Difference between revisions of "Antichrist Superstar (album)"
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The album can be considered a concept album. 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. | The album can be considered a concept album. 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. | ||
− | In the three part storyline, an insignificant and abused being named ''"[[The Worm]]"'' attempts to lead a massive revolution against the world. In his quest to attain and exercise the ''will to power'', he fashions himself into a self-realized and influential hierophant to proselytize self-determination while | + | In the three part storyline, an insignificant and abused being named ''"[[The Worm]]"'' attempts to lead a massive revolution against the world. In his quest to attain and exercise the ''will to power'', he fashions himself into a self-realized and influential hierophant to proselytize self-determination while rallying against '[[The Beautiful People]]' for which he is adored by people. However, the Worm soon sinks into an apathy then hatred for those very adoring disciples along with the world when he comes to the realization that they aren't interested in being saved and quite content to remain weak and imitative "victims" (what Nietzsche viewed as "slaves"). His message then is frustrated and seems futile. This failure leaves him cold and bitter, determining to use his power and influence instead to become a repressive and nihilistic fascist tyrant, the eponymous "[[Antichrist Superstar (song)|Antichrist Superstar]]", known alternatively as "[[The Disintegrator]]", as he now concludes that is what the people truly desire; a master-slave dynamic. Now the disconsolate "[[Man That You Fear]]", he allows his vitriol and disgust to tear down everything his revolution fought for, oppresses the very people he aimed to lift up and destroys everyone and everything around him declaring "When you are suffering know that I have betrayed you". |
==Packaging== | ==Packaging== |
Revision as of 05:15, 13 August 2010
- This article is about the album. For the song, see Antichrist Superstar (song), for the unreleased single see Antichrist Superstar (single).
Antichrist Superstar | |||||
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Studio album by Marilyn Manson | |||||
Released | October 8, 1996 | ||||
Recorded | 1996 at Nothing Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||
Genre | Alternative metal, heavy metal, industrial metal | ||||
Length | 77:26 | ||||
Label | Nothing, Interscope | ||||
Producer | Trent Reznor, Dave Ogilvie, Marilyn Manson, Sean Beavan | ||||
Professional reviews | |||||
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Analysis and Interpretations | |||||
Shock Logo (Nachtkabarett) |
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Marilyn Manson chronology | |||||
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Antichrist Superstar (sometimes written as Antichrist Svperstar as an allusion to Latin) is Marilyn Manson's second studio album 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 three singles (The Beautiful People, Tourniquet and Man That You Fear). Antichrist Superstar is currently the band's longest running studio album.
Contents
Concept
- for a complete overview of the Trilogy see Triptych.
The album can be considered a concept album. 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.
In the three part storyline, an insignificant and abused being named "The Worm" attempts to lead a massive revolution against the world. In his quest to attain and exercise the will to power, he fashions himself into a self-realized and influential hierophant to proselytize self-determination while rallying against 'The Beautiful People' for which he is adored by people. However, the Worm soon sinks into an apathy then hatred for those very adoring disciples along with the world when he comes to the realization that they aren't interested in being saved and quite content to remain weak and imitative "victims" (what Nietzsche viewed as "slaves"). His message then is frustrated and seems futile. This failure leaves him cold and bitter, determining to use his power and influence instead to become a repressive and nihilistic fascist tyrant, the eponymous "Antichrist Superstar", known alternatively as "The Disintegrator", as he now concludes that is what the people truly desire; a master-slave dynamic. Now the disconsolate "Man That You Fear", he allows his vitriol and disgust to tear down everything his revolution fought for, oppresses the very people he aimed to lift up and destroys everyone and everything around him declaring "When you are suffering know that I have betrayed you".
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. Along with Mechanical Animals, Antichrist Superstar often ranks among the band's most popular albums.
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. Track 99 – 1:39
Tracks 17 through 98 are blank and about four seconds long.
B-sides
- "Apple of Sodom" – 4:26
- "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, Berkowitz]
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: Tony 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.
Cover gallery
Chart positions
Album
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1996 | Billboard 200 | 3 |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | "The Beautiful People" | Modern Rock Tracks | 26 |
1996 | "The Beautiful People" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 29 |
1997 | "Tourniquet" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 30 |
Trivia
- A poster depicting the booklet cover of Antichrist Superstar appears in Vol. 1, #43 of The Punisher (now known as Punisher: Frank Castle), published by Marvel Comics' MAX imprint.
- If the roman numerals that appear on the back of the album sleeve (IX (9), VI (6), III (3), and VII (7)) are multiplied by themselves, the resulting number equals 1134. When 1134 is properly read upside-down, it appears as 'hEll' ('Hell').
- Both the first and last four second long "empty tracks", tracks 17 and 98, equal 1666 when multiplied together.
- The photographs of Marilyn Manson in the album's liner notes were taken at Manson's New Orleans apartment.[1]
- The title track, "Antichrist Superstar", was originally meant to be a single from the album. A music video was filmed in 1996 and was not released until 2010.
- There is a popular belief that the track title "Cryptorchid" is actually a misspelling of "Cryptorchild". This is false however; 'cryptorchid' refers to a state of the male anatomy in which one or both testicles have failed to sink into the scrotum.
- Remixing the album is impossible as it was reported that Trent Reznor had lost all masterdisks for Manson's albums on or prior to Nothing Records going out of business in 2004. Manson stated he believes Reznor destroyed or misplaced them on purpose.
Personnel
- Marilyn Manson – vocals, guitar, pan flute, producer
- Twiggy Ramirez – lead and rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, bass
- Madonna Wayne Gacy – all keyboards, loops, samples
- Daisy Berkowitz – guitar
- Ginger Fish – live drums, programming
- Zim Zum – live guitar on the tour for Antichrist Superstar
- Trent Reznor – producer, editing, mixing, mellotron, guitar, rhodes piano
- Dave Ogilvie – producer, programming, engineer, editing, mixing
- Sean Beavan – producer, engineer, editing, mixing, guitar, guitar synthesizer
- Brian Pollack – production assistant, assistant engineer
- Chris Vrenna – drums, programming, engineer, editing
- Charlie Clouser – editing, programming
- Tom Baker – mastering
- Tony Ciulla – management
- Alex Kochan – booking
- David Codikow – artists and audience legal
- Jay Sendyk – business management
- P. R. Brown – digital illustration, design
- Dean Karr – photography
- Danny Lohner – additional guitar
- Robin Finck – additional live guitar, additional keyboards (uncredited, however Manson confirmed his work on the album)
Analysis
For further reading and in depth analysis please refer to The Nachtkabarett: Antichrist Svperstar
References
- ↑ Marilyn Manson Interview By Alexander. The Heirophant. July 6, 2002.