Evanescence - Yeah Right - Single [Review]

"Yeah Right" is American alternative metal band Evanescence's fourth single from their upcoming studio album The Bitter Truth, set to be released on March 26, 2021. Interestingly, frontwoman Amy Lee revealed on social media recently that the song was originally written for the band's 2011 self-titled album (which I reviewed here) but was ultimately cut when the album went in a different direction, and although it doesn't really remind me too much of most of what's heard on that album, it does kind of remind me of the song "Say You Will" from that album. When I first listened to the track, I found myself pleasantly surprised with the upbeat direction, bobbing my head along to the electronic production and beat of the first verse which reminded me a great deal of Muse, especially the material on their 2009 album The Resistance. I instantly loved the catchy verses featuring Lee's spitfire vocals that reminded me a bit of "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" and "Imperfection," and I honestly find the verses even catchier than the chorus (which is interesting because a song's chorus is typically its hook). The song effectively teeters between electro-rock and alternative metal, making a somewhat surprise turn, for example, when it dives into a grinding guitar solo more than halfway through the track. It's almost like it can't decide what kind of song that it wants to be, even suddenly becoming somewhat dissonant and eerie at the very end when Lee, over nothing but piano, softly repeats abridged lyrics from the song's chorus: "Yeah, right, that sounds nice - more than it was worth to sell our souls." (The Evanescence Community pointed out on Twitter that this outro is very reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails, and they definitely hit the nail on the head - pun intended - with that observation because I can't unhear it now.) Much of the material released from The Bitter Truth so far has been angst-ridden and, well, bitter, and "Yeah Right" sticks to that trend. It's a bitingly sarcastic song that I believe takes a jab at the band's former record label Wind-Up. Several years ago, Lee sued the label for unpaid royalties and parted ways with them which was after years of struggle and conflict. (The original vision of the 2011 album, for example, was scrapped due to Wind-Up's insistence, as they were not happy with the direction in which Evanescence was going.) "Someday, we'll get paid more than it was worth to sell our souls," she predicts in the powerful and anthemic chorus. In the second verse, she asserts that "I'm a rock star. I'm a queen resurrected, just as messed up as before. Twist the knife hard, just makes it easier to tell you I don't need you anymore," and I love the staccato way that the beat is rapidly punctuated near the end of that line. The lyrics, as I said, make it clear to me that the song is aimed at the music industry and likely Wind-Up specifically. As previously mentioned, The Bitter Truth is expected to drop on March 26, 2021, and along with the tracklisting (featured below) having been revealed, the album is now available for pre-order. (Please note by the way that the above cover art is courtesy of Evanescenceville, as the band has not released actual cover art for the single. Streaming platforms simply show the album cover.)

Within Temptation - The Purge - Single [Review]

Several months after releasing "Entertain You" (which I reviewed here), Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation returns with "The Purge," presumably the second single from their upcoming eighth studio album which will likely see a 2021 release. The band promised via their various social media platforms that "The Purge" would be a return to roots for them, much more like their early material than recent records have been. Their exact words, in fact, were that the song has "that old school Within Temptation vibe," and I had somewhat mixed feelings about that when I saw that because even though I have seen a lot of Within Temptation fans complain about the band evolving its sound over the years, I have personally enjoyed most of the material that they have released in recent years, and the seventh studio album Resist (which I reviewed here) is, in my opinion, phenomenal. I am not disappointed at all, however, because "The Purge" doesn't sound (at least not to me) all that much like the band's old material. While definitely not true of "Entertain You," "The Purge" sounds to me like it could easily fit on Resist, featuring much of the same electronic and industrial production heard on a great deal of Resist. It has somewhat of a futuristic approach to it (even the single cover has a futuristic image as does the Resist album cover), although it also does kind of remind me a bit of "Final Destination" from the band's 2007 album The Heart of Everything. I personally consider "Entertain You" to be a large departure from Within Temptation's usual sound, which makes "The Purge" seem like somewhat of a return to form, so that could very well be what the band meant. The song is pretty fast-paced and heavy, with, as previously mentioned, a lot of electronic influence, and I really appreciate its relatively upbeat nature. It lyrically seems to be making a point that Björk similarly makes in the song "Notget" from her 2015 album Vulnicura: "Don't remove my pain; it is my chance to heal." Within Temptation frontwoman Sharon den Adel powerfully belts out statements such as "I've got to bleed it out" and "Let me feel it." I strongly believe the song to be about the necessity of pain; without it, we wouldn't grow. I am really looking forward to Within Temptation's aforementioned eighth studio album, and if these two songs are any indication, then it's going to be a relatively eclectic album given that they are pretty different from each other. In the meantime, both "Entertain You" and "The Purge" are featured on an EP titled The Purge, featuring both songs as well as an instrumental of each.

MARINA - Man's World - Single [Review]

Welsh indie pop musician Marina Diamandis (who formally went by Marina and the Diamonds and now goes simply by MARINA) released her fourth studio album LOVE + FEAR  in 2019, and less than two years later, she is now preparing to release her fifth album, with "Man's World" serving as the album's lead single. "Man's World" reminds me a lot of material from MARINA's third studio album FROOT, released in 2015. The electronic production, especially at the very beginning of the song, is strikingly reminiscent of the FROOT track "I'm a Ruin," and MARINA's vocals are similar to many of her vocals on FROOT in that they're somewhat echoed and distant. Not only does the song give me instantaneous FROOT vibes, but MARINA also said in an interview with Vogue that this album will be very different from LOVE + FEAR in that, like FROOT, it will feature minimal collaboration with others, and the fact that MARINA wrote and produced all of the tracks on FROOT is one of several reasons why I love it so much. I am consequently expecting a sort of FROOT Part II from this upcoming album and couldn't be any more excited by that prospect! That aforementioned interview with Vogue describes "Man's World" as ethereal, and I think that that word definitely describes the song well. Over the years and past four (soon to be five) albums, MARINA has captivated me with her soft porcelain vocals, her catchy hooks, her cynical and sassy anthems (see "Oh No!," "Sex Yeah," "Savages," etc.), and her dreamy and atmospheric melodies, and "Man's World" ultimately blends together everything that I love about her. I absolutely adore her (as previously mentioned) somewhat distant and dreamy vocals in the post-chorus of the song when MARINA suggests, "If you have a mother, daughter or a friend, maybe it's time, time you comprehend the world you live in ain't the same one as them..." That is definitely my favorite part of the song melodically, although my favorite lyrical part is in the first verse: "Burnt me at the stake; you thought I was a witch centuries ago. Now, you just call me a bitch." I also love how Diamandis makes it clear that she is addressing white, straight, able-bodied men who reap the benefits of and participate in institutionalized racism, homophobia, ableism, sexism, and so forth; she is not addressing all men. She makes this clear when she compares the struggles of gay men to that of women in the second verse: "...owned by a sheik who killed thousands of gay men." She also addresses issues such as climate change when she declares in the chorus that "mother nature's dying; nobody's keeping score." It's such a melodically and lyrically powerful song that I instantly loved upon first listen, and, as I said, I cannot wait to hear the album (which, according to Genius, is also going to be titled Man's World). (Update: We now have confirmation that the album will actually be titled Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land.)

Greyson Chance - Athlete [from Songs from Love, Victor] / Bad to Myself - Single [Review]

I am reviewing these two songs from American pop musician Greyson Chance together because they were released relatively close to each other. "Athlete" was released in June of this year, and "Bad to Myself" was released in August of this year, a couple of months later. (It is November now, and I am just now reviewing them because of how busy that I have been.) "Athlete" is featured on a single of only three tracks titled Songs from Love, Victor which acts as the soundtrack to the new Hulu series Love, Victor, a spinoff of the 2018 film Love, Simon. The single features songs from Tyler Glenn, Greyson Chance, and Isaac Dunbar, but as a fan of Greyson Chance (much of whose work I have reviewed here), I will be focusing exclusively on the second track, "Athlete." "Athlete" reminds me a bit of Chance's cover of "Hungry Eyes," since it does have a bit of a retro '80s style to it. The song starts on low synths with Chance's vocals soon coming in, beginning low and then rising up into falsetto, showcasing the singer's impressive range. The song is a pretty slow ballad with synth, a light beat, and a soulful air. It lyrically seems to be about being in love with or at least having feelings for a man whose sexual orientation the speaker isn't sure of. "You are an athlete," Chance sings dreamily in the chorus, "and I need you the most, and I want you on my team." It isn't likely (although it is possible) that Chance wrote the song about an actual athlete but is rather referring to the love interest as such to fit the team metaphor. When people talk about sexual orientation, they sometimes refer to it as which team you're batting for. By Chance saying that he wants this person on his team, he is essentially (at least in regards to the way that I interpret the song) saying that he hopes that this person is androsexual so that he has a chance of being with him. My favorite part of the song is the synthy instrumental break near the end when there is a little less than a minute left.

