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Marilyn Manson is a Rock band based in Los Angeles , California . Advocates of Nonconformity , and often utilising controversial imagery and lyrical content, the band is commonly described as Shock Rock . It is difficult to categorise the band, as it displays influences from many genres of Hard Rock , including Industrial , Heavy Metal and Glam Rock . Each album thus far has had a distinct and individual sound, and the band and frontman endeavour to devise and use a unique image and aesthetic for each album's era . The band was formed in 1989 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as "Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids". The band's uniquely theatrical performances gathered a local cult following that subsequently developed into a worldwide fanbase. 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 Iconic female Sex Symbol and the last name of an iconic Mass Murder er or Serial Killer . In recent years, new members of the band have strayed away from this formula and used their own names. The members of the band dress in outlandish makeup and costumes, and have engaged in intentionally Shocking behavior both onstage 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 2003 . BAND HISTORY The Spooky Kids and the early years (1989–1992) 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 Good 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".Manson, Marilyn. ''The Long Hard Road out of Hell'', HarperCollins, 1998. ISBN 0-06-098746-4 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 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) 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 . In March 1995, the band began its first national headlining tour, a two-month outing with ", he doused Lucas's drum kit in lighter fluid 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".Quoted from 1997 Marilyn Manson press kit, ''The Antichrist Superstar Story'' 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 , 2006 . In addition, nearly every performance on the tour was picketed by religious organizations, pleading with fans not to see the musician who once said "I think every time people listen to this new album maybe God will be destroyed in their heads. . .".Interview in ''huH'' Magazine, October 1996 (p.37) On '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 home video entitled '' Dead To The World ''. The release of the follow-up to ''Antichrist Superstar'' was, according to the band, also imminent, accompanied by early rumors of the involvement of Billy Corgan and The Dust Brothers with the as-yet-untitled album. On 2007 . Less than three weeks after the tour resumed, two students at 1999 . 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 . Manson's song The Nobodies was directly inspired by the shootings. 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 1999 — 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 poorest 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 137:9 ("Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones") as a means of comparing rock sensationalism with religious texts on a parallel platform. 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 invited Marilyn Manson 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 1920s, 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 '' Entartete Kunst '' 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 '' Kabarett '' 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. '''' was released on September 28 2004 . It was referred to by the singer as his "farewell" album; however, the more recent release of "Eat Me, Drink Me", a solely emotional album, says differently. 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. Though John 5 denied any hostility towards Marilyn Manson following the announcement of his departure, at the band's appearance on the Rock Am Ring music festival in 2003 an incident took place between John 5 and Marilyn Manson where Manson deliberately collided with the guitarist, as was part of the singer's stage interaction with him. John 5 however responded with anger, throwing off his guitar mid-song and raising his fists to Manson as if to fight with him, before resuming the song without any further incident. ''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. "Eat Me, Drink Me", as recorded by the core Manson and Skold.Harris, Chris. ''Marilyn Manson Likens His New Guitar God To A Naked Woman'' , MTV News feature, October 28 2005 . Eat Me, Drink Me (2007– present) Marilyn Manson's sixth studio album, Eat Me, Drink Me , was released on June 5, 2007, debuting at number 8 in the United States with more than 88,000 copies sold. Released more than four years after '' The Golden Age Of Grotesque '', ''Eat Me, Drink Me'' marked another change in musical styles that the band has become famous for. One remarkable note of the album is that it was written entirely by Manson and Skold in a rented home studio. The album is also the first major label Manson album without Madonna Wayne Gacy (Pogo) as a listed member, making lead singer Marilyn Manson the only original member since '' Portrait Of An American Family ''. Chris Vrenna , who replaced Ginger Fish temporarily on the Against All Gods Tour on drums will be replacing Pogo on tour for the time being. Marilyn Manson is currently on a co-headlining tour with Slayer in order to promote the album with Bleeding Through as the opening act. They will return to Australia for the first time in three years during October, and their supporting act will be the all-girl Australian pop punk band The Spazzys . CONTROVERSY In December 1996, a press conference was called by '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 , 2006 . 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 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. 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,Manson, Marilyn. ''The Long Hard Road out of Hell'', HarperCollins, 1998. ISBN 0-06-098746-4 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 sound of heavily distorted guitar and kick-drum-heavy percussion with Industrial Metal 's emphasis on Electronic Musical Instrument s, Marilyn Manson's Alternative Metal is also marked by tendencies toward unconventional recording techniques and musical experimentation. Influences Initially, after being introduced to 2003 . 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 Prick . Obviously, Manson is heavily influenced by the 2005 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. Both Manson and Twiggy Ramirez have mentioned the influence of Queen on their more melodic work, particularly on Mechanical Animals and Eat Me, Drink Me . 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 Pun s and Double Entendre s 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 s". These witticisms often take the form of Neologism s, 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; 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 Version s 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. BAND MEMBERS See Also: Marilyn Manson band members Current members
Former members
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 Machine s. :''Further details on these contributions can be found in the individual members' articles, in the articles on the band's albums, and Marilyn Manson Band Members . DISCOGRAPHY See Also: Marilyn Manson discography ''This is a list of studio albums only'' REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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