Marilyn Manson (band)

Marilyn Manson is a band based in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. Frequently termed "shock rock", the group's sound contains influences from heavy metal, industrial music, and Glam rock. As a whole, Marilyn Manson is highly difficult to categorize as each album has a distinct and individual image and sound. The band was formed in 1989 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids. Its uniquely theatrical performances gathered a local cult following that subsequently developed into a worldwide fan base.

Marilyn Manson's reputation has likewise grown, with the band now considered one of modern music's most widely-known and most controversial; this has been due, in large part, to eponymous lead singer Marilyn Manson — born Brian Warner — and his frequent clashes with religious and political figures. The name of each band member was originally created by combining the first name of an Secular icon female sex symbol and the last name of an iconic mass murderer or serial killer. The members of the band dress in outlandish makeup and costumes, and have engaged in intentionally shocking behavior both on stage and off. Their lyrics often receive criticism for their anti-religious sentiment and their references to sex, drugs, and violence — Marilyn Manson's music and performances have frequently been called offensive and obscene, and, more than a few times, protests and petitions have led to the group being banned from performing.

As this controversy began to wane, so did the band's mainstream popularity. Despite this, its many devoted fans have made Marilyn Manson a consistently high-profile group: three of the band's albums have been awarded platinum certification and three more have been awarded gold, and the band has seen three of its releases debut in the top ten, including two number-one albums. In June 2003, Jon Wiederhorn of MTV.com referred to Marilyn Manson as "the only true artist today".

Band history

In 1989, Brian Warner was a college student working toward a journalism degree, and gaining experience in the field by writing music articles for a South Florida lifestyle magazine, 25th Parallel. It was in this capacity that he was able to meet several of the musicians to whom his own band would later be compared, including My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. He met Scott Putesky shortly afterward and, after showing him some lyrics and poems he had written, proposed that they form a band together. Warner, guitarist Putesky, and bassist Brian Tutunick recorded their first demo tape as Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids in 1990, taking on the stage names of Marilyn Manson, Daisy Berkowitz, and Olivia Newton Bundy, respectively. They were soon joined by Stephen Bier, who called himself Madonna Wayne Gacy; Bundy was replaced by Gidget Gein, born Brad Stewart. In 1991, drummer Fred Streithorst joined the band, with the stage name Sara Lee Lucas.

The stage names used by each member were representative of a concept the band considered central: the dichotomy of goodness and evil, and the existence of both, together, in every whole. "Marilyn Monroe had a dark side", explained Manson in his autobiography, "just as Charles Manson has a good, intelligent side". Images of both Monroe and Manson, as well as of others equally famous and notorious, were common in the band's early promotional materials.

The Spooky Kids' popularity in the area grew quickly, largely because of radio DJ Scott David of WYNX-FM, an early fan who eagerly played songs from the band's demo tapes on the air; and because of the band's highly visual concerts, which drew from performance art and used many shock techniques. It was not uncommon to see on stage "naked women nailed to a cross, a child in a cage, or bloody animal body parts" Manson, Berkowitz, and Gein variously performed in women's clothing or bizarre costumes; and, for lack of a professional pyrotechnics, they would occasionally set their own stage props on fire. The band would dramatically contrast these grotesque theatrics with elements drawn from the culture of the members' youth in the 1970s and 1980s: characters from that era's children's television made regular, often somewhat altered, appearances on Marilyn Manson flyers and newsletters, and were frequently Sampling in the music. They continued to perform and release cassettes — shortening their name to Marilyn Manson in 1992 — until the summer of 1993, when the band drew the attention of Trent Reznor, who at the time had just founded his own record label, Nothing Records.

