Kinda like Metallica's "ReLoad", only written by a self-righteous sex offender

Nearly two years have gone by in what seems like a moment since Marilyn Manson's comeback (in more than one sense) record, "One Assassination Under God: Chapter 1". It was a triumphant return with sold-out tours and, I'm being told, his best live performances in more than 20 years.

I reviewed that album, and re-reading that review, I stand by every word. Chapter 2 kicks off with the same sound, style and strength. Well, of course it does, because this is not a new recording – it was written and recorded at the same time as Chapter 1. It's a double album with a staggered release, and as such, it retains the sound and some of the qualities of the previous album.

Manson has always been fascinated by the newspeak of Orwell's "1984", so it's no surprise that he has embraced the modern, algorithm-optimizing and censorship-dodging parody of English and called the opener "Unalive". "I'm the only enemy you'll ever need / My eyes may cry but I'll never weep", he mutters and then screams, his throat-burning howl back to its best.

"Don't Answer the Door" is one of those clamorous, bluesy songs that Tyler Bates does so well, and this one conveys an almost scary, ominous, and threatening feeling while being approachable and catchy. This is the Manson/Bates-songwriting and -building at its peak. Guitar players, take note, because Bates' guitar sound is... I lack the words. It seems like the guitar is fucking alive. And next up is the bitter bite of a call to arms called "Front Toward Enemy", a song that brings us back to the industrial metal of songs like "Burning Flag" or "Little Horn".

That opening trio is astonishing. Really, it's so fucking good. Maybe that's why the following tracks seem so anemic. Manson has always had a strange tendency to drag down his albums – the good and the bad – by including a real stinker of a song. Think of the pothole "Je$us Cri$i$" from the otherwise decent "Heaven Upside Down" ('17). Or "Slutgarden" ("The Golden Age of Grotesque", '03), or Heart-Shaped Glasses ("Eat Me, Drink Me", '07). Some people would include "Wormboy" from "Antichrist Superstar" (Which is now THIRTY years old!). I'm still on the fence about that one. (No, that one really does stink. – Ed.)

The middle part of this record is just boring. It's exactly what you would expect from the second part of a double album: Fillers galore.

Maybe it's part of his self-destructive personality that he needs to wreck his own albums. Whatever the cause, the effect is here, and it's rather appropriately called "All The Vilest Things". Why a gifted lyricist who has, for most of both of these "Assassination" albums, been on top of his game would write lines as corny and clumsy as "You tried your best to destroy me / Don't want revenge / 'Cause you only made me stronger" is beyond me. Making it the catch phrase of the song is so outrageous that it makes me think that maybe I or Manson should get (back) on drugs.

I'm gonna group the following five songs into one, because apart from the neat refrain on "All of the Suns", it's all unspectacular. Electronic bass and keyboards meet melodic guitars while melodramatic posturing meets naked earnestness. Sadly, the scales tip towards the overly pretentious. The middle part of this record is just boring. It's exactly what you would expect from the second part of a double album: Fillers galore.

But fuck me, suddenly the sleazy bass lines of "Exit Wound" worm their way through the ennui. Here's a perfect pairing of music and lyrics – a rolling disco beat and a razor guitar set the table for Manson's feast of rhymes, alliterations and puns:

"I'm the one who lives inside of the tongue
Tells the altered boys what to say
Ballerina bayonets, slice us up with pirouettes
Mouth is shut on hand grenade"

It pops, hops, and rocks. When he's good, he's fucking great, and "Exit Wound" is an irresistible pop song.

Overall, however, "One Assassination Under God: Chapter 2" is not a good album. It's four killer songs and a bunch of superfluous tracks that belong in some B-side collection.

... And that's how it is with double albums, isn't it? I dare you to name one double album – whether released as such or as individual albums – that wouldn't have been stronger as a single, curated album. (Well, "Keeper of the Seven Keys", but apart from that, dammit.)

I'm here to help: Here's my recommended one-album version of "One Assassination Under God":

1. One Assassination Under God
2. Front Toward Enemy
3. No Funeral Without Applause
4. Nod If You Understand
5. Unalive
6. Don't Answer The Door
7. Sick As The Secrets Within
8. Exit Wound
9. Raise the Red Flag
10. Sacrifice of the Mass

Yes, in that order. I've done it, and we're close to 5.5/6-territory.

Rating: 3.5 out of 6

Genre: Semi-industrial hard rock
Release date: 14/8/2026
Label: Nuclear Blast
Producer: Marilyn Manson + Tyler Bates

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