Revision as of 01:04, 6 June 2007

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

Antichrist Superstar
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Released	1996
Recorded	Nothing Studios
Length	72:17
Label	Nothing, Interscope
Producer	Marilyn Manson, Trent Reznor, Dave Ogilvie, 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

Credits

• 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