April 30th, 2012 
Josh Hammond 
Artist: Marilyn Manson
Album: Born Villain
Genre: Industrial Rock
Label: Cooking Vinyl & Hell Ect.
If you were to take a snapshot of my life now, it would be nearly impossible to come to the conclusion that Marilyn Manson had ever played a significant role in the path I took to becoming a music journalist (and for that matter the person I am today). I mean honestly, with a closet full of skinny jeans and TOMS shoes, I’m as far from industrial as any person could possibly be. Truth be told though, 16 year old me could relate to Antichrist Superstar the way 31 year old me finds comfort in Brand New’s Deja Entendu. Constantly feeling alienated by the captain of the school’s football team (and other cliche members of society), the social outcast in me turned Manson’s angst-ridden penmanship “there is no time to discriminate, hate every mother fucker that is in your way” into a banner motto to live by. I proudly walked the halls of my backwards country school in my leather jacket and ripped jeans, often mistaken as America’s next school shooter. There were times where music felt like my only companion.
Which is why my dislike for Born Villain feels an awful lot like ending a relationship with a childhood friend. Sure, there are remnants of what we use to have remaining in the album, but the samples are few and far between. In fact, here:
When compared to Portrait of an American Family, Born Villain just feels polished and forced. Nothing like “Cake and Sodomy” or “My Monkey” appears on the new cut, yanking a huge chunk of creativity away from Manson’s image. The bits of television and interview samples, placed casually in the background of the songs littering Manson’s first album provided a unique and haunting feel to the already creepy songs. Those haunts are missing from the newest attempt.
Up against the rage of Antichrist Superstar, Born Villain makes Manson sounds anemic and worn down. Maybe times have changed and Manson has less to be angry about, but I seriously doubt it. It is possible that spending a significant amount of time free of the public ridicule has given the man a shrunken soapbox. People grow over time. But, in my humble opinion, if you’ve based a career on anger and shock, you had damn sure be ready to come out swinging controversy after you vanish from the headlines. Sadly however, nothing on this album (after 27 listens) has left me in awe of Manson’s bravery and outspoken personality. There have been no middle fingers to speak of.
Lyrically and conceptually, Born Villain has nothing on Mechanical Animals. I failed to find myself questioning anything about society when I listened to Manson speak this go-round. There is no “Coma White” on this album. Furthermore, the album lacks the tongue in cheek nature that made Mechanical Animals witty. There is no clever ruse to Born Villains, waiting around the corner with a comic book smile, ready to bring down society. No, mostly Manson is just going through the motions.
Overall, Born Villain is nothing more than a failed attempt for a forgotten legend to get back in the game. Separate from the whole of his catalog, there is nothing significant or noteworthy about the album at all. In fact, I would go so far as to say that a majority of these tracks would have ended up on the cutting room floor on previous albums. As sad as it is to say, I honestly believe that we currently live in a world where it might have been a better move for Marilyn Manson’s career had he just stayed gone.
16 year old me never thought 31 year old me would say that.
REVIEW: 4/10
Written by: Joshua Hammond (Twitter)
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Failed? Born Villain breaks iTunes Top 10 charts in 17 countries.
Dear “Manson Fan” –
Thanks for the comment! Call us crazy, but we do not consider selling a lot of copies of a record the same as releasing a “good” record. Just because the Twilight movies make a ton of money doesn’t make them the best films ever, right? Same idea.
“When compared to Portrait of an American Family, Born Villain just feels polished and forced. Nothing like “Cake and Sodomy” or “My Monkey” appears on the new cut” “Born Villain has nothing on Mechanical Animals.”
There is no “Coma White” on this album. IS THIS A “REVIEW” OR A “COMPARISON”??
I’ve been MANSON FAN for about ONLY 4 years, and actually like BORN VILLAIN very much!
How can you discuss a group’s new material without referencing their previous effort? Is not all art the result of continuous evolution? How does one grow without first referencing the mistakes and lessons of their past?
Sent from my personal Skynet.
It baffles me that so many commenters think that an album’s chart position has anything to do with its quality. By these standards, Rihanna and Madonna could be the new Beatles.
This was the nicest way I could think to show that I had fond memories and attachment to his previous releases. Would you have rather I simply listed a bunch of snarky lines, ripping the new album apart?
The new album is boring when placed against his previous work. It is that simple. I didn’t want to go on for 600 words about how empty and bland it is. You can only say “there is no spar here” so many times.
Oh shit. I didn’t think about album sales. Nevermind. You’ve changed my mind. I take it all back. I love the album now.
One thing I really wish reviewers of this album would do? Stop comparing ‘Born Villain’ to mansons previous albums as It suggests an unimaginative writing process . All that the reviewers seem to be portraying that the new album Is not as good as his old matierial, without substatial reasoning. No one seems to be reviewing the new album as a stand alone peice, but instead are reviewing his career by the numbers. Please show some sort of technical knowledge of music craftsmanship to back up your very transparent opinions both “possative” and “negative”.
Positive. I think you meant to say, Positive.
And again, as I said below:
“This was the nicest way I could think to show that I had fond
memories and attachment to his previous releases. Would you have rather I
simply listed a bunch of snarky lines, ripping the new album apart?