"Bad to Myself" is not featured on a soundtrack but rather is probably a single from the singer's upcoming second studio album. (It will officially be his third studio album counting 2011's Hold on 'til the Night, but Chance, understandably so, tends to disregard that album and consider 2019's portraits to be his debut. It isn't that Hold on 'til the Night features bad music, but it was long before he had come out as gay and wasn't really given the chance to explore his true self through the lyrics, many of which he didn't even write.) Greyson revealed around the time that "Bad to Myself" was released that he has been struggling with anorexia disorder for several years and that that is, in part, what inspired this song. It's a piano pop song not unlike a good deal of what he has done in the past, and it reminds me of the likes of The Fray, Gavin DeGraw, and other piano-driven rock acts in a similar vein. Something that I really appreciate about the song is the fact that there seems to be a small choir layered underneath Chance's vocals in the chorus, boosting the song and making it pretty powerful (although I still personally consider "Good as Gold" to be his most emotional and powerful song, as it even frequently makes me cry). He has frequently sang about his habitual drinking in the past on songs such as "Twenty One" and "stand," but he opens this song by declaring that he's "done with the drinking, falling flat on my face, wasted..." The song is a love letter to himself, promising not to self-sabotage anymore: "Lately, I'm so damn tired," he sings in the powerful melody of the chorus, "of being bad to myself..." I also love how in the bridge close to the end of the song, Greyson sings, "Even through all four seasons, fighting for my new freedom," as this is likely a reference to his song "Seasons" (or as its titled on the re-recorded version on portraits, "seasons nineteen"). This now makes five singles that he has released since the end of the portraits era, so I am really hoping for the album to drop soon!

Lana Del Rey - Let Me Love You Like a Woman - Single [Review]

It is definitely a great year to be a fan of American indie pop musician Lana Del Rey. She finally released her poetry anthology Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass (the audio version of which I reviewed here) not too long ago, and she has since released the first single - titled "Let Me Love You Like a Woman" - from her upcoming studio album titled Chemtrails Over the Country Club. Originally slated to be titled White Hot Forever, Lana announced the release date of Chemtrails Over the Country Club as September 5th of this year, but that has obviously come and gone, so it has clearly been delayed. I am predicting an early to mid 2021 release considering the fact that it's now November (meaning that 2020 is almost over) and we just got the first single. Much in the same vein as many of the Norman Fucking Rockwell! songs are, the song is driven primarily by piano which I really appreciate, although softly strumming acoustic guitar can also be heard underneath the piano. (It is also co-written with Jack Antonoff, as most of the NFR! tracks are.) Del Rey has stated that it's one of her favorite songs from the album and that there is something special about it. I really love the melody of the song, especially in the verses: "I come from a small town. How 'bout you?" she sings in her signature soft and velvety voice. "I only mention it 'cause I'm ready to leave LA." Del Rey is from Lake Placid, NY, a small town outside of New York City, and her move to California several years ago is something that she has been covering in both her music and her poetry for several years now. Here she seems to have grown tired of Los Angeles, ready to move on to a new chapter of her life. The song seems to first and foremost be a love song, however, imagining a heavenly forever with the love of her life (who may or may not yet exist), something that she also does on previous songs such as "Venice Bitch" and "How to disappear." "Eighty miles north or south will do. I don't care where as long as you're with me..." The only aspect of the song that I don't really care for (although it could be that I am misinterpreting it, and I would like to think that I am) is that it lyrically seems to be romanticizing a traditional and outdated view of the role of women, which is to be nurturing and motherly: "Let me love you like a woman," Lana proposes in the soft and ethereal chorus. "Let me hold you like a baby." As I said, the implication seems to be here that loving someone like a woman loves is to be like a mother to said person, and I find this notion to be kind of sexist and limiting, but it could be, as I said, that I am either misinterpreting it or that Del Rey is using this antiquated notion in a subversive manner. Either way, however, it is definitely a beautiful song, and I am looking forward to hearing more, as I am sure that more singles will be dropped before we get the album in its entirety.

Lana Del Rey - Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass [Review]

Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass is American indie pop musician Lana Del Rey's debut poetry anthology, and it has been long awaited for by fans. Del Rey first made the announcement that she was planning to release a poetry book well over a year ago if memory serves me properly, and it had honestly gotten to a point at which (at least for me) I had sort of given up on the idea that it was ever actually going to happen. Fortunately, however, it did, and with Del Rey being not only a poet but also a musician (which, in my opinion, go hand-in-hand anyway since she writes the lyrics of her own songs), it would make sense that she would release the poetry not only as a book but also as an audiobook. I personally think of this as not just an audiobook but as a spoken word album, and that's probably in large part because of Lana, as I said, being a musician. It should also be noted that even though, as I said, this is technically an audiobook, it is not the entire experience and should not be listened to instead of reading the book but should rather be listened to in addition to reading the book, especially if, like myself, you are a big fan of Lana Del Rey. I say that because (a) the book features beautiful photography that is very much part of the experience and (b) this audiobook is technically abridged. The poems that are featured are featured in their entirety, but not all poems are featured. Several poems such as "In the Hills of Benedict Canyon," "Sugarfish," "Ringtone," "In the Flats of Melrose," and so forth are missing from the audiobook which is another reason why I see it more as a spoken word album than I do an audiobook. The album is even technically co-written with Jack Antonoff (with whom Lana also worked on her last album Norman Fucking Rockwell!, which I reviewed here), for even though all of the words are Lana's words, the tracks feature quiet piano pieces underneath Lana's soft spoken vocals, piano pieces written by Antonoff. Interestingly, however, the audio quality of her vocals changes track to track, and some tracks sound as if they were recorded with not much more than a voice recording app on a phone. I kind of like that rawness, however; I think that it suits the poetry and the project really well.

The book version of Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass opens with its namesake, but the tracks featured on the audiobook version are not featured in the same order, and the album opens with "LA Who Am I to Love You?." I believe that this is the first one that I heard because, for some reason, this track was released to music streaming and downloading platforms several months ago but was soon after deleted. It's almost as if Lana and/or the record label had originally planned to sell the audiobook as an album but then later changed their minds, and I have seen some Lana Del Rey fans express frustration over it being treated as an audiobook on streaming platforms because when you purchase it as an audiobook from Apple, it is apparently one large file rather than an album broken up into tracks, but I fortunately have not encountered this problem because I purchased it on CD. Anyway, moving back to discussion of the content, I immediately fell in love with "LA Who Am I to Love You?," and it is one of my two favorite poems from Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass. Del Rey, in her music, frequently sings about leaving New York City (where she is essentially from) and moving to California (which she did several years ago). In this poem, Del Rey personifies California, addressing it almost as a lover. "I can't sleep without you," she says to Los Angeles. "No one's ever held me like you, not quite tightly, but certainly, I feel your body next to me, smoking next to me, vaping lightly next to me..." She paints herself as a wanderer, an orphan, looking for a home and wanting that home to be Los Angeles but feeling like she doesn't deserve it: "...I don't deserve you, not you at your best and your splendor with towering eucalyptus trees that sway in my dominion, not you at your worst, totally on fire - unlivable, unbreathable." This is of course in reference to the California wildfires of 2018 to which she also alludes in "The greatest" (my favorite song from Norman Fucking Rockwell!). The poem is absolutely beautiful and eloquent, and, as I said, it's one of my favorites from Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass.

The second track on Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass is "The Land of 1000 Fires," which follows up on "LA Who Am I to Love You?" pretty well because it follows up on the aforementioned wildfires. "Everything's burnt here," she laments in the second stanza of the poem. "There's no escaping it. The air is fried and on fire." I am once again reminded of "The greatest" in which she sings, "LA's in flames; it's getting hot." The third track is the title track which, as I stated before, opens the actual book. It's short and simple at only sixteen lines and the track running at just over a minute. It's kind of a narrative poem in that it tells a pretty straightforward story. The speaker attends a party with a set plan for how she intends her night to pan out. She then sees a young girl named Violet, however, arched backwards over the grass with dandelions in her hand, and this girl and her apparent carefree spirit inspire the speaker to stop being so meticulous about making plans: "...and in that moment," she says at the very end of the poem, "I decided to do nothing about everything." I absolutely love the rhythmic sound of the poem as Lana reads it aloud, especially near the end when she says, "...Seven years old with dandelions grasped tightly in her hand, arched like a bridge in a fallen handstand, grinning wildly like a madman..." Even the title of the poem is absolutely beautiful and rolls off your tongue in such a lovely way, so I can totally understand why Del Rey decided to name the entire book / spoken word album after it. "Never to Heaven" is another highlight that is, funnily enough, contradictory to an outtake from her Ultraviolence album titled "Yes to Heaven." In the poem "Never to Heaven," Del Rey speaks of wanting to be grounded and to not allow her dreams to get carried away. She wants to be able to appreciate what she has: "May I never go where angels fear to tread so as to have to ask for answers in the sky. The whys in this lifetime I've found are inconsequential compared to the magic of the nowness..."

