One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1＜Bone Black Splatter Vinyl＞

Returning to the scene after a lengthy absence -- during which time the shock rocker began to see some of the consequences of numerous assault accusations -- Marilyn Manson barreled headlong on the "innocent until proven guilty" route, lashing out at detractors and critics with his 12th studio album, One Assassination Under God: Chapter 1. Objectively, One Assassination is another strong late-era set thats packed with dramatic industrial-lite statements and rollicking spook-show anthems, where Mansons twisted wordplay, (no-longer-that-shocking) religious imagery, and cartoonish cult-master antics intersect. Tracks such as the bouncy pop-metal "Sacrilegious" and the rabid "Nod If You Understand" are as catchy as any of his turn-of-Y2K-era hits, merging the glam sheen of Mechanical Animals, the caustic fury of Antichrist Superstar, and the cinematic scope of Holy Wood, which also found Manson on the defensive. But unlike that 2000 opus -- rooted in an inaccurate public perception that he had inspired the perpetrators of the Columbine school shootings -- this set addresses the supposed character assassination that rocked his reality in the early 2020s following accusations of alleged emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. It also makes it clear that hes not sorry for a thing ("I wont repent/This is what I was sent here for/No reason to ask for forgiveness"). At this point in his career, its become impossible to separate the art from the artist. So while the album might sound great -- indeed, its as good as Pale Emperor and one of the tightest records hes ever crafted -- there isnt an ounce of contrition, empathy, or introspection that wrangles with the issues at hand. Hes still playing both the martyr (attributing his behavior to his addictions on "Sick as the Secrets Within" and placing the onus on those around him on the title track) and the defensive aggressor ("Its time to beat up the bullies/And wash the bullseye off my back," he sings on "Raise the Red Flag"). However, while it worked perfectly when he was being persecuted as the nu-Satanic Panic boogeyman of a God-fearing America in his late-90s heyday, conflating himself as a Christ-like sacrificial figure doesnt sit as comfortably in the face of numerous allegations that involve real-life humans in his direct orbit. Then again, hes never apologized for anything in his career, so why start now? In the past, it was a thrill to hear him lash out at the rotten core of American society and organized religion, turning a mirror on the ills of the country that made him. But what happens when the rotten core lies within? Its not as fun when reality turns the mirror on the artist. ~ Neil Z. Yeung