The new album is boring when placed against his previous work. It is
that simple. I didn’t want to go on for 600 words about how empty and
bland it is. You can only say “there is no spar here” so many times.”
i’ve forced myself to listen to the last three albums until i found why he was doing what he was doing and was able to fall in love with them. we’re doing marilyn manson a favor by comparing this album to the older stuff because if the name wasn’t known this stuff would never have been produced, much less heard by anyone reading or commenting or completely unaware of this thread.
i’m finding it hard to listen to this an 11th time. i think the cutting room leftovers is as accurate of a description as there is without insulting the man and music we admire. without comparing this to previous works, this is a sodomized cake. by comparing this to previous works this is the jissom leftover from the act.
New best friend!
Very pathetic review , mentions nothing about any of the tracks.
Yes, topping the iTunes chart in Luxembourg is in fact a sign of a good album…
http://neostarpromotions.com/2012/04/30/album-review-marilyn-manson-born-villain/ learn how to review /
I would suppose it is a matter of opinion then. Opinions we don’t share. Peace V :)
And let us thank the Lord for the Trolls of this world, for the give us great moments of grand hilarity.
WOW, this review is horrible, pure TRASH. You should be embarrassed at the claims, you say its nothing like his past albums, meaning you have listened to his past albums, then you say that lyrically this has nothing on Mechanical animals, yet you go on and say, ”
I failed to find myself questioning anything about society” which just contradicts your whole statement, If you actually listened to his past albums and payed attention to the lyrics as you declare, then you must be aware of the 2003 song, “this is the new shit”. In that song Manson sings, “Everything’s been said before, nothing left to say anymore, when its all the same you can ask for it by name”. so if you actually listened to the lyrics from his PAST albums as you CLAIM you do you’d know, Manson has for the most part stopped critisizing Societys flaws, “Everything’s been said before, nothing left to say anymore”. This just makes your claims shit, you don’t know Manson, you just wanna talk shit on an almost perfect album, BORN VILLAIN is not Perfect but its really good, so i suggest you research Manson a little more if you wanna act like you know him and you LISTEN to his LYRICS, when you obviously don’t.
Admittedly mr 31 doesn’t belong to the same world as mr 16 anymore and should stay hidden and amongst fellow “skinny jeans and TOMS shoes” folk. i myself like reviews that show balance between comparison and review and this piece IS strictly one sided. But I do have to give you credit for the controversy it’s caused with just a handfull of the readers. Born Villian in my opinion is a really good album with a few great songs and a few good songs. Enjoy, M
Conforming to non-conformity has always been one of the most amusing traits of humanity in my opinion.
I could honesty care less about your opinion on if I should be writing on this on any artist. At 31, I’ve spent my life following the careers of artist. I’ve seen Manson live 16 times in that period. I’ve read his books and use to have tapes full of clips I had recorded off television of him. I wasn’t aware that changing the way I dressed would change all of that knowledge on the subject.
I guess we made an awful decision allowing me to spin the disc because I no longer shop at hot topic.
I reviewed the disc the way I did because I feel like Manson deserves more than a cheap, “here are ten things I hated about this disc review.” Sadly, the clothes I wear are worth more than the words I write in this circle.
For that, you fans are worth no more than the jocks mocking you for being goth. Judgement is judgement regardless of how you spin it.
That review is honest. I was open and real about who I was and where I was coming from. It is one opinion. My opinion. That doesn’t make you wrong and it doesn’t make me right.
It is just my perspective. Anyone who assumes their perspective is the only perspective is a closed minded bigot. Anyone who is a fan of Manson should understand that concept. Unless THEY aren’t listening to the lyrics.
I agree with Josh. The album just goes through the motions in an all too familiar territory. It would be nice to see “Die Hard” fans think about the concept of the album before defending it. Lyrically, there is nothing on this album relevant to our time… and after all, isn’t Marilyn Manson a spokesman for our youth, a counter-image to our culture? Looks like our shock rock artist spent too much time caking up his make up, he forgot to acknowledge the world.
Just LOL Joshua, what a fail review (: Learn this -> Manson fan’s, i mean real Manson fan’s love him for his capability to reinvent itself every album, that said, how can you even compare albums ? when the mechanical animals was released no one liked it, simply because they had heard brutality in ACS, and in the end, is by far one of the best he’s ever done, as I say, there are fans of ACS and then are Manson fans! now go hear Overneath and tell me later if that song doesnt take you to a POAF vibe, cuz its clear that what you want is Manson to repeat things he has done in the past, well guess what, we will not, AND THANKS MANSON for not doing that ! for the love of god… lol
This comment I can respect. I can agree to disagree with you because your points are logical and grounded. And you present them in a way that doesn’t make me want to punch you in the throat.
I consider it a failed album because being shock rock, you need to be shocking. Otherwise, you’re wasting my time. This is the same rule that applies to punk. When you base a career on turning heads, which all his previous albums have done, you have to be steadfast in that course. You can’t be in people’s face for a decade, the hide passively in the background.
It just comes off as boring.
Fuck yes! This is what I’m fucking saying.
Haven’t listened to the album yet but this review is Reeee-tarded. Try something else.
oh ouch. so hostile. maybe the personal attack on the way you dress was out of line but i can’t stop laughing about the way that you keep repeatedly trying to redeem your review. And for the record if you really didn’t care about my opinion, why list your marilyn manson escapades to prove to me just how dedicated you were, oops, are to his career. Rock on dude. (you shopped at hot topic?)
now now joshua. we like you better when you stand your ground.
This was funny.
Totally did. I was a leather jacket wearing, pissed off teen. That was forever ago.
As for the writing, I defend it because I believe every word I wrote. I really do.
see you on facebook josh. M