Nothing Records and the first albums (1993–1996)

Trent Reznor offered Marilyn Manson a contract with his new label and the opportunity to support Nine Inch Nails on their upcoming headlining tour. The band accepted both offers, and recording sessions for its national debut, Portrait of an American Family, began in July 1993. Working with producer Roli Mosimann at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, the band recorded a selection of new songs along with material from their Spooky Kids repertoire and, by the end of Autumn 1993, had completed the first version of their debut, titled The Manson Family Album. It was not, however, well-received. The abrasive sonic "rawness" that Mosimann's production had brought to such groups as Swans had failed to materialize on The Manson Family Album; Reznor and the band found it flat and lifeless, and poorly representative of Marilyn Manson's dynamic performances. "I thought, 'This really sucks'", Manson explained, "so I played it for Trent, and he thought it sucked". At the same time, the band was having difficulties with bassist Gidget Gein, who had begun to lose control of his addiction to heroin.

In October 1993, Reznor agreed to rework the production on Marilyn Manson's album, taking them and their tapes to The Record Plant in Los Angeles. Gein, who had been hospitalized after an overdose, was not invited. After seven weeks of mixing, remixing, and rerecording, the album — now titled Portrait of an American Family — was ready to be presented to Interscope Records. Even as the first single "Get Your Gunn" was beginning to receive radio airplay, Gein received a letter declaring his services "no longer needed" by Marilyn Manson after he overdosed on heroin for the fourth time; he was replaced by Twiggy Ramirez, then known as Jeordie White, of Miami thrash band Amboog-a-Lard.

In December 1993, Ramirez first performed as the band's new bass player on a week's worth of headline dates through Florida with then-girlfriend Jessicka's band Jack Off Jill opening. On the first date of a fourteen-week national tour opening for Nine Inch Nails, Ramirez made his national touring debut. It was during this tour that Manson had occasion to meet with Church of Satan founder Dr. Anton LaVey. After a cordial meeting, LaVey honored Manson with the title of "Reverend" — meaning, in the Church of Satan, a person who is revered by the church, and not necessarily one who dedicates his life to preaching the religion to others, as with a priest or minister of religion. In March 1995, the band began its first national headlining tour, a two-month outing with Monster Voodoo Machine as support; this would be drummer Sara Lee Lucas's last tour with the band. Tension between Lucas and Manson had apparently grown as the tour wore on and, on the next-to-last night of the tour, Manson secretly decided to end the show with a flourish: during a performance of the then-current single, "Lunchbox", he doused Lucas's drum kit in butane and set it ablaze — with Lucas still attempting to play on behind it. (Manson apparently forgot that the band had one more date to play.) Lucas quit the band after the final gig the next night. Less than two weeks later his replacement, Ginger Fish, joined the group, Marilyn Manson was touring again, this time on a bill with Danzig and Korn. That tour ended in summer 1995, after which the band relocated to the new home of Nothing Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana to begin work on the third single from Portrait of an American Family, "Dope Hat". Accompanied by a music video which featured Manson in the role of Willy Wonka in a shock-horror version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the proposed single for "Dope Hat" eventually developed into an hour-long EP, Smells Like Children. The EP's fifteen tracks of covers, remixes, and bizarre sonic experiments also included the band's version of the Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", which would prove to be Marilyn Manson's first legitimate hit: the video was placed in heavy rotation on MTV (in stark contrast with the "Dope Hat" video, which MTV had banished to late-night airplay only a few months before) and the mainstream music press was suddenly clamoring to cover the group. A five-month headlining tour followed, from September through February, during which the band began to debut new material like "Irresponsible Hate Anthem", "Minute of Decay", and "Smells Like Children". Rumors of a new album circulated widely during this time, and were confirmed when the band returned to Nothing's New Orleans studio in early 1996 to perform what Manson termed "a musical ritual designed to bring about the Apocalypse".

Marilyn Manson's second proper album, Antichrist Superstar, was released on October 8 1996. It was recorded at Nothing Studios with Trent Reznor himself acting as executive producer; the process of making the album was reportedly a long and difficult one, highlighted by experiments allegedly involving sleep deprivation and near-constant drug use in an effort to create an environment suited to the album's moody and occasionally violent content. During this time, antagonism between band members was high, which caused the departure of guitarist and founding member Daisy Berkowitz. With Berkowitz out of the band, Twiggy Ramirez performed lead guitar for much of the recording of Antichrist Superstar, and the group placed an ad seeking a new guitarist for its upcoming tour; Timothy Linton, of Chicago band Life Sex and Death (LSD), auditioned for and was given the position. Breaking with the six-year tradition of icon / killer naming structures, the newest member was dubbed Zim Zum – a name derived from Kabbalah, one of the major sources of inspiration for the album.

