Marilyn Manson: The Golden Age of Grotesque

Reviewed by RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * )

He still takes a great picture, gives a good quote, and he's apparently a dab hand with a brush.

But still Marilyn Manson's albums have rarely been as scary as he's supposed to be.

The more musically interesting they became - like on the goth-glam of 1998's Mechanical Animals - the less impact they made.

So as with the previous Holy Wood, this is a case of the old high-theatrics, industrial-rock fundamentals, and many a punsome attention-getting slogan as song - Use Your Fist and Not Your Mouth being the catchiest of the bunch.

He's also chucking (after his early hit cover of Sweet Dreams) another 80s synthpop classic through the blender, rounding off the 16 tracks with an oddly faithful version of Soft Cell's Tainted Love. Sounds like Scary Movie VII has got its end-credits music.

As for the rest, it's a Marilyn Manson album largely interchangeable with his efforts of the previous 10 years, even in its subject matter.

You'd think in these unsettling times, Manson would at least get into the spirit of things.

But it's a case of updated facepaint, same old clown.

Label: Nothing