"SportCruiser" is my favorite poem from Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass, with "LA Who Am I to Love You?" being my second favorite. It tells a story of how Del Rey took a flying lesson: "...I was slow to lean the sports cruiser into a right hand upward turn," she narrates, "scared, scared that I would lose control of the plane." She goes on to say that, as a consequence, the flight instructor told her that she didn't trust herself, and even though she knew that he was referring to her flying ability, she took it to heart as a sign of something greater. "I could've said something, but I was quiet," she says, "because pilots aren't like poets; they don't make metaphors between life and the sky." Del Rey says that she also decided to take sailing lessons, and in a turn that indicates that she herself is the speaker of the poem, she writes, "I signed up for the class as Elizabeth Grant, and nobody blinked an eye." This poem is very much about discovering your identity, and Elizabeth Grant is actually Lana Del Rey's actual name. During her sailing lesson, she incorrectly guesses where the wind is coming from, and when her sailing instructor doesn't say that she doesn't trust herself, she says it herself. "He laughed gentler than the pilot," she explains, "but still not realizing that my failure in the exercise was hitting me at a much deeper level. 'It's not that you don't trust yourself,' he said. 'It's simply that you're not a captain. It isn't what you do.'" One of the reasons why I love this poem is because of how it demonstrates parallels, such as when, in reference to the sailing instructor, she writes, "...a tiny bit of deeper trust also began to grow within myself. I thought of mentioning it, but I didn't because captains aren't like poets; they don't make metaphors between sea and sky." My absolute favorite part of "SportCruiser," however, is at the very end when the speaker realizes what all of these lessons have ultimately taught her: "I'm not a captain, I'm not a pilot. I write! I write." The entire poem is essentially a metaphor for a journey toward discovering your true self, and I think that this poem especially demonstrates how Lana sees herself - before all else (before, perhaps, even being a musician), she is a writer.

I really enjoy "Tessa DiPietro" because it is about something with which I strongly connect - metaphysics. Yet another narrative poem, this poem tells the story of a metaphysical healer named Tessa DiPietro whom Lana sees due to a recommendation received by a medium. DiPietro tells the speaker that the speaker's "number one problem was that my field was untrusting," which calls back to her realization in "SportCruiser" that she does not trust herself. She goes on to envision herself at a The Doors concert (even though frontman Jim Morrison passed long before Del Rey was even born), and I love her use of humor near the end of the poem when DiPietro tells her, "'Oh, and Jim died at 27, so find another frame of reference when you're referencing heaven, and have you ever read the lyrics to 'People Are Strange'? He made no sense!'" It really makes me laugh, and it is one of the few spots in the book / on the album that feature such humor which is why it really stands out to me. In "Happy," Lana reflects on her wealth, noting that while she is financially wealthy, she's even wealthier with memories of love and loss: "They write that I'm rich, and I am but not how they think. I have a safe I call the boyfriend box and, in it, every saved receipt, every movie theater ticket just to remind me of all the things I've loved and lost and loved again..." The poem examines happiness and what it means to be truly happy, which she also does on the following track, "My Bedroom Is a Sacred Place Now - There Are Children at the Foot of My Bed." This poem touches upon the freedom and happiness that she experiences after a realization: "I let you know that I knew the true nature of your heart, that it was evil and that it convinced me that darkness was real... and that monsters don't always know that they're monsters." She gives an example of why this person is evil, painting them as someone who gaslit her: "...after you left and burnt the house down, you tried to convince me that it was I who was holding the matches."

I love how Lana sums all of that up in "My Bedroom Is a Sacred Place Now..." by once again affirming her (newfound?) identity as a poet: "The more I step into my poetry, the less I will fall into being with you. The more I step into my poetry, the less I will fall into bed with you." I also love how, on the audio recording of this poem, she says this last part very softly as if she is repeating a mantra to herself, and I vehemently relate to what she says here because I published a poetry book myself last year, and it was a very therapeutic experience for me - both writing it and publishing it - that helped me make sense of and move past my own heartbreak that occurred several years ago. I also adore "Paradise Is Very Fragile," the penultimate track on the album, because of how socially and culturally conscious that it is. Donald Trump, by far the most immature and most unprofessional president that the United States has ever had, won the presidential election in 2016, and Del Rey addresses this: "Our leader is a megalomaniac," she declares, "and we've seen that before but never 'cause it was what the country deserved." By this, she most likely means that voters who voted for Trump knew exactly how awful that he was (which is a fact, not an opinion) and voted for him anyway. I wouldn't say that Americans who voted against him deserved the madness that has been wrought upon us the last four years, but those who have supported him and continue to do so definitely do. She also once again touches upon climate change and the natural disasters that it has been causing such as the wildfires in California: "Back in Los Angeles, things aren't looking much better. My treehouse that'd been standing for 80 years succumbed to the woolsy fire." As the title of it suggests, the poem is about how elusive the idea of paradise is, something that she similarly addresses on the Norman Fucking Rockwell! track "Happiness is a butterfly." We can be at peace and be happy, but all it takes is one bad event to pull that out from under us. Look at 2020 - this entire year has been an absolute disaster in so many ways, primarily because of one virus.

The audio version of Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass closes with "Bare Feet on Linoleum." It isn't really a standout for me and quite honestly feels like a strange way to end the album. One aspect of "Bare Feet on Linoleum" that is kind of cool, however, is the fact that the instrumentation features a combination of male voices and female voices speaking rather incoherently; they sound a bit like televisions on in the background. Lana, as she has done before on tracks such as Norman Fucking Rockwell!'s "hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but i have it," empathizes with fallen icons such as Sylvia Plath: "Stay on your path, Sylvia Plath. Don't fall away like all the others. Don't take all your secrets alone to your watery grave about lovers..." Interestingly, Plath committed suicide via gas inhalation, but Virginia Woolf's suicide did involve water as she drowned herself, so the second half of this statement could be intended to be a reference to Woolf. Over the years, the media has repeatedly been unjustly unkind to Del Rey, saying that her embracing of vintage music and culture is inauthentic and even somewhat recently twisting an Instagram post out of context and inappropriately referring to her as racist (despite her repeated condemnation of the likes of Donald Trump). Del Rey addressed this treatment in past songs such as "Brooklyn Baby" and "God Knows I Tried," and she also does it here: "...told the townspeople I was crazy, and the lies, they started to believe them." I overall absolutely adore Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass, and it was well worth the wait. Lana is a very gifted poet, which comes as absolutely no surprise to me because she is a gifted lyricist which isn't much different. Some of the poems featured on Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass are, in fact, so deep and complex that I sort of had to graze over them in this review, and some I even regrettably felt the need to skip over altogether. As I said, she is such a gifted poet that discussing everything would result in a very, very lengthy review, but I hope for more poetry from Del Rey in the future!

Marilyn Manson - WE ARE CHAOS [Review]

WE ARE CHAOS is industrial metal musician Marilyn Manson's eleventh studio album following the 2017 release Heaven Upside Down (which I reviewed here). When Manson first opened discussion of the album, which is co-written and produced by Shooter Jennings, he called it a masterpiece, and that really excited me because unlike what seems to be the case amongst a lot of other Manson fans, I have, for the most part, been enjoying his work as of late. His 2015 album The Pale Emperor (which I reviewed here), for example, is probably my second favorite album of his (with 2007's Eat Me, Drink Me being my top favorite), and I now appreciate Heaven Upside Down even more than I did when it came out three years ago. I therefore thought to myself that if there were a chance that I was going to love this upcoming album even more than I loved The Pale Emperor or Heaven Upside Down, then I was really in for a treat. When the title track and first single (which I reviewed here) was released, that hope was even further solidified because of how much I love(d) the song, beautiful both melodically and lyrically. The song really does not accurately represent what the album as a whole has to offer, however, and at first, I felt rather disappointed by the album. It initially seemed to lack cohesiveness, and nothing was hooking me like "WE ARE CHAOS" had. I reminded myself, however, how that was how I felt about the aforementioned Eat Me, Drink Me when it first came out, and that went on to become my favorite Manson album. I was therefore persistent with WE ARE CHAOS, listening to it repeatedly and giving it chance after chance, and I am very glad that I did because I would absolutely have to agree with Mr. Manson; the album is indeed a masterpiece. Eat Me, Drink Me and The Pale Emperor are still my top two favorites, but WE ARE CHAOS might take the cake for third place. It is phenomenal.

WE ARE CHAOS opens with "RED BLACK AND BLUE," and I love the eerie spoken intro which has been frequently compared to the track "Future Legend" by David Bowie, a spoken intro that opens his 1974 album Diamond Dogs. In this opening, Manson, in a deep and velvety voice over an electronic warbling, recites in a manner reminiscent of spoken word poetry, "...See, I was a snake, but I didn't realize that you could walk on water... without legs... My eyes are mirrors; all I can see are gods on the left and demons on the right." I love how his voice comes in and out of clarity, at times sounding a bit distant and distorted and then coming in clearer. I could very easily be wrong about Manson's intentions behind the lyrics of this song, but I believe it to be commentary on the current state of the United States of America, hence the title being a play on the country's colors, with black taking the place of white due to the country being in a state of darkness right now. (Another aspect that potentially supports such a reading is the fact that the song is followed by the title track, which is very clearly about humanity being in a pretty dark state.) In that spoken intro, I think that it's pretty clear that Manson is making biblical references (which he frequently does) - the snake which represents evil as according to the Adam and Eve myth and the story of Jesus Christ (who represents good) being able to walk on water. Manson is saying that he - and very likely humanity in general - are snakes that can walk on water, meaning that we have both evil and good (or darkness and light) in us. I also believe the song to be sardonic to an extent because of these lines in the song's refrain: "This arrangement is deranged. Imagine us engaged in flames." The irony here that I believe him to be pointing out is that we don't have to imagine being in a hellish state because we are in one. My absolute favorite part of the song, however, is the chorus in which Manson repeats, "Red, black, and I'm blue." Underneath his anthemic words is heavy slamming guitar making the song one of my favorite headbangers on the album.

