Marilyn Manson has reunited with long time guitarist Twiggy Ramirez. The High End of Low is their first collaboration since Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death). Was the wait worth it? Not particularly.

The album starts out with the softer side of Manson entitled Devour. This song has almost no elements of industrial metal that has been Manson's signature sound. It is almost straightforward rock. Manson's typical gruff growl notably absent from the track. The song builds slowly through the first stanza until the haunting chorus with a tinging guitar and a light bass line. The song bursts into a very faint industrial sound. If I told you this was Manson's new sound, you would be shocked. Sure the subject matter is still dark as ever "I can't sleep until I devour you," but it's just not the typical Manson sound.

That ceases when the second track "Pretty as a ($)" begins. The "($)" stands for swastika. The song contains that Manson growl, the industrial distorted keyboard and guitar. The continual pounding of the bass making you want to blow your head out. It helps paint this dark, grim future.

The third track is definitely my favorite and should be the second single. Leave a Scar is a catchy tune and is Manson at his pop-oriented best. The drums and guitar combine to create the hook that just has that ability to stick in your head. I have listened to this song more than the rest of the album. It is certainly the most accessible song for those looking at being "edgy" and saying they like Manson. This song also makes me think of the Sega classic Road Rash. There was a song in there that sounded just like this. Don't believe me. Click here or here.

Four Rusted Horses is a slow ballad song. "Everyone will come to my funeral to make sure I stay dead."  This song is very minimal, industrial bass line, acoustic guitar, keyboards. The guitar has a flamenco or old-west feel. The lyrics are very repetitive, but it isn't a bad song.

The lead single is the next song. Arma-God Damn Motherfucking-Geddon. It is pretty much Manson with the sing song portion chorus being "Fuck, Eat, Kill, Do it Again. Fuck Eat Kill, Ecterea." I love the opening on this song. That guitar is so damn catchy, it unforantely doesn't last too long. For those familiar with "Pussy Liquor" by Rob Zombie, the music in the stanzas of this song sound like that song. Very slow, desperate sounding. It even has a clapping portion where Manson whispers the chorus. I can easily see this going over well, where many teens can raise their hands like the rallies at Nuremberg and priaise their leader.

Unfortantely, the rest of the album breaks down after these four great songs. There are a lot of haunting and desolate songs, but nothing as catchy or memorable as the first couple of songs. If I were you, I would just download the first four songs and not bother with the rest of this album. If you had to buy one song, Leave a Scar is the best one on here.

It isn't a bad album, but it's not great either. And it certainly is no where near as great as Antichrist Superstar or Mechanical Animals. Pick and choose your songs off this album. There are a lot of songs that could be...and will be...forgotten.

As an aside, I listened to this album from beginning to end about ten times and I don't want to kill, maim, or rape anyone. So I still believe those school shootings being blamed on Manson are unwarrented. Those are just fucked up individuals who were going to kill anyway. They just used Manson's name to do it. Article I am referring to here.