I Don't Like the Drugs But Your Album is All Right. Born Villain Review. World Goth Day Post.

The highly anticipated album Born Villain from the self-proclaimed God of Fuck Marilyn Manson has finally landed but with only a subtle bang.  Despite the hype about film-star Johnny Depp making a guest appearance on the cover track You're So Vain. 

I had high hopes for this album after the disaster that was the album The High End of Low but Born Villain although good in parts still feels slightly disappointing. The feeling is similar to going for a hot bath but the water not being warm enough in the end. At first you endure it but then you just feel disappointed.


At best I would describe the overall album as all right but it is very clear in listening to Manson's somewhat slurred  vocals that the drugs are still very much in his life.  It was definite lie when he said he didn't like the drugs.  


However the album does have some stand out tracks and there is a clear influence of his past album from on this album which returns the punch to Manson's music but I have yet to work out if he has drew inspiration from past work to get his music back on track or whether he simply got lazy. 


I still feel that this album should have been turned up a notch further to compensate for the last album.


But at least Manson appears to have stopped drowning on about how bad his life is and has returned to his angst fuelled sexed up style of music that he is renowned for. On saying that though the album does open with a track named 'Hey Cruel World' so it is clear that he still is not letting go of his past and some of the tracks such as 'You're so Vain', 'Disengaged' and 'The Gardner' would appear to be taking a hit at ex-wife Dita Von Teese.

"She is still growing

Its like a garden with two flowers

One just blooming and casting a shadow

Just like yours

Then it becomes struggle

Of sunlight

Or rain

Or weeds

She and every she

Is doomed to be your idea of her". - The Gardner

Notable tracks on the album are the emotion fuelled Breaking the Same Old Ground which opens with sombre lullaby akin notes which on listening to the song appear to represent putting a relationship sleep.  Although the High End of Low was full of sadness I think this is the first track where Manson sounds genuinely sounds hurt.


Pistol Whipped see's a return of Manson using sex in his music.  A formula that has always worked for him in the past and excited women world over.


I wouldn't say there is an obviously terrible track on the album but it is more that in parts Manson's vocals sound sloppy and as a musician who's talent is based upon his vocal quality he cannot afford to be sloppy with this.  Like I have said in my previous two posts about Manson I wish he would simply lay off the drugs for a while and stop letting himself and his fans down.