Marilyn Manson: New Album ‘Full of Drama’

Marilyn Manson is still eyeing a 2019 release, even though touring looms for the rocker. Speaking with Revolver, he offered an update on the new album, stating, “Last night, I was working pretty late in the studio, and we finished the sixth song. So, it'll be out before the end of the year, definitely. I plan on going on the ‘Twins of Evil’ tour, and I have an art book that I'm going to release, and I'll probably have a bunch of exhibitions all over to go along with it. And then I'll release the album after that.”

For Manson, this is a transitional record, as Tyler Bates, who has played guitar and worked with him on his recent albums, has moved on, while Shooter Jennings is producing and a new group of musicians is playing with him. It was recently revealed that Brandon Pertzborn had come on board as his drummer, but Manson revealed that Paul Wiley is his current guitarist. Jennings’ drummer, Jamie Douglass, has also done some recording for the album.

"It's kind of like hitting the reset button," says Manson of making the album. ”Hitting it a couple times, like when you're drunkenly trying to change channels with the remote control, and your patience runs out. Which is a good metaphor for my life." He laughingly adds, "Another one would be that, if I was born a gun, the problem that I have in life — or the plus side — is that I don't know how to put the safety on. Which would be the best way to describe my current state of mind, in general."

Though a work in progress, Manson says he’s leaning toward self-titling his next album. “I think it's the album that should be called Marilyn Manson. I'm in a mode in life where I wanted to tell stories with this record, and it's sort of like a wax museum of my thoughts, a study of the chamber of horrors in my head. All the romance and hope you can have in the world, here in the End Times where it can be a different kind of apocalypse for each person listening to the record,” explains the singer. “I tried to paint it with words, and Shooter with sounds, so you can see and hear all of your longing, your passion and despair. That's sort of a dramatic explanation of it. [Laughs] But it is full of drama. I wouldn't compare it to any of my other records, but you hear a bit of everything — it's like I've focused everything into one spot, finally.”

Manson reveals that he and Jennings, who bonded back in Manson’s Sons of Anarchy days, also recorded a cover of The Doors’ “The End” for Stephen King’s The Stand miniseries that he’ll also be acting in. The cover helped to kick things off creatively before he and Jennings jumped into the new album.

The rejuvenated rocker concludes, “I feel in fighting mode, ready to take it all on, and make a record, and keep that flag a-flying, and to make sure people know that this isn't just sort of tapering off — this is hitting hard right now. And I think that's why I think Marilyn Manson, self-titled, is probably the most descriptive album title, considering it's the stories of what put me here.”

Stay tuned for news on the new album, and in the interim, look for Manson joining Rob Zombie on tour for the latest “Twins of Evil” run. Dates can be found here.

Marilyn Manson Albums Ranked