WE ARE CHAOS then gives us its title track which I am going to graze over since I have already discussed it in its own review, but I do want to say that I personally still relate the song's lyrics to the COVID-19 pandemic even though Manson has stated that that was not the inspiration for the song given that it was written well over a year ago. The parallels in the song's lyrics, however, are spot-on and are so fitting. The third track is the album's second single, "DON'T CHASE THE DEAD." It's a good song, although I probably would not have chosen it as a single myself. It's definitely one that grew on me, as it is one that, as aforementioned, initially disappointed me. It still is far from my favorite on the album, but I do really appreciate its bluesy groove which reminds me of The Pale Emperor. Manson told Consequence of Sound in an interview to which I linked above that he was going for an "end of the world" feeling with the song, and I think that he did that well, especially when he sings in the song's chorus that "if tonight lasts forever, it won't matter if there's no tomorrow." There is definitely an apocalyptic feeling to it, but there is also a sense of hope to it: "Don't chase the dead," Manson warns in the pre-chorus (which is arguably more infectious than the chorus itself), "or they'll end up chasing you." I personally interpret the meaning of the song to be telling listeners to find a balance between living our best lives due to tomorrow not being promised but to also not take unnecessary risks, to not "chase the dead." Death ends up chasing after us anyway, so why give it a head start? Something kind of cool about this track that I feel the need to mention is that it has always reminded me a great deal of the television series The Walking Dead, and Norman Reedus (who plays the beloved character Daryl on the series) appears in the song's music video. I don't know whether or not that is a coincidence. It could be that Manson was in part inspired by The Walking Dead and that that is what prompted him to invite Reedus on board for the music video, but I can't say that definitively.

Manson also stated in that aforementioned interview that he was going for somewhat of a romantic David Bowie like feeling to the album, and I think that that is obvious on "PAINT YOU WITH MY LOVE." This song is melodically beautiful and reminds me a little bit of the glam rock sound heard on Manson's 1998 album Mechanical Animals, although it also has somewhat of a twangy sound to it as does The Pale Emperor. "PAINT YOU WITH MY LOVE" has a slow and waltzy rhythm that reminds me a bit of country and pop music from the 1950s and 1960s, and like I said, it is very beautiful. Lyrically, however, it's one of the most difficult songs on the album to interpret and make sense of. In the second verse, we get the following lines: "To kill the man behind the crowd would be viewed as amateur because the king is invisible. The king is invisible, and death is a profession." I interpret this part of the song as being similar to what V says in the film V for Vendetta, about how you can kill a person, but you cannot kill an idea. If a king or a leader is corrupt, then killing him isn't likely to solve the problem because another will take his place. I am really not sure what that has to do with the rest of the song, however, and the opening verse makes very little sense to me, almost none at all: "Honky-tonk devils glitter in like royal rats in kitten skin, and all the blondes drop their panties and cry to the father's first lullaby." In the song's chorus, Manson longingly sings the song's title, and it could very well be intended to be sexual innuendo, as Manson is certainly no stranger to that. (Just look at the lyrics of "Heart Shaped Glasses" or "Evidence" from Eat Me, Drink Me to see what I mean.) As I said, however, I am really not sure how to connect those two ideas together. It is a beautiful but boggling song. Perhaps, within time, I will be able to make better sense of it the more that I listen to it, or perhaps Manson will make a statement about his intentions behind the song.

We then get one of my favorites, titled "HALF-WAY & ONE STEP FORWARD." I absolutely adore the oscillating piano accompaniment to the song, which immediately snatched my attention even on first listen. Manson's first verse contains vampyric imagery (something which also is not new territory for him): "Smell your blood," he sings lightly over the aforementioned piano melody, "it's like a carnival or state fair. Skin is cotton candy, so easy to melt in my mouth." The vampyric imagery is very likely intended to be sexual in nature, which is not at all surprising because it has, for a very long time now, been popular to romanticize and sexualize vampires, and as I said, even Manson himself has done it before in his music. Much of WE ARE CHAOS seems to be about death; in fact, I think that INFINITE DARKNESS would have likely been a more appropriate title for the album, which I will touch upon in a bit. "HALF-WAY & ONE STEP FORWARD" is an example, though, of what I mean when I say that a lot of the album seems to be focused on death: "It's about how much people cry when you die," Manson declares in the second verse of the song. "It's not about the storm of tears that you make when you're alive." This verse, to me, touches upon the fact that people will cry for you at your funeral when you're gone but won't cry when you're alive and in pain; they don't care about your tears as long as you're alive, and this sentiment is cynical but in many cases very true, as it is something that I have witnessed myself as someone who has suffered from chronic depression. People frequently don't seem to care about your problems until you mention suicide, and they would rather see you alive and in pain than dead because your death would mean their pain. I think that that is in large part what this catchy rock song is touching upon. The chorus of the song is as follows: "Half-way and one step forward, past the point of no return." This is likely speaking to the fact that every minute that passes is one minute closer to the time that we die.

It's really hard for me to choose my favorite song from WE ARE CHAOS because there are so many fantastic tracks, but it's likely a toss-up between the title track, "HALF-WAY & ONE STEP FORWARD," and "INFINITE DARKNESS." "INFINITE DARKNESS" took some time to grow on me, but once it finally did, it blew me away, and there are a couple of reasons why I said previously that I think that INFINITE DARKNESS would have made for a better album title than WE ARE CHAOS does. For starters, according to Genius, INFINITE DARKNESS is apparently the title of Manson's self-portrait that is featured on the cover of the album. Secondly, and more importantly, the song "INFINITE DARKNESS" is 100% about death, arguably more so about death than any other song on the album, and, like I said, I do think that that is the overall concept covered on the album, much more so, in my opinion, than the idea of humanity being chaotic. "INFINITE DARKNESS" is probably the heaviest track on the album, not only because it is the song on which the guitar is heaviest but also because it's the only song on the album on which Manson screams, which he does in the chorus. "Fast and ghastly," Manson sings in layered vocals (a style frequented many times throughout the album), "and unforgiving," referring to death which comes for us all. In the second verse, Manson declares that "just 'cause you're famous doesn't mean you're worth anything in this world or the next one or the one before," and it's fairly clear to me that he is saying that death comes for you regardless of your fame or fortune; it doesn't care who you are and regards all of us as equals. My absolute favorite part of the song, however, is after the second time that he sings that "you're not the hero" in the pre-chorus; a rapid drum beat breaks in and transitions into the heavy chorus, and it is one of the most energetic spots on the entire album. As I said, this song is a true treat and definitely a highlight on WE ARE CHAOS.

The whole middle section of the album - beginning with "PAINT YOU WITH MY LOVE" and ending here with "PERFUME" is relentlessly good. "PERFUME" is possibly intended to be a callback to a line from "WE ARE CHAOS" in which Manson sings that "once you've inhaled death, everything else is perfume." "PERFUME" is definitely one of the most upbeat and playful songs on the album. "Get behind me, Satan" Manson repeats in a falsetto voice (which is layered on top of a much deeper and throaty vocal track) at the very beginning of the song, a catchy hook which goes on to serve as the song's pre-chorus and is repeated several more times throughout the song. "PERFUME" definitely has a glam rock feel to it, probably even more so than "PAINT YOU WITH MY LOVE." I have frequently seen fans compare this album to the aforementioned Mechanical Animals, and while I overall don't really agree, I definitely hear it on this song, as it especially affords echoes of "The Dope Show" and "I Don't Like the Drugs (but the Drugs Like Me)." I personally interpret the song as embracing both the light and the darkness that is in you (as I believe the intro to the album to be doing). Over the last three decades, Manson has been condemned by many - especially conservative Christians - as a pariah, a Satan worshiper subliminally trying, through his lyrics and his imagery, to get kids to commit heinous acts such as kill others and/or themselves. He is thus likely using this command - "Get behind me, Satan" (which is borrowed from the Bible) - as a way of telling such people to get off his back. "If you conjure the devil," he warns in the song's chorus, "you better make sure you got a bed for him to sleep in." This falls under the category of being careful what you wish for and not being so quick to make an enemy of someone lest they actually become one. I also believe that parts of the song address people who cause trouble but then play the victim after the damage is done: "...you wear your damage on your sleeve..." he sings in the first verse, "'cause victim is chic. You're as famous as your pain."