The album's first single, "The Beautiful People", made a fairly major impact on the alternative rock charts, and created enough anticipation for Antichrist Superstar that the album debuted at number three on the album charts. The year-and-a-half long Dead to the World Tour in support of the album followed; it was the band's longest and widest yet, and included Marilyn Manson's live debut in the United Kingdom, continental Europe, and South America. In the United States, however, the band was receiving more attention than ever before, and not all of it was positive.

Protests, Mechanical Animals, Columbine, and Holy Wood (1997–2001)

As the tour was getting underway, the band found itself the target of congressional hearings, led by Senator Joseph Lieberman, to determine the effects, if any, of violent lyrics on young listeners. Lieberman would later go on to refer to Marilyn Manson as "perhaps the sickest group ever promoted by a mainstream record company"

On November 10, even as all this was taking place, the band released a remix / live EP, Remix and Repent, featuring new versions of Antichrist Superstar's three singles, "The Beautiful People", "Tourniquet", and "Man that You Fear", alongside songs recorded live on the U.S. leg of the Dead to the World Tour. Two Antichrist Superstar outtakes were also contributed to film soundtracks: "Apple of Sodom" to David Lynch's Lost Highway, and "The Suck for Your Solution" to the Howard Stern biopic Private Parts. As the year ended, Manson made the announcement of the upcoming publication of his first book, the autobiographical Long Hard Road out of Hell; the book was released in February 1998, along with another live document of the world tour, a longform video entitled Dead to the World. The release of the follow-up to Antichrist Superstar was, according to the band, also immiment, accompanied by early rumors of the involvement of Billy Corgan and The Dust Brothers with the as-yet-untitled album.

On September 15 1998, Marilyn Manson released Mechanical Animals, an album strongly influenced by David Bowie. Interscope's promotion of the album was massive, including an enormous billboard of singer Manson as an androgynous extraterrestrial over Times Square, and repeated appearances on MTV and other networks to promote the album and the single "The Dope Show"; propelled by the success of Antichrist Superstar and by this press push, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. The band had recast itself in a new image for this album; setting aside the bleakness of the previous record, Marilyn Manson was now a glam rock band, borrowing its visual presentation largely from Bowie, and from Roxy Music and its contemporaries. By this time, the band had permanently relocated to Los Angeles, and Zim Zum had been replaced by glam-influenced guitarist John Lowery, who joined the band as John 5. After a brief promotional tour, the band set out on the Rock Is Dead world tour with Hole and Monster Magnet as support. The tour, however, would be a problematic one: on March 1 1999, the three bands played the first show in Spokane, Washington; by March 14, Hole had left the tour and Manson had broken his ankle, forcing postponements of some shows. Jack Off Jill and Nashville Pussy were asked to take select remaining opening slots on tour.

Less than three weeks after the tour resumed, two students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado killed thirteen people; early media reports declared them fans of "violent" music and video games.

On April 28, out of respect for the victims, Marilyn Manson canceled the remaining dates of the Rock Is Dead tour, and would not reappear in Denver until the 2001 Ozzfest.

The rest of 1999 and much of 2000 was a period of relative silence for Marilyn Manson. The band spent over a year quietly writing and recording in a studio in Death Valley, with only the single "Astonishing Panorama of the Endtimes" — an outtake from Antichrist Superstar— appearing during that time. On November 14 2000, Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) was released. Returning to the darker, more visceral sound of Antichrist Superstar, much of the album's content was written in response to the Columbine massacre. Despite much critical acclaim, Holy Wood was Marilyn Manson's most poorly-selling album. Described by the band as the third part of a trilogy begun with Antichrist Superstar and continued in Mechanical Animals, its overarching theme is an exploration of the relationship between death and fame in American culture, and its lyrics and artwork contain many references to John F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald, John Lennon and Mark David Chapman, and even Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth. The Guns, God, and Government world tour expanded upon the exploration of America's fascination with violence, and with the tour's logo — a rifle and handguns arranged to resemble the Christian cross — Manson made no attempt to conceal what he saw as the source of that fascination.

