Björk - Utopia [Review]

Following the release of her 2015 album Vulnicura, which devastatingly chronicles her split from longtime partner Matthew Barney, Icelandic electronic musician Björk returns with Utopia. Björk once said that the follow-up to Vulnicura would be the paradise to Vulnicura's hell, so it makes sense that Utopia, which is arguably a synonym for paradise, is the title. Vulnicura's lyrical content deals with the ugly and raw emotion felt because of a broken heart, whereas Utopia's lyrical content deals primarily with healing, finally being whole again, and allowing one's self to experience love again. In some ways, in fact, Utopia functions as a sequel to Vulnicura, with its lead single, "the gate" (which I reviewed here) even alluding to it. Not only does Utopia deal with somewhat new subject matter, it is also different in sound, reminding me a bit of her 2001 album Vespertine. Vulnicura's strings and soft synths are largely replaced on Utopia by woodwinds and sound effects such as birdcalls, reminding us, as her 2011 album Biophilia did, of her intimate relationship with nature. Highlights on Utopia include "Blissing Me," the aforementioned "the gate," "Body Memory," "Losss," and "Claimstaker," with "Claimstaker" potentially even being my top favorite song from the album.

Utopia opens with "Arisen My Senses," an atmospheric song heavy in harp with a strange warbling sound at the beginning. Björk's vocal track throughout certain parts of the song are very loud and prominent, and although somewhat repetitive, the song speaks of allowing herself to open up (both emotionally and physically) to love and sex. The sexual references on the album are another reason why the album reminds me a bit of Vespertine. Although then referring to Matthew Barney, that album, like Utopia (which even features a photo in its booklet of Björk wearing a strap-on dildo), was not afraid of exhibiting sexual themes. (Songs/videos such as "Cocoon" and "Pagan Poetry" serve as prime examples.) The song makes reference to her new feelings being like a mixtape being created, which makes its transition into the second track on Utopia, the aforementioned "Blissing Me," a sensible one. "Blissing Me" is another song driven by harp, although it is a much softer and gentler song than its predecessor. It is lyrically very cute, as it speaks of falling in love with someone over your shared tastes in music (which is why I said before that it is a good follow-up to "Arisen My Senses"). Some fans have likened it to "Headphones," a song from her 1995 album Post, as that song refers to her love for music and its therapeutic power. "Blissing Me" is one of my favorite songs from the album because of its cute and innocent theme and its beautiful melody and harp accompaniment.

The song's third track is its first single, "the gate." I won't say much about this song because as already stated, I have already reviewed it, but I will say that I think that this song also could have worked as Utopia's opening track because its first line begins with "My healed chest wound...," a clear reference both to her experience that inspired Vulnicura and the album itself. (The album cover features Björk with a gaping hole in her chest, and songs on the album refer to her chest wound.) The fourth track on the album is the title track, one of the more unusual songs on the album. The song's accompaniment is composed primarily of flutes and strange birdlike calls, which makes sense because both play a part in the song's lyrics, as the song opens: "Bird species never seen or heard before, the first flute carved from the first fauna..." There are parts of the song which seem to refer to climate change, such as when, near the end of the song, Björk sings, "Huge toxic tumor bulging underneath the ground here. Purify, purify, purify, purify toxicity." I find the song very beautiful, but my only complaint with it is that, perhaps in deliberate juxtaposition with "Arisen My Senses," Björk's vocal track is quieter than the instrumental accompaniment and, at times, is drowned; it is sometimes difficult to comprehend the lyrics.

"Body Memory" is an ambient song reminding me of her 2005 soundtrack album Drawing Restraint 9; Drawing Restraint 9 