments, especially the despondent "Coma Black." And in my opinion, "Cruci-Fiction in Space" should have been released as a single.
The album loses focus towards the end of its running time. It could be argued that there are simply too many songs on offer, an infirmity shared by Animals and maybe even Superstar. The term "front-loaded" is popular amongst nervy twats. I will admit that it applies to this album, but that's hardly a wicked offense. For those keeping score, I'd rank Holy Wood as Marilyn Manson's second best long player. The band's lineup saw a shuffle in the immediate aftermath (post-touring, that is). We'll cross that bridge when we see it. Or we'll build a bridge and cross it. I don't know...insert your bridge idiom here.
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