"KEEP MY HEAD TOGETHER" is, in my opinion, the weakest spot on the album. I don't necessarily dislike it, but I don't love it either, and I just don't find it all that interesting compared to other songs on the album. The song is a fairly heavy rock track with a little bit of electronic production, and Manson has stated that, when writing the song, he was thinking a lot about bullying and how bullies often come from a place of privilege, a place where they haven't had to work for what they have. My favorite part of the song from a lyrical standpoint is definitely the chorus in which he warns, "Don't try changing someone else; you'll just end up changing yourself." What powerful words! He is, to me, saying here that it's easy to lose yourself in trying to better someone else and that you should therefore focus on bettering yourself instead. Keeping your head together, in this sense, likely means focusing on yourself and your own sanity. This could also be in reference to relationships and how sometimes people whom we date take and take but don't give much of anything in return: "I fuckin' love you," he declares in the bridge. "I love fuckin' you. I eat glass, and I spit diamonds." At the very end of the song, Manson, in a slow and nasally speaking voice, declares the title of the next song, "SOLVE COAGULA." The meaning behind these words is complex but has to do, according to Genius, with having to destroy that with which we are familiar in order to make ground for something new. The song is a slower and softer number on the album, with softly strumming electric guitar and an industrial whistling sound. "I'm not special; I'm just broken, and I don't want to be fixed," Manson repeats several times throughout the song which I think speaks to the previously mentioned theme of the song. People are sometimes so afraid of change that they don't welcome even positive change. Pain becomes comfortable and familiar to the point at which they are afraid to heal. (This possibly calls back to the illness referred to in the title track.)

WE ARE CHAOS closes with "BROKEN NEEDLE," a beautiful acoustic rock track that took some time to grow on me. (I really loved it once it did, however.) This is potentially another callback to the front half of the album, as Manson opens the album with the spoken words, "I can stick a needle in the horror and fix your blindness." Both the pre-chorus and the chorus of this song are melodically beautiful and powerful. In the previous song, Manson talks of being broken ("I'm not special; I'm just broken..."), and here, in a tragic turn, he seems to be referring to how that brokenness affects others: "I am a needle," he laments in the chorus, "dig in your grooves. Scratch you up. Then, I'll put you away." After some time, the needle of a turntable needs to be replaced or else, when it breaks, it can damage your vinyls. Manson is tragically comparing himself to such a needle, saying that that damage causes damage to others as well until they, too, are broken. As an avid fan of fairytales, I love how there seems to be a couple of references to them in it. In the first verse, for example, he sings, "Stare into the mirror. Apples are always something to fear." This is likely a reference to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but the word always implies that it is probably also a reference to the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible. It is true that apples are frequently depicted as something negative; they are usually connected to death (Snow White, Death Note, etc.) or temptation (the Bible, even though the Bible itself doesn't actually say that the forbidden fruit is an apple). In the second verse, Manson sings, "It won't be death but a deep sleep. A curse of a hundred years, the princess will fall." This could be intended to be another reference to Snow White, but it personally reminds me more of Sleeping Beauty because in the Disney animated version, Maleficent mocks Phillip by telling him a hypothetical story of Phillip, as an unnaturally old man, rescuing Aurora from her sleep after a hundred years. "BROKEN NEEDLE," for several reasons, makes for such a sad and powerful ending to WE ARE CHAOS.

That is where most editions of the album end, but there is a Target exclusive edition that includes two bonus tracks - acoustic versions of "WE ARE CHAOS" and "BROKEN NEEDLE." I did purchase that edition of the album, but I do wish that they differed more from the original versions. They are not completely new recordings; instead, the same vocal tracks are used over new stripped down instrumentals, so they are really more like remixes. There are also editions (I believe as vinyl only) that include a remix of "WE ARE CHAOS" titled "WE ARE KHAOS." While I did not purchase such a vinyl (and I am honestly glad that I didn't because in order to access the 7" vinyl that features the remix, you apparently have to destroy the sleeve containing it), I have heard the remix thanks to YouTube, and it really isn't anything special. Reminiscent of '90s electronic music such as Depeche Mode, the vocals are echoey and poorly mixed, and it just doesn't work. Overall, WE ARE CHAOS is magnificent and is one of the best albums of his career. It's eclectic but still manages to feature cohesion even with it being so eclectic. Most of the tracks transition nicely and are even gapless, and Manson stated in the previously linked interview with Consequence of Sound that the album deliberately has ten tracks because he wanted it to be like a traditional LP that has two sides; supposedly, the style even drastically shifts between the first half of the album and the second half, but I personally don't really hear that. "RED BLACK AND BLUE," for example, is absolutely nothing like tracks 2-5 and is most similar to "INFINITE DARKNESS," which kicks off the second half. I have also seen a lot of fans negatively criticize the album for being too twangy, but I also do not agree with that because even though some tracks do have a twangy influence on them (probably thanks, in part, to Shooter's involvement), The Pale Emperor is by far his twangiest album yet. Despite what many fans seem to think, I firmly believe that Manson is still putting his all into what he does, and I absolutely adore WE ARE CHAOS.

Evanescence - Use My Voice - Single [Review]

"Use My Voice" is the third single from American alternative metal band Evanescence's upcoming studio album The Bitter Truth (preceded by "The Game Is Over" - reviewed here - and "Wasted on You" - reviewed here). Of the three singles released from the album so far, "Wasted on You" remains, by far, my favorite, and I am, in fact, kind of disappointed by "Use My Voice" because given what it lyrically represents as well as its boasted guest features, it really could have been so much more than it is. The song features guest vocals from Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, Sharon del Adel of Within Temptation, Lindsey Stirling, etc., and when I read that news, I got so excited, especially since, given her friendship with Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee and given the fact that I am also a huge fan of Within Temptation, I had been hoping for a collaboration between Sharon den Adel and Evanescence (or at least between Sharon den Adel and Amy Lee) for a long time. This isn't really much of a collaboration, however, as the guest vocalists are only featured together harmonizing a wordless chant in the song's chorus. The chant is definitely catchy and powerful, but I would have loved to have heard some of the featured guests - especially Sharon - more prominently and maybe having sung a few actual words. The chanting is, as I said, catchy and powerful, but I just feel that the guests each deserved a bigger spotlight, especially since den Adel is a legend in the realm of female-fronted rock and metal. (I can, at least, definitely hear her voice in the harmonizing.) Disappointments regarding the featured vocalists aside, however, it is definitely a powerful song, both lyrically and melodically. It begins with light and airy piano and Lee's ethereal vocals. It interestingly begins on a passive note, both lyrically and melodically (making that word note literal), as the very beginning of the song could easily trick you into thinking that the song is a soft ballad. Lee sings here, "Cover my ears and close my eyes just long enough to stop the noise."

The song fools you in this way, too, however, because Lee eventually flips that passivity on its head when she sings that "I will use my voice" right before the heavy guitar and the aforementioned chanting come in. The song is structured interestingly and unusually, however, because even though the chanting is usually part of the full chorus, the first time that we hear it, it stands on its own, and we get the second verse technically before we hear the chorus. The second verse is the first time that the song makes clear what the song is actually about: "Label me 'bitch' because I dare to draw my own line," Lee sings in a soft and low voice, almost a whisper. Amy Lee candidly explained the song's meaning and said that it's primarily about the need to reclaim America by voting in November. She said that she has never used music as a political platform but now feels that it's her responsibility to do so because of what is now at stake, and I couldn't agree more. She is, perhaps ironically, using her voice as an artist to encourage us to use our voices in various ways such as voting. That particular line to which I just called attention, however, makes it clear that the song is also addressing sexism and misogyny. I don't think that it's any coincidence that all of the featured guest vocalists on the song (which includes not only the ones that I previously mentioned but also Deena Jakoub of VERIDIA, Evanescence's own Jen Majura, Evanescence member Troy McLawhorn's wife Amy McLawhorn, and Amy Lee's sisters Lori and Carrie) are women, and there is absolutely a long-standing tradition of attempting to silence assertive women by calling them hysterical, bossy, bitches, and so forth, and Lee has definitely faced her fair share of sexism in the rock and metal music industry such as when Wind-Up Records initially demanded that Evanescence feature not only Amy as a lead vocalist but also a male vocalist. Lee fought that, and the compromise ended up boiling down to the debut single ("Bring Me to Life") featuring Paul McCoy of 12 Stones on guest vocals. In a lot of ways, she has been freed from such shackles. The band is no longer signed to Wind-Up; they are effectively self-signed which has given them a great deal more freedom to do what they want. (See what I did there?)