On May 16 2001, it was announced on the Marilyn Manson website that Manson planned to quote the Bible at his next concert, to "balance out" his violent lyrics, "so we can examine the virtues of wonderful Christian stories of disease, murder, adultery, suicide and child sacrifice. Now that seems like entertainment to me".

On June 21 2001, Manson did indeed read from the Bible onstage in Denver, Colorado, presenting such passages as Leviticus 20:9 ("For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death") and Psalm 137:9 ("Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones") as evidence the band's lyrics were, at least, no more violent than the Bible itself.

The Golden Age and "farewell" (2002–2005)

With the "triptych" of the previous three albums now complete, Marilyn Manson was free to begin a fresh project. In 2002, Jonathan Davis of KoRn called Brian into a studio to record vocals on a track he wrote entitled "Reedemer". The song, produced by both Jon and Richard Gibbs, was then released on the Queen Of The Damned soundtrack. After finding inspiration in the decadent Swing era of the 1930s the band recorded The Golden Age of Grotesque that year and the album was released on May 13 2003. Eschewing the lyrical depth and volume of symbolism and hidden meaning of Holy Wood, the new album was relatively straightforward; in an extended metaphor, Manson compares his own often-criticized music to the degenerate art banned by the Nazi regime. New member Tim Skold, replacing Twiggy Ramirez, added a new dimension to the band's sound; he brought with him from KMFDM that band's use of heavy industrial beats, for better or worse — The Golden Age of Grotesque was frequently impugned as derivative of KMFDM and lacking the originality that Marilyn Manson had become known for. The album still managed a number one debut on the album charts, selling over 118,000 copies in the US its first week of release.

Another world tour, the Grotesk Burlesk, followed, which furthered the album's Weimar Republic-inspired theme by adding elements of German cabaret| to the group's performances. Elaborate artwork by Gottfried Helnwein appeared in the band's stage dressing, and the members began appearing both on-stage and off- in designer suits and with fashion superstars.

Lest We Forget was released on September 28 2004. It was referred to by the singer as his "farewell" album; however, he has insisted that it will not be the final Marilyn Manson album. It was supported by a series of "greatest hits" performances, the Against All Gods tour. After the release of the single "Personal Jesus", the band made a number of promotional appearances; at one of these, the Comet awards show in Germany, drummer Ginger Fish fell from his drum riser, fracturing his skull and wrist. Former Nine Inch Nails drummer Chris Vrenna replaced him; since his recovery from the accident Fish had been recording and performing with a new band, Martyr Plot, before rejoining Marilyn Manson. John 5 has also been replaced; Mark Chaussee of Fight took over lead guitar on the Against All Gods tour, and was subsequently replaced in the studio by Tim Skold. Lest We Forget was certified Gold in 2005.

It has been speculated that Manson's "farewell album" comment may be an indication that the membership of Marilyn Manson may no longer be permanent, and that the musicians who record the albums and play live may, in the future, rotate, as has been the case with Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM. This theory may be borne out with the release of Marilyn Manson's sixth album, as recorded by the core trio of Manson, Gacy, and Skold, accompanied by "an assortment of other musicians".

Celebritarian rising: the new era (2006–)

Beginning in January, 2006, and continuing for some months, Marilyn Manson's official website was updated several times, adding new artwork and music, and making obtuse references to The Celebritarian Corporation, an art movement led by the frontman. Merchandise has since become available featuring logos such as the "double cross" (a variation on the Cross of Lorraine), and such slogans — possibly new lyrics — as "we will sell our shadow to those who stand within it" and "do not seek death; seek destruction".

