Revision as of 13:25, 7 June 2007

This article is about the album. For the song, see Antichrist Superstar (song).

Antichrist Superstar
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Released	October 8, 1996
Recorded	Nothing Studios
Length	72:17
Label	Nothing Records Interscope Records
Producer	Marilyn Manson, Trent Reznor, Dave Ogilvie, and Sean Beavan

Antichrist Superstar (sometimes written as Antichrist Svperstar) is Marilyn Manson's second full-length studio release and was released on October 8, 1996 by Interscope Records. It is somewhat of a concept album, and the first of a trilogy along with Mechanical Animals and Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death). It spawned four singles ("The Beautiful People", "Tourniquet", "Man That You Fear" and "Cryptorchid").

Concept

The album can be considered a concept album. In a three part storyline, an abused and apathetic person (represented by "The Worm") becomes an influential rock star and finally transforms into the powerful "Disintegrator." In an issue of Kerrang! magazine edited by Manson, he stated that the album was a tribute to - and inspired by - the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Much of the album content is deliberately vague, allowing listeners to draw independent conclusions.

Packaging

The album has elaborate packaging, consisting of a black cardstock sleeve covering the plastic jewel case with graphics of Manson on both the front and back, the latter of which is flanked by the red Superstar Shock logo and the roman numerals IX, VI, III and VII. The booklet contains pictures of the band, a visual worm-to-angel metamorphosis, symbols related to the Kabbalah, medical diagrams, printed lyrics to each song, and liner notes including traditional thanks and credits as well as a curious entry found under the lyrics to the song "Irresponsible Hate Anthem", stating it was recorded live on February 14, 1997, despite the album being released well before that on October 8, 1996.

The album, despite containing a gap of silence a few minutes long, is cyclical, as both opening and closing seconds include the distorted phrase "When you are suffering, know that I have betrayed you." When the album is placed on loop, the pacing between the sentences matches that of the additional distorted recitation found in the preceding hidden track.

Reception

Antichrist Superstar raised awareness of Marilyn Manson, and led to numerous protests due to the band's perceived anti-Christianity stance. There is severe division amongst Manson fans over whether their best album is either this, or Mechanical Animals.

Track listing

Cycle I: The Heirophant

1. "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" – 4:17

2. "The Beautiful People" – 3:38

3. "Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World" – 4:15

4. "Tourniquet" – 4:29

Cycle II: Inauguration of the Worm

5. "Little Horn" – 2:43

6. "Cryptorchid" – 2:44

7. "Deformography" – 4:31

8. "Wormboy" – 3:56

9. "Mister Superstar" – 5:04

10. "Angel With the Scabbed Wings" – 3:53

11. "Kinderfeld" – 4:51

Cycle III: Disintegrator Rising

12. "Antichrist Superstar" – 5:14

13. "1996" – 4:01

14. "Minute of Decay" – 4:44

15. "The Reflecting God" – 5:36

16. "Man That You Fear" – 6:10

99. "Empty Sounds of Hate" – 1:39

Tracks 17 through 98 are blank and about four seconds long.

B-sides

• "Apple of Sodom"
• "Long Hard Road out of Hell" – 4:21
• "The Suck For Your Solution" – 4:01

Album Credits

1 irresponsible hate anthem
[lyrics: Manson, Ramirez/music: Berkowitz, Gacy]
live guitar: Zim Zum

2 the beautiful people
[lyrics: Manson/music: Ramirez]
descending horn guitar: Sean Beavan

3 dried up, tied and dead to the world
[lyrics: Manson/music: Manson, Ramirez]
additional guitars: M. Manson

4 tourniquet
[lyrics: Manson/music: Berkowitz, Ramirez]
additional guitar: Daisy Berkowitz

5 little horn
[lyrics: Manson/music: Ramirez, Reznor]

6 cryptorchid
[lyrics: Manson/music: Gacy]
drums: Gacy/mellotron: Reznor

7 deformography
[lyrics: Manson/music: Ramirez, Reznor]
additional guitar: Reznor

8 wormboy
[lyrics: Manson/music: Berkowitz, Ramirez]

9 mister superstar
[lyrics: Manson/music: Ramirez]
lead guitar: Reznor /
additional rhythm guitar: Daisy Berkowitz

10 angel with the scabbed wings
[lyrics: Manson/music: Manson, Ramirez, Gacy]
lead guitar: Danny Lohner

11 kinderfeld
[lyrics: Manson/music: Ramirez, Gacy]
additional guitar: M. Manson/ live drums: Chris Vrenna

12 antichrist superstar
[lyrics: Manson/music: Ramirez, Gacy]
Additional guitar: Daisy Berkowitz

