Brooke Lennon

Heaviest, most consistent and easily most ferocious work since Holy Wood. And about just as dark too, there is a very dour, bleak and bitter mood on this album not present in anything he's put out over the last 20 or so years. This has more teeth and gnarl to it than Mechanical Animals easily it's not even disputable, he just revived the Antichrist Superstar vibes back with this one albeit gothed the fuck out. Theres such a sombre, forlorn mood all over this thing. Its got every last thing you could honestly ask from modern Manson: Monstrous, chuggy riffs, feral but equal parts cool and pretty vocals, creative production choices, heaps of distortion and uncanny synths, biting lyrics that don't shy away from disturbing imagery. Shock rock might be dead but with this album, it's ghost comes back to haunt with a vengeance.

If you're somehow dumb enough to think this album is forgettable or doesn't hold up, then please find the door that reads "lame fan who will never be pleased" and see yourself out. This album has so much going on, so many riffs and vocal hooks and drum fills. Seriously I don't get what's not to like if you're into the pumpkins! Billy sings too much on it? Too many chuggy riffs? What??? How is that a problem?! At this point you're just looking and aching for something to criticize... This is easily their best album in 24 years coming from a long-time fan who has been through thick and thin with the group, anyone who says otherwise is laughably wrong.