Though it has not yet been confirmed by Interscope Records, Manson has suggested that the band's upcoming full-length album would be available by early-mid 2007. The singer has also stated that a compilation of new music and previously unreleased tracks, as a soundtrack to Manson's upcoming horror film, Phantasmagoria, is forthcoming. In September, 2006, Rolling Stone revealed that Marilyn Manson had completed "about half an album's worth of music" including a new song to be called "Rebels Without Applause". The band also contributed a cover of "This Is Halloween", from the film The Nightmare Before Christmas, to the re-release of the film's soundtrack. In October, at the premiere of The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D at the El Capitan Theatre, Manson reported a tentative release period for the new album as "in time for Valentine's Day"

The band appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on October 312006; performing "This Is Halloween" with Manson on lead vocals, Skold on guitar, Gacy on keyboards and synthesizers, and returning member Ginger Fish on drums.

At the October 312006 opening of his Los Angeles, California art gallery, Manson spoke with Rolling Stone, saying "the process of opening a gallery ended up inspiring me to make a new record. . . we're about two songs away from a finished album that we didn't even have a few months ago. It sounds rather pretentious sometimes, but it's easier for me to just call myself an artist — if I decide to do music or if I decide to do a film, it works. I just want to uphold a level of integrity".

The band has also expressed interest in releasing a remastered, and possibly expanded, version of Antichrist Superstar, though "representatives from Nothing Records have indicated that they are not able to find, or have lost the master recordings" for three of the band's albums. It has never been officially suggested which masters were lost. In late-2006, a vinyl picture version of Antichrist Superstar was released.

Manson himself has also, on several occasions, expressed interest in re-releasing the band's video releases Dead to the World and God Is in the TV on DVD.

As of Friday, January 19th, the band's sixth studio album name has been released as Eat Me, Drink Me. The album is set to be released in Spring, 2007 with a planned world tour to follow. The band is currently scheduled to play some festivals outside of the United States.

Controversy and criticism

In December 1996, a press conference was called by William J. Bennett, Senator Joseph Lieberman, and activist C. DeLores Tucker, aimed at MCA, the owner of Interscope Records. Calling several albums released by the label — including Antichrist Superstar — "profane", "violent", "filth", and "crap", the group questioned MCA president Edgar Bronfman, Jr.'s ability to head the label competently while profiting from such material. That November 6, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management and Restructuring held a public hearing on the effect of violent rock and rap lyrics on youths. Supporters of the band claim it was merely another salvo in Senator Lieberman's declared war on the band. The hearing, chaired by Representative Sam Brownback, featured the testimony of Lieberman and Tucker, and of Raymond Kuntz, of Burlington, North Dakota, who blamed his son's suicide on Antichrist Superstar, which Lieberman denounced as "vile, hateful, nihilistic and damaging".

In addition, the band's performances have come under fire — the Dead to the World Tour, in particular, was followed by protesters at nearly every North American venue it visited. The band's March 10 1997 performance in Columbia, South Carolina was cancelled "in response to growing public pressure by religious, civic and political leaders who criticized the group's image". The owner of Calgary's Max Bell Centre had Marilyn Manson's July 25 show cancelled, citing "immorality" and the band's "use of animals on stage." Another concert in Portland was cancelled a few days later due to Manson's reputation, and the venue's inability to get insurance for the show. Protestors outside a concert in Greensboro, North Carolina included state senator Mark McDaniel.

The New Jersey date of Ozzfest '97, to be held at Giants Stadium, was cancelled by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, who cited Marilyn Manson's performance as its reason; the event was only held after Ozzy Osbourne himself successfully sued the state, which compelled the authorities to allow the concert. Legislation was introduced and passed in South Carolina and Utah allowing state-operated venues to ban groups like Marilyn Manson from performing and, in at least one instance, in Florida, local schools have gone so far as to threaten expulsion for students in attendance of Marilyn Manson concerts.