13 1996
[lyrics: Manson/music: Ramirez]

14 minute of decay
[lyrics and music: Manson]
guitar: M. Manson

15 the reflecting god
[lyrics: Manson/music: Ramirez, Reznor]
Acoustic Guitar: Danny Lohner

16 man that you fear
[lyrics: Manson/music: Ramirez, Manson, Gacy, Berkowtiz]
rhodes piano: Reznor

Manson:
All Tracks
Songs of Golgotha
Music/Dinger & Ollie Music,
administered by Dinger &
Ollie Music, BMI. ©1996 All
rights reserved

Ramirez:
All Tracks Except 6 & 14
Blood Heavy Music/Dinger &
Ollie Music, administered by
Dinger & Ollie Music, BMI.
©1996 All rights reserved

Gacy:
Tracks 1, 6,10, 11,12 & 16
DCLXVI Music /Dinger &
Ollie Music, administered by
Dinger & Ollie Music, BMI.
©1996 All rights reserved

Berkowitz: Tracks 1, 4,8 & 16
Caducci Thrift
Music/Dinger & Ollie Music,
administered by Dinger &
Ollie Music, BMI. ©1996 All
rights reserved

Reznor: Tracks 5, 7 & 15
Leaving Hope/TVT Music, Inc.
ASCAP. ©1996 All rights
reserved

Antichrist Superstar was
conceived and created by
Marilyn Manson
Produced by Trent Reznor &
Dave "Rave" Ogilvie
Co-produced by M. Manson
Except tracks 3 & 11
Produced by M. Manson &
Sean Beavan
Engineered by
Dave "Rave" Ogilvie
& Sean Beavan
assisted by Brian Pollack &
Chris Vrenna
Mixed by Sean Beavan
Editing & Programming:
Chris Vrenna,
Trent Reznor, Sean Beavan,
Charlie Clouser
& Dave "Rave" Ogilvie
Nothing Studios,
New Orleans
Mastering: Tom Baker
at Future Disc Systems

Band:
Marilyn Manson: all voices,
guitar, pan flute
Twiggy Ramirez: lead and
rhythm guitars, acoustic
\guitar, bass
M.W. Gacy: all keyboards,
loops and other original
pieces of 16-bit audio
information
Ginger Fish: live drums,
programming
and introducing
Zim Zum: live guitarist for
Antichrist Superstar

Management: Tony Ciulla
Booking: Alex Kochan for
Artists and Audience
Legal: David Codikow
Business Management:
Jay Sendyk
Nothing: John A. Malm, Jr.

Design & Digital
Illustration: P.R. Brown
@ Bau-Da Design Group
Photography: Dean Karr

Thanks: Tomy Ciulla, Barb
and Hugh, Missi, Trent, Sean
Beavan, John Malm, Jr., Jeff
Anderson, All at Interscope,
Sioux z., Jay, Gerri & Rich, E.
Elias Merhige, Dana Maher
and Family, Gerry Gerrard,
Danny & Podboy, Robin Finck,
Sam Kirby, Frank Proia, David
Lynch and Jennifer, J.
Mahoney, Veronika, Natalie
Natero, Maxie & Garrett,
Mike Nastasi, Chris Meyer,
all the Bier, Wilson & Yip
families, J. Rach, Gary Talpas,
Silvia Garcia, Howard
Schomer, Steven Hirsch,
R. Rosen, M. Toorock, Dean Karr
and the U Ground, Anton
Lavey, Andy and all at
Barrister's Gallery, Tommy
Prong.

Manipulation by S.M.G.

Fan Club:
Marilyn Manson Family
25935 detroit Rd. suite #329
Westlake, Ohio 44145.
© 1996 Interscope Records.
All rights reserved.

Personnel

• Marilyn Manson — all voices, guitar, pan flute
• Twiggy Ramirez — lead and rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, bass
• Madonna Wayne Gacy — all keyboards, loops, and other original pieces of 16-bit audio information
• Ginger Fish — live drums, programming
• Robin Finck — live (guest guitar), additional keyboards (uncredited, however Manson confirmed his work on the album)
• Zim Zum — live guitar on the tour for Antichrist Superstar
• Trent Reznor — producer, editing, mixing, mellotron, guitar, Rhodes piano
• Daisy Berkowitz — guitar
• Sean Beavan — producer, engineer, editing, mixing, guitar, guitar synthesizer
• Danny Lohner — guitar
• Chris Vrenna — drums, programming, engineer, editing
• Dave Ogilvie — producer, programming, engineer, editing, mixing
• Brian Pollack — production assistant, assistant engineer
• Tom Baker — mastering
• P.R. Brown — digital illustration, design
• Dean Karr — photography