Amy Lee's voice crescendos in power as the song progresses, and she is practically roaring in the powerful chorus, especially when she asserts, "...don't you speak for me!" She makes it clear that she will not be silenced: "Whether you like it or not, you're gonna take what I got." There is also a cultural history of men attempting to speak for women. I am, for example, reminded of an iconic scene in the film White Chicks in which the following dialogue occurs: "And for the lady, perhaps a salad?" The "lady" in question responds with, "Perhaps not" and proceeds to order what she actually wants. A similar scene is also in the film Titanic in which Rose's fiancé Cal orders a meal for her before she gets the chance to do so herself. He then asks her whether or not she likes what he ordered, but it's made clear that it is more of a statement than a question. Coincidentally, as writing this review of this song, I saw a photo on Facebook featuring a woman holding up a sign that says "Stop teaching girls that being nice is more important than having a voice" on it. Kindness is so important, regardless of sex or gender; however, if being kind comes at the expense of you being uncomfortable, then it isn't worth it. It is so important to exercise your right to speak up for yourself and stand up for yourself and say no when you feel that you need to. As previously mentioned, Lee has stated that prior to the release of this song, she has never used music as an outlet to express political views, and months ago, shortly after "Wasted on You" was first released, I had a strong feeling that this upcoming album would mark the first time that that changed because of something that the band tweeted. In response to someone asking if The Bitter Truth would be politically charged, the band said, "Be prepared for all of it... this is rock. The voice that needs to be heard right now. The voice that is being silenced. The will that can no longer be controlled..." It is now clear that they were, in that tweet, likely planting this song's seed for us without our having realized it.

The cover art for this single (which I am really glad exists, since "Wasted on You" and "The Game Is Over" merely use the album cover as their covers) also indicates a politically charged theme, as the American flag is featured off to the left. In the song's third verse, Lee sings over the track's slow and steady beat, "Gather your friends, and wave your gun in my face." This is definitely a statement addressing the cult mentality that Trump has fostered in his followers, especially since most of them are vehement NRA supporters. I am personally really happy that Evanescence is taking this stand, especially since you know that things must be bad when an artist who has never previously implemented any kind of political commentary in her music now feels the need to do so. I have seen so many people lash out at musicians and celebrities for using their voices, saying that famous people should not be political, and I find that to be ridiculous. The key word in the term famous people is people. Just because someone is famous does not mean that they don't have the right to express political opinions. Several months ago, for example, Chris Motionless of Motionless in White tweeted something expressing his disapproval of Trump, and someone replied to him, telling him to "stick to music." It is absolutely ludicrous to reduce a musician to nothing more than a musician; as I said, they are people, and that could very well be another issue that Evanescence is touching upon in "Use My Voice." As previously stated, "Wasted on You" remains my favorite single from The Bitter Truth so far, but "The Game Is Over" and "Use My Voice" are definitely growers (as opposed to "Wasted on You" with which I honestly instantly fell in love). "Use My Voice" is definitely not metal like some of Evanescence's past tracks. (Songs such as "Lies," "Whisper," and "Never Go Back" come to mind.) It is, however, still heavy, with its heavy guitar (which breaks out into a brief solo near the end of the song) as well as its aforementioned slow and steady but powerful drumbeat. "The Game Is Over" is definitely the heaviest of the three singles thus far, however, and while I do love "Use My Voice" and love its power, I do feel that it could have been made even better by featuring the guest vocalists more prominently.

Marilyn Manson - WE ARE CHAOS - Single [Review]

The self-proclaimed God of Fuck is back after three years after 2017's Heaven Upside Down (which I reviewed here - check it out, as I am really proud of that review) with the first single - "WE ARE CHAOS" - from his upcoming eleventh studio album (due to drop on September 11th, 2020) of the same title. When I first listened to the song, I instantly fell in love with it, although it definitely surprised me because despite its title, it is anything but chaotic. It is a beautiful power ballad reminding me a bit of The High End of Low (2009)'s "Running to the Edge of the World," making it a surprising lead single. It is, however, not the first time that a rock or metal act this year has released a surprising lead single from a new album. This past April, Evanescence released "Wasted on You" (which I reviewed here), the first single from their upcoming studio album The Bitter Truth, and it surprised a lot of fans because it didn't really have the energy of a lead single; like "WE ARE CHAOS," it is a power ballad that sounds more like an album's closing track than a lead single, and that is definitely the case here, as well. "WE ARE CHAOS" sounds like a track that could effectively close the album, although it isn't going to; it will be the second track on the album. The reason why I bring the Evanescence song up, however, is that frontwoman Amy Lee said that "Wasted on You" was not originally intended to be the first single but seemed appropriate because of the times that we were living in (as in the COVID-19 pandemic), and given the song's second verse, I wholeheartedly agreed: "Once, this was a garden. This was a world. All of the nightmares stayed in the dark. A little too much time by yourself and you become the enemy. Just look at us now." It seemed to describe the world - having to quarantine and isolate because of the virus - pretty perfectly, and I think that Manson might have chosen "WE ARE CHAOS" as this album's lead single for the same reason - that and just how chaotic that 2020 has been in general. I, in fact, would even venture as far as to say that the lyrics were likely directly written about or at least heavily inspired by the pandemic: "If you say that we're ill," Manson opens the first verse with his signature throaty moan, "give us your pill. Hope we'll just go away, but once you've inhaled death, everything else is perfume." The parallel there to this year's situation is, in my opinion, pretty obvious.

Genius describes "WE ARE CHAOS" as being more uplifting than most of Manson's music tends to be, and I would definitely agree - both sonically and lyrically. The song is sonically light and has a bit of a dreamlike quality to it, namely because of the softly strumming acoustic guitar and Manson's slightly echoed and displaced vocals. There is some electric guitar in the mix (which comes in later), but it's really not heavy and makes the song more of an alternative track than a hard rock or metal track. It is a stark contrast when considering Heaven Upside Down's lead single "WE KNOW WHERE YOU FUCKING LIVE," which is arguably one of the heaviest songs of Manson's career thus far. The song is also, as just mentioned, lyrically uplifting, although it may not seem that way at first glance. The anthemic hook declares that "we are sick, fucked up, and complicated" and that "we are chaos; we can't be cured." This seems to suggest, since it says that we can't be cured, that humanity is a hopeless case. I am, however, reminded of the X-Men franchise in which some people try to find a cure for mutants, but some of the mutants rebel, claiming that they don't need a cure because there is nothing wrong with them. It is a stark parallel with real life situations in which LGBTQ+ people are subjected to treatments such as conversion therapy. Manson could therefore be saying that we can't be cured because there isn't anything wrong with us. He could also be saying that what is wrong with us is what makes us human. He admits that we are complicated, and that word implies that there are good aspects to humanity. Near the end of the first verse (probably my favorite part of the song), Manson sings, "In the end, we all end up in a garbage dump, but I'll be the one that's holding your hand." His garbage dump is likely a euphemism for death; he is saying that death doesn't negate the importance of life - that it, in fact, makes life that much more beautiful because it is an opportunity for love to fulfill promises. It's arguably somewhat cliché but also a beautiful line and could possibly be inspired in part by his having lost his father three years ago, an event that deeply impacted Manson emotionally. I just adore this song so much; it is a rare example of a song hitting me upon first listen, as I even got chills and nearly cried when I first heard it. Manson has said that he is very proud of WE ARE CHAOS, referring to it as a masterpiece, and if this first single is any indication, then we are definitely in for a treat!

Ghost - Prequelle [Review]

Prequelle is Swedish metal band Ghost's fourth studio album following Meliora (2015), Infestissumam (2013), and Opus Eponymous (2010). Released in 2018, Prequelle is, in my humble opinion, the band's best work, although Meliora is a close second. I love Prequelle because of how theatrical that it is, sounding almost like an epic rock opera, especially given that it's somewhat of a concept album chronicling the Black Plague. Before delving into discussing the music on the album in more detail, however, I do believe it to be necessary to touch upon the Ghost lore. In reality, the frontman of Ghost is Tobias Forge (previous member of bands such as Repugnant, Subvision and Magna Carta Cartel), but Ghost is a band that has a fictional lore attached to it, and within the lore, each album has a different frontman. The Seven Inches of Satanic Panic single (which was really released in 2019 but in 1969 according to Ghost lore) was fronted by Papa Nihil, the three Papas' father. Opus Eponymous was fronted by Papa Emeritus I. Infestissumam was fronted by Papa Emeritus II. Meliora was fronted by Papa Emeritus III. Prequelle marks the first album not fronted by a Papa. The band is instead fronted by Cardinal Copia (often affectionately referred to by fans as Cardi C). The band released a web-series on its YouTube channel that began with Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator appointing Cardinal Copia as the new leader of the band. It's a very funny series, with Nihil initially protesting against Cardi C's appointment because he wants to keep the role within his bloodline: "My father was Papa," Nihil protests, "his father, his father's father, his father's father's father, his father's father's father's father's father, his father." Sister retorts that Nihil is all out of progeny and that Cardinal Copia is the "next senior most member." Nihil eventually agrees to appoint Cardinal Copia as the new Ghost frontman, but as of now, he has only ever been referred to as Cardinal Copia, not Papa Emeritus IV. With that being said, however, I remember watching an interview with Tobias Forge in which the interviewer asked him if Cardinal Copia would be the frontman of Ghost's fifth album, and Forge said, "No, he's done after this record." When the interviewer then asked him if it would be someone new, Forge said, "I just know that he will not bear the name Cardinal Copia." That leads me to believe that Cardi C will be christened Papa Emeritus IV. A popular fan theory is that Cardi C is in fact Nihil's and Sister Imperator's son, so perhaps that revelation will lead to his becoming Papa IV.