Following the Columbine High School massacre, there were accusations that killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were influenced by Marilyn Manson's music. When later evidence was presented that neither Harris nor Klebold were fans of the band, many were led to criticize the media for using the band as a scapegoat instead of analyzing the underlying societal problems surrounding the incident. In the controversial documentary Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore interviewed Manson about the tragedy. When asked what he would say to the two if he had a chance to talk to them before the killings, Manson replied "I wouldn't say a single word to them; I would listen to what they have to say, and that's what no one did". Eminem referenced the controversy in his song 'The Way I Am', which contains the line, "When a dude's gettin' bullied and shoots up his school/And they blame it on Marilyn, and the heroin/Where were the parents at?". Marilyn Manson made a cameo in the video for the song, and even contributed vocals to a guitar-heavy remix. Despite this comment, Eminem said in an interview with Banger Magazine that he thinks "he is a little off, but that is his poetic license. The makeup and whole gender-confusion thing is weird. Like, man, why he wanna be like that?". Eminem later said that even though he recognized that Manson was not to blame for Columbine, he did not support all that Manson stands for. Despite this, the artists are still on very good terms.

Marilyn Manson on the Internet

Beginning in 1998, Manson frequently interacted with his listeners on the band's official website, initially posting text messages and eventually short films of himself addressing the audience and of the band in the studio. His participation in this has gradually declined; from the release of The Golden Age of Grotesque through late 2005, there has been very little activity on the site. The Marilyn Manson BBS was opened up after Mechanical Animals and was a very active forum in subjects other than the band, including art, politics, news and current events. There was much debate on the meanings and interpretations of various lyrics, diagrams, or pictures featured in the band's album cover art, particularly the symbolism of Holy Wood. Manson would occasionally interject on discussions along these lines. For reasons unknown, the BBS was removed, then reintroduced a few months later, and removed again. The user base sharply declined as many members never returned.

Manson also released companion websites spawned from his concept albums. Mechanical Animals was companioned by Comawhite.com, an interactive online maze which led users to various drug- and rose-themed graphics and links to hidden sections of the main Marilyn Manson website. Holy Wood was companioned with the website Celebritarian.com, which featured a provoking questionnaire and a diagram of a human soul growing in size as a child progresses to adulthood. An additional website, ThisAsValentinesDay.com, featured a headline announcing John F. Kennedy's death. On October 1 2005, Celebritarian.com became active again; initially, the page featured only a stylized depiction of the Cross of Lorraine and a link to marilynmanson.com. Beginning in January, 2006, messages began to appear on the band's websites in numeric codes; these messages, once decrypted, revealed hidden sections of those websites featuring, among other content, new artwork by Marilyn Manson. On January 19, the main pages of all official Marilyn Manson websites were replaced with the Cross of Lorraine and the following text:

By novel and experimental inquest not the product of abstract speculations nor vindicative legalistic theories this website and all contents therein have been seized by explicit orders from The Celebritarian Corporation.

The text is a direct reference to a November 21 1945 statement by Robert H. Jackson during the Nuremberg Trials, in which the Justice described the tribunal as "novel and experimental. . . and not the product of abstract speculations nor. . . created to vindicate legalistic theories." Additional encoded messages have since been added to those websites; their meanings and the future contents have yet to be revealed. In the weeks following, they were replaced on the main website with a Flash animation featuring new music, recorded audio samples from Aleister Crowley and Alfred Hitchcock, and macabre, apparently Lewis Carroll-inspired visuals.

On November 5 2006, marilynmanson.com became active once again, boasting new news, artwork, discography, merchandising, and other sections--several of which still appear to be under construction. One area of the site, when properly explored, bears a reminder to subjects that the mysterious codes of January 2006 have yet to be "solvved" (sic); it is unknown if portions of the site will be withheld pending fans' deciphering of the codes, or what the repercussions of their failure to do so might entail.

Musical style

Marilyn Manson has come to be known for altering both its image and its musical trappings frequently; the group's sound incorporating, at various stages, elements of spoken-word poetry, glam rock, and — more recently — vaudeville and burlesque. Lead singer Manson was fond of Black Sabbath and Kiss as a young music fan, but every member of the band has brought his own unique style and set of influences to the band's sonic palette. Attempting to blend the typical heavy metal msuci sound of heavily distorted guitar and kick-drum-heavy percussion with industrial metal's emphasis on electronic musical instruments, Marilyn Manson's alternative metal is also marked by tendencies toward unconventional recording techniques and musical experimentation.

