When the king dies, all hail the king. When Marilyn Manson releases a new album, of course it has to be The Pale Emperor.

In January of 2015, Marilyn Manson released his ninth studio album, The Pale Emperor, on the Hell, Etc label. The album was recorded at the Abattoir Studios and Igloo Studios in California. The record was produced by Marilyn Manson, himself, and Tyler Bates. This incarnation of Marilyn Manson is Marilyn Manson (vocals, keyboards), Tyler Bates (bass guitar, electric guitar), and Gil Sharone (drums). And in a bit of unexpected tenderness, the release is dedicated to his late mother who passed while the recording was for the LP was ongoing.

Header-ThePaleEmperor-MarilynManson-AlbumArt

 

Tracklist:
01. Killing Strangers
02. Deep Six
03. Third Day Of A Seven Day Binge
04. The Mephistopheles Of Los Angeles
05. Warship My Wreck
06. Slave Only Dreams To Be King
07. The Devil Beneath My Feet
08. Birds Of Hell Awaiting
09. Cupid Carries A Gun
10. Odds Of Even

On the deluxe edition are three additional songs: 11. Day 3 (Acoustic version of “Third Day of a Seven Day Binge”), 12. Fated, Faithful, Fatal (Acoustic version of “The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles”), 13. Fall Of The House Of Death(Acoustic version of “Odds of Even”).

There is an element in his vocals that might have not been fully utilized until now. The current edition of Manson is more mellow then in previous years. “Deep Six,” is the closest to a traditional sound and has been getting a good amount of play on the satellite stations with more rotation on over-the-air stations to follow. All of the songs, much like, “The Mephistopheles Of Los Angeles,” will need to be listened to many times before all of the references and lyrics can be fully appreciated.


Marilyn Manson – Cupid Carries A Gun (Official Audio)

The vocals have a blues toned influence that, for the most part, does Manson no wrong. The sounds of keyboards and drumming of a classic Mason nature can be heard, they are just not as up front as in the past. It actually puts more focus on the singing and the words put to the music. The release is refreshing, and is reasonably enjoying a decent amount of early success. If you are a Manson fanatic, this will be an easy pick up. If you are more of the casual variety of music goer, this offering is worthy of taking a flyer on, and the better bet is getting the deluxe edition.

The band is currently on traveling for the THE HELL NOT HALLELUJAH TOUR. Some of the closest U.S. dates are listed below.

Feb 03 2015 ~ The Fillmore – Detroit, MI
Feb 05 2015 ~ The Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL
Feb 06 2015 ~ Mystic Lake Casino – Prior Lake, MN

And as always, if you pick up the CD, we’d love to hear what you think about it. Feel free to leave a comment below.

Marilyn Manson
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The Fillmore
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The Riviera Theatre
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Mystic Lake Casino
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About The Author

After getting the photo bug in the far, past days of black and white film, Erich continued to develop his eye for photography which lead to stops in the sporting, art, wedding, and eventually concert music worlds. Now, doing more writing for National Rock Review, he has entered into the journey of getting to know the artists and the industry, not just the faces on the other side of the lens.