Interview:2017/09/11 Marilyn Manson on New Album, Father's Death, Bringing Chaos Back

Marilyn Manson on New Album, Father's Death, Bringing Chaos Back
Interview with Marilyn Manson
Date	September 11, 2017
Source	Revolver
Interviewer	Dan Epstein

"It's not just trying to put out a great record — it's about fucking shit up"

"Goddammit!" growls Marilyn Manson as he picks up the phone, though his playful tone indicates that this is just a very Manson way of answering a call from Revolver. "I'm sorry you're not here in person to torment like I usually do," he chuckles.

The notorious shock rocker is actually in fine spirits today, having just overseen the final edit of the video for "We Know Where You Fucking Live," a track from the upcoming Heaven Upside Down, Manson's 10th studio album. Co-written and co-produced with film composer Tyler Bates — who similarly collaborated with Manson on 2015's The Pale Emperor — Heaven Upside Down is slated to drop on October 6th. And having recently returned from a triumphant 15-date string of European festival performances, Manson and his band (which includes longtime bassist/partner-in-crime Twiggy Ramirez, Stolen Babies/Team Sleep drummer Gil Sharone and guitarist Paul Wiley) will be hitting the road on September 27th for a North American tour, which will climax on November 5th with an appearance at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest in San Bernardino, California.

It's taken a while for Manson to get here, however. Last summer, he announced that the album, then known as SAY10, would be released on Valentine's Day 2017; but that date came and went without a new record, and several more rumored release dates subsequently passed, as well. Manson tells Revolver that a number of factors — including the illness that eventually took the life of his father, Hugh Warner, on July 7th — were involved in the delay, but that it was ultimately all for the best.

"There were a couple of bumps in the road," he says. "Because of touring, and Tyler's having to do other musical projects, and the unexpected illness of my father, it kind of got in the line with some of my ability to make the record. But nothing really stopped it. I think that, for whatever reason which will eventually be revealed to me, it was meant to come out right now. If it had come out when I originally planned on making it, it would not be called Heaven Upside Down; it would not contain the song 'Heaven Upside Down,' it would not contain the song 'Saturnalia,' and it would not contain 'Revelation #12,' and I think those songs are very important in defining the album."