Influences

Initially, after being introduced to Big Black by a fellow Miami clubgoer, who would become his keyboard player, Madonna Wayne Gacy, Manson had the desire to form a rock band that used a drum machine — an uncommon technique outside of dance music at the time. The earliest incarnations of Marilyn Manson used this setup, and produced experimental, drum-heavy compositions similar to Steve Albini's work with Big Black; later, with the addition of a live drummer, the band's composing process, recording techniques, and live performances were by necessity altered. Guitarist Daisy Berkowitz and bassist Gidget Gein, who came from punk rock backgrounds, brought the musicianship and songwriting style of the Jim Carroll Band (whose "People Who Died" was an early favorite Song cover for Marilyn Manson) and the showmanship of The New York Dolls to the mixture. The result was something that Nothing Records would initially compare to Jane's Addiction, but which, after the band spent some time at Nothing, would also gather sonic elements from other bands on that label's roster, like Nine Inch Nails and Kevin McMahon.

Obviously, Manson is heavily influenced by the shock rock stylings of such artists as Mötley Crüe and Kiss; however, late influences have come from the glam rock of David Bowie, whose chameleon-like ability to shift from one style to another, replete with a new look and musical philosophy, was a characteristic which would also be frequently ascribed to Marilyn Manson by the music press. The hard rock background of John 5 amplified this aspect of the band's sound in live performance; Tim Skold, a former guitarist, bassist, and vocalist in KMFDM, later blended in that band's so-called "ultra-heavy beat" of industrial drums and guitars.

Composition and songwriting

All of the band's lyrics are written by Manson, whose songwriting style is characterized by a tendency toward misanthropy and attacks on organized religion, as well as by sharp, and occasionally inventive wordplay. He frequently makes use of puns and double entendres in his writing — for instance, a song on the Holy Wood album, which references the shootings at Columbine High School, is titled "Target Audience"; the album also makes frequent allusions to assassination, and the song "The Fall of Adam" refers to "Abraham Lincoln Town Car". These witticisms often take the form of neologisms, frequently delivered several at a time in rapid-fire fashion: the title song from Mechanical Animals includes the lines "We were neurophobic and perfect / the day that we lost our souls . . . You were my mechanical bride / my phenobarbidoll / A manniqueen of depression / with the face of a dead star".

Music is primarily composed by the other band members, who at present are Tim Skold, on bass guitar, electric guitar, and programming; Madonna Wayne Gacy, on keyboards, synthesizers, and electronic drums; and Ginger Fish, on live drums. Until their respective departures from the band, Daisy Berkowitz and Twiggy Ramirez were the chief contributors to the compositions, with one or both receiving "music by" credits on every Marilyn Manson album prior to The Golden Age of Grotesque. According to the albums' credits, every permanent member of the band has had input, at some point, in its songwriting process.

Marilyn Manson has also become extremely well-known for recording cover versions of songs by other artists; the band's two most successful singles have been a brooding punk-metal version of Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", and a heavily synthesized "Tainted Love" (as popularized by Soft Cell, though originally performed by Gloria Jones). Notable covers the band has recorded have been by Depeche Mode ("Personal Jesus"), David Bowie ("Golden Years"), Gary Numan ("Down in the Park"), and numerous other artists.