Moving on to discussing the music on Prequelle, the album opens with "Ashes," which works not only as an opening to the album but also an opening to "Rats," especially since the eerie melody played on piano in "Ashes" is then repeated on guitar near the end of "Rats." "Ashes" features Forge's daughter reciting a variation of the "Ring Around the Rosie" children's rhyme (fitting because the children's rhyme is in fact about the Black Plague): "Ring a ring o' roses, a pocket full of posies. Atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down. Ashes on the water, ashes in the sea. Ashes on the riverside, one, two, three." Just about every time that I listen to this track, the heavy guitar suddenly coming in at 0:48 in and breaking the rhyme always startles me even though I know that it's coming because the track is so quiet up to that point. The sing-songy chanting is unsettling, reminding me a bit of the rhyme in the A Nightmare on Elm Street films. "Ashes" moves seamlessly into "Rats," in some ways the true opening to Prequelle since, as I said, "Ashes" is really just the intro to it. "Rats" is such a great album opener because of its energy. (It even opened the album's corresponding tour.) It's not only a heavy headbanger but also has somewhat of a danceable groove to it. It's very anthemic, especially with Cardi's infectious "Ah whoah" in the chorus. It's also pretty cool how Prequelle came out two years ago, yet some of its themes are even more fitting now in 2020. As anyone reading this knows, 2020 has not been a pleasant year. A deadly virus referred to as COVID-19 surfaced in late 2019 and became a pandemic in March of 2020. Since then, over 560,000 people worldwide (over 137,000 of those being Americans) have died from it, and it initially started with panic and hysteria as people stocked up on disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper. (I can't really explain the toilet paper. Like I said, it was hysteria.) False and misleading information was spread around the internet, further heightening the mass panic since most people see Facebook headlines and don't bother to read the articles and fact-check them. Americans are now required to wear masks in public and are also required to maintain a distance of at least six feet from each other. Those are definitely reasonable parameters since, as I said, the death rate is rather high and continues to climb. The opening lyrics of "Rats," however, definitely speak to the current situation pretty accurately: "In times of turmoil, in times like these, belief's contagious, spreading disease." The song, as I said, is about the Black Plague (hence its vilifying of rats since they were one of the primary carriers of the disease), but it can be used as a metaphor for anything negatively infectious - disease, hatred, propaganda, etc.

"Faith" is one of the heaviest songs on Prequelle, with bludgeoning heavy guitar persisting throughout the entirety of the track. One aspect of Prequelle that I really love is that even though it does tackle some of the same issues that prior albums do - religious corruption, Satanism (although to a much lesser degree on this album), death, and so forth - I also firmly believe that it does so in a clever way so that it also takes on some more personal issues relevant to Forge, and "Faith" is a good example of this. The opening verse of "Faith" features Cardi C rhythmically singing the following: "There is a scourge in the guise of sanctity, a perpetrator with a quill, although it's often steeped in well-spun mystery, the accuser sends the bill, yeah!" Genius quotes one of the band's nameless ghouls as having said (of religious fanaticism and power-hungry Christian authorities), "Obviously, it is a big problem. It's a very contemporary problem. It's a very, very big danger..." Genius also points out the possibility, however, that this song is targeted at former Ghost bandmates who, back in 2015, came forth with a lawsuit against Tobias Forge, and I wholeheartedly agree. I don't really know all of the details of the lawsuit - just that the band members felt that they were not being compensated fairly for Ghost's profits and that Forge ended up winning the lawsuit. The fact that Forge won strongly suggests to me that the band members who sued him likely knew what the arrangement was, agreed to it, but then tried to pull a fast one. If so, then Forge likely felt betrayed, and I think that there are a couple of songs on this album that reflect that anger and betrayal, "Faith" definitely being one of them. I find it incredibly likely that that opening verse, for example, is targeting the former bandmates, especially considering the "accuser sends the bill" line, which is literally exactly what they did. In keeping with the themes of religious fanaticism, however, the chorus of the song declares that "I am all eyes. I am all ears. I am the wall, and I'm watching you fall because faith is mine!" This is very likely meant to be ironic, as in speaking from the perspective of a corrupt religious leader saying that faith is all that they need to be all powerful and omnipresent. In keeping with the Black Plague theme, this could also be from the perspective of Death, declaring that he is everywhere and cannot be avoided. That is, as I stated previously, one of the many aspects that I love about Ghost's music but especially about this album - the fact that the lyrics can be interpreted in so many different ways, and those different ways aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. Is Forge talking about his personal struggles with former bandmates? Is he talking about religious fanatics? Is this another chapter of the album's Black Plague narrative? The answer is very likely yes to all.

I love the relentless weight of "Faith," but Prequelle definitely has some softer numbers to offer, as well, as is typical of Ghost albums. At the end of "Faith," there is a soft organ interlude playing a melody that we will again hear at the end of the album (but I will discuss that when I get to discussing that particular song), and that interlude moves seamlessly into "See the Light." Although there is a slamming guitar riff in the chorus of "See the Light," the song is ultimately a softer power ballad compared to "Faith." This is rather ironic, in fact, because it is lyrically another angry and bitter track even though Cardi C sings it - especially on the verses - in a somewhat softer tone. The song also features a light tribal beat with accompanying piano, all adding to its softer ballad (albeit, as I said, power ballad) atmosphere. Cardi C lyrically calls back to "Rats" in the opening verse: "Many a rat I've befriended..." He also once again touches upon betrayal on this track: "...but of all the demons I've known, none could compare to you... but of all these dark roads that I roam, none could compare to you." The chorus of the song is especially bitter and angry, however, as Cardi C, in a more aggressive tone than on the verses, declares that "every day that you feed me with hate, I grow stronger. Drink me; eat me. Then, you'll see the light." The "drink me; eat me" line could very well be a reference to the Catholic communion ritual, which Ghost has touched upon in the past on songs such as "Body and Blood," but telling someone to "eat me" is also a common way of telling someone who has insulted you or wronged you off. I absolutely believe this song to be another targeted at former Ghost bandmates, which Tobias Forge himself more or less confirmed. When asked in an interview if "See the Light" was about the bad blood with former bandmates, Forge replied, "Yes! I think it's a song that can apply to any situation in which you're surrounded by enemies. Really, it's a song about redistributing anger and negativity." I really love this aspect of the song because even though it is a bitter and angry song, it's ultimately about using that anger in a positive way. Cardi C declares that "every day that you feed me with hate, I grow stronger," which indicates a refusal to allow hatred to wear you down but rather revitalize you. This is true of much of Ghost's music in general. There is a bite to it, and it often takes on some negative and dark topics, but there is usually hope - a light at the end of the tunnel. Forge even said in an interview (to which I linked in this review earlier) that much of Ghost's music is about salvation, and I agree wholeheartedly.

"Miasma" (which is a very unpleasant odor) is the fifth track on Prequelle and is one of most unusual tracks that Ghost has done up to this point in their career. It's purely instrumental with no lyrics but runs at over five minutes in length, making it a lengthier instrumental track sort of like "Genesis" from Opus Eponymous. That isn't what makes it unusual, however; it stands out amongst Ghost's catalogue because of its unique sound. It is undoubtedly a hard rock song but also features elements of jazz with its heavy use of the saxophone. (Interestingly, within the Ghost lore, it is Papa Nihil - who fronted the band back in 1969 when the band originally released its Seven Inches of Satanic Panic single - playing the saxophone here. In fact, Papa Nihil ended up passing away from a heart attack while playing the saxophone part on stage, but again, this is fictional and is part of the Ghost mythology.) It begins with what sounds like low synth before the band breaks in, and the song has a retro ambience to it that I can't quite explain. Something about it takes me back to the '90s when I was a little kid playing Sonic the Hedgehog on my SEGA Genesis. That definitely changes once the saxophone kicks in, but most of the track washes in a wave of nostalgia. The last part of the song - the jazzy part - can be heard near the beginning of the "Dance Macabre" music video, which is the next song featured on Prequelle. "Dance Macabre" is perhaps one of the poppiest and catchiest songs that Ghost has done to date. The song sounds like a pop rock / hard rock song pulled from the '80s and features an infectious (pun intended) chorus. I especially love the fluttering piano heard throughout the verses, and I also really love the electric guitar that breaks back in right before the pre-chorus when Cardi C asks, "How could it end like this?" Probably not unintentionally on Tobias Forge's part, the song's lyrics remind me a great deal of Edgar Allan Poe's classic short story "The Masque of the Red Death." In that short story, a fictional plague is spreading which kills people within a short amount of time, causing them to bleed profusely from orifices and even pores before they die (hence it being called the Red Death). A prince sequesters himself and select people away in his castle, believing that he is safe from the plague. Upon hosting a masquerade party one night, a clock chimes once every hour, seeming to put everyone in a trance (which I believe is because it is serving as a reminder that their time is running out). Eventually, the Red Death takes on a visible form and enters the castle, killing everyone, proving that Prospero's wealth could not save him from death.