Current members

• Marilyn Manson (Brian Warner) – vocals

origin of name: Marilyn Monroe + Charles Manson

• Tim Skold (Thim Sköld) – guitar and bass guitar
• Madonna Wayne Gacy (Stephen Bier, Jr.) – keyboards and electronic drums

origin of name: Madonna + John Wayne Gacy

• Ginger Fish (Kenny Wilson) – live drums

origin of name: Ginger Rogers + Albert Fish

Former members

• Zsa Zsa Speck (Perry Pandrea) – keyboards 1990

origin of name: Zsa Zsa Gabor + Richard Speck

• Olivia Newton Bundy (Brian Tutunick) – bass 1990

origin of name: Olivia Newton-John + Ted Bundy

• Gidget Gein (Brad Stewart) – bass 1990-1993

origin of name: Gidget + Ed Gein

• Sara Lee Lucas (Fred Streithorst) – drums 1990-1995

origin of name: Sara Lee + Henry Lee Lucas

• Daisy Berkowitz (Scott Putesky) – guitars and programming 1990-1996

origin of name: Daisy Duke + David Berkowitz

• Zim Zum (Timothy Michael Linton) – guitar 1996-1998

origin of name: Tzimtzum

• Twiggy Ramirez (Jeordie White) – bass and guitar 1993-2002

origin of name: Twiggy + Richard Ramirez

• John 5 (John Lowery) – guitar 1998-2004

origin of name: John 5

• Chris Vrenna – live drums 2004-2005
• Mark Chaussee – live guitar 2004-2005

Most, if not all, members of the band have contributed performances (either live or in-studio) on instruments other than their primary ones. For instance, Gacy has played theremin and calliope, Manson has played pan flute, harpsichord, and guitar, and Berkowitz has been credited with bass guitar and drum machines.

Further details on these contributions can be found in the individual members' articles and in the articles on the band's albums.

Discography

Albums and EPs

Year	Album	U.S.	UK	Additional information
1994	Portrait of an American Family	35	-	Debut studio album. Gold certified.
1995	Smells Like Children EP	31	-	Covers and remixes from Portrait of an American Family. Platinum certified.
1996	Antichrist Superstar	3	73	Second studio album. Platinum certified.
1997	Remix and Repent EP	102	163	Live recordings and remixes from Antichrist Superstar.
1998	Mechanical Animals	1	8	Third studio album. Platinum certified.
1999	The Last Tour on Earth	82	61	First live album. Recordings from Rock Is Dead tour plus a new studio track.
2000	Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)	13	23	Fourth studio album. Gold certified.
2003	The Golden Age of Grotesque	1	4	Fifth studio album.
2004	Lest We Forget	9	4	"Best of" compilation. Gold certified.
2007	Eat Me, Drink Me	-	-	Sixth studio album. To be released.

Singles

Year	Song	U.S. Mainstream Rock	U.S. Modern Rock	U.S. Dance	UK Singles	Germany	Album
1995	"Lunchbox"	-	-	-	-	-	Portrait of an American Family
1995	"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"	31	26	-	135	-	Smells Like Children EP
1996	"The Beautiful People"	29	26	-	18	-	Antichrist Superstar
1997	"Tourniquet"	30	-	-	28	-	Antichrist Superstar
1998	"The Dope Show"	12	15	-	12	-	Mechanical Animals
1999	"Rock Is Dead"	28	30	-	23	-	Mechanical Animals
1999	"I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me)"	25	36	-	-	-	Mechanical Animals
2000	"Disposable Teens"	22	24	-	12	64	Holy Wood (in the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
2001	"The Fight Song"	-	-	-	24	67	Holy Wood (in the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
2001	"The Nobodies"	-	-	-	34	65	Holy Wood (in the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
2002	"Tainted Love"	30	33	-	5	3	Not Another Teen Movie soundtrack
2003	"mOBSCENE"	18	26	-	13	20	The Golden Age of Grotesque
2003	"This Is the New Shit"	-	-	-	29	25	The Golden Age of Grotesque
2004	"Personal Jesus"	20	12	35	13	11	Lest We Forget
2006	"This Is Halloween"	-	-	-	-	-	The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack (only)

Video releases

Year	Title	Additional information
1998	Dead to the World	VHS documentary filmed live and backstage during the Dead to the World Tour
1999	God Is in the T.V.	VHS compilation of music videos ("Get Your Gunn" through "Coma White") and live and backstage footage from the Rock Is Dead tour
2002	Guns, God and Government	DVD / VHS documentary of the Guns, God and Government world tour
2004	Lest We Forget	DVD compilation of music videos and extra material