Poe's fictional plague was likely inspired by a combination of tuberculosis (to which he lost a lot of loved ones) and the Black Plague (which Prequelle is ultimately about). The phrase dance macabre means dance of death, and Prospero's masquerade attendants are indeed literally dancing when death claims them, and Cardi C references a clock chiming near the beginning of the song: "You'll soon be hearing the chime close to midnight." As I said, it is my belief that in "The Masque of the Red Death," the reason why the dancers seem to be spellbound when the clock chimes is that the clock instills fear in them. It serves as a reminder that with every second that passes, they are closer to death, and that is unfortunately true of all of us - plague or no plague. The song's lyrics are somewhat romantic, as they seem to be about two lovers dancing together and trying to enjoy their last night together before death takes them: "Just wanna be, wanna bewitch you in the moonlight. Just wanna be, I wanna bewitch you all night." I had actually thought for a long time that Cardinal Copia was saying "be with you," but I think that it is meant to sound like it could be either/or. "Pro Memoria" begins with very dramatic and high-pitched strings which are eventually broken by piano. This one is definitely a power ballad and features a beautiful melody, and I love the little bit of organ heard in the song. (The organ is one of my favorite instruments.) Genius interestingly claims that the song is not a rock track, and I wholeheartedly disagree. While perhaps not a heavy metal song and definitely, as I said, one of Prequelle's power ballads, it is absolutely a rock song. Cardi C, in the catchy and commanding chorus, urges us, "Don't you forget about dying. Don't you forget about your friend death. Don't you forget that you will die." This is obviously in keeping with the album's Black Plague theme, and it seems rather depressing. However, as discussed previously, there is definitely an element of hope and salvation in much of Ghost's music, and I personally think of this as more of a positive song. The fact that we are all eventually going to die is ultimately neither negative nor positive; it's merely fact, and occasionally reminding ourselves of said fact hopefully means that we make the best of the time that we have. I also love the fact that, as Genius observes, the song is most likely taking another dig at former bandmates who sued Forge. "Had you had the chance today, you could've sold out too. Ain't that right, Swede Saint Peter?" Saint Peter was also known as Simon, and Swede is likely meant to sound like both Swede and sweet, Swede being in reference to former band member Simon Söderberg, who, like Tobias, is Swedish.

"Witch Image" is a bit heavier than "Pro Memoria," but it's also another track that, in my opinion, has a positive message buried underneath a macabre and seemingly negative one. Like many of the album's tracks, it is very catchy, and even though I haven't seen any make the complaint, I am sure that there are some Ghost fans who have not appreciated the band's catchy hooks on this album, believing them to have "sold out," although I assure you that I am not such a fan, as, as I have said, Prequelle is my favorite Ghost album thus far. One reason that I say that, however, is not just because of the album's catchy songs (melodic and catchy hooks, after all, are hardly new for Ghost) but also because Tobias worked with several mainstream pop music songwriters on Prequelle, including Vargas & Lagola, Jesse St. John, and Sarah Hudson, on songs such as "Dance Macabre" and "Pro Memoria." "Witch Image" is a blend of heavy metal and arena rock (reminding me a bit, in fact, of "Square Hammer"). It sounds like another one that could have come from an '80s hair metal band, and in the earworm of a chorus, Cardinal Copia reminds the listener that "while you sleep in earthly delight, someone's flesh is rotting tonight." Is this dark and disturbing imagery? It absolutely is, and it is obviously part of the album's Black Plague narrative as are most of the album's tracks, but there is also a positive note to such lyrics. Like Meliora's "Cirice," it is my sincerest belief that the song's lyrics are encouraging empathy, encouraging the listener to understand that just because they might be comfortable doesn't mean that that is how the whole world feels; we shouldn't view the world through the narrow lens of our own perspective and no one else's. This once again calls back to Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death." Prospero does not have any empathy for the people outside who are suffering and dying from the Red Death; all that he cares about is himself and those whom he invited into the castle with him, which were likely socialites with money and influence. In the end, however, his royalty and his power did not save him; death doesn't care about our social status: "While you sleep in earthly delight," Cardi C sings near the end of the song, "still, your soul will suffer this plight." This of course means that you might be living in privileged comfort now, but that doesn't mean that you're safe from death. Something that all of us - every single one of us - have in common is that we cannot escape death. Like I said, in the end, death does not care about anything other than the fact that we are human and thus mortal.

"Helvetesfönster" is my favorite song on Prequelle and definitely in my top five favorite Ghost tracks in general. Like "Miasma," it is another longer instrumental track, and it is absolutely epic and magnificent, one of the most sonically impressive tracks that Ghost has done to date. A musical masterpiece written solely by Tobias Forge, the track is enough to convince me that Forge is a postmodern Mozart. The song title is Swedish for hell window which makes it an appropriate segue into the album's final track, but I will discuss that once I get to discussing that song. "Helvetesfönster" has a Medieval atmosphere to it (appropriate given that, as I keep saying, the album is meant to be a concept album about the Black Plague) which, I think, is one of the reasons that I love it. I tend to really like Celtic and New Age music, and "Helvetesfönster" reminds me a great deal of such genres which is very likely because such genres are also heavily influenced by Medieval music. The track also blends more modern sounding ingredients into the mix, however, as it also features electric guitar and drums. Everything from flute, piano, drums, heavy guitar, acoustic guitar, what I think might be harp, and even, near the end of the track, church bells can be heard. My favorite part of the song is the oscillating arpeggio played on piano near the beginning of the song (especially as it rises in intensity and hits a cathartic high point at just under two minutes into the track when heavy guitar comes into the fold) which reminds me of television themes such as Fringe, Stranger Things, and The Walking Dead. I also love the calming and peaceful last couple of minutes of the song. (Someone even made a video on YouTube which features that last part of the track for over an hour.) "Helvetesfönster" ends with church bells (which, given the theme of the album, are possibly meant to be a death knell) which move gaplessly into "Life Eternal," officially Prequelle's final song. "Life Eternal" is a gorgeous rock ballad, and here we are reminded of the organ melody heard at the end of "Faith." "Life Eternal" might work as somewhat of a sequel to "Dance Macabre" because I think that the song is from the perspective of someone whose lover (and possibly they themselves as well) is dying from the plague: "Can you hear me say your name forever? Can you see me longing for you forever? Would you let me touch your soul forever?" As previously mentioned, helvetesfönster meaning hell window is important because here, Cardi C sings, "I know the light grows darker down below," which is possibly a reference to hell, making the ninth track a transition into this final track.

"Life Eternal" is such a great closing track for Prequelle. It lyrically feels like a closing to the album's narrative, as, as I said, the lovers referenced in "Dance Macabre" have reached their end in one way or another. I find it unclear whether both of them are dying or if only of them is. As I said, the speaker of "Life Eternal" seems to be addressing their lover, but some of the lyrics, such as the ones that I quoted above, seem to suggest that only the other one is dying, not necessarily the speaker. It is also, as I said, a sequel of sorts to "Dance Macabre," as it even alludes to it: "We dance once more; I feel your hands are cold." The song is so melodically haunting and beautiful, and as I have said before, the organ is one of my favorite instruments, so I love that it is featured relatively prominently here on this track. As I said, "Life Eternal" closes Prequelle officially speaking, but the deluxe edition of the album does include two bonus tracks - both covers (which is typical of Ghost; they always include at least one cover song as (a) bonus track(s)). The first is "It's a Sin," a cover of a Pet Shop Boys song from 1987. Ghost's version is heavy on the church organ (yes!) and on the electric guitar, making it darker and heavier than the original Pet Shop Boys version, but as is usually the case of Ghost covers, it is very faithful to the original. It is definitely a fitting song for Ghost to cover because it is a critique of Christianity deeming just about everything as sinful. (Ghost frequently critiques Christianity in their lyrics.) We then get "Avalanche," a cover of a Leonard Cohen song from 1971. If I am being honest, this is potentially my least favorite Ghost cover primarily because I think that Forge tries too hard to sound like Cohen, and it doesn't really work because Cohen had such a unique voice. I wish that Tobias had just sang it more naturally. Other than that, however, it's pretty different from the original version. The original is very folksy and fueled primarily by acoustic guitar, whereas Ghost incorporates atmospheric strings, a steady drumbeat, and, of course, electric guitar. Like I said, Prequelle is my favorite Ghost album thus far, followed very closely by Meliora. It is so theatrical and reads to me like an epic rock opera. It also possibly fits into the theory that all of Ghost's albums tell an overarching story, with Opus Eponymous chronicling the impending arrival of the Antichrist and ending with his birth, Infestissumam dealing with the birth and presence of the Antichrist, and Meliora narrating his rise to power. If Prequelle fits into that narrative, then the apocalyptic nature of its lyrics could be the apocalypse brought on by the Antichrist. Regardless, however, I can't praise this album enough. If the next Ghost album tops this one, then it's going to be something that makes me rethink what music is. (Check out my reviews of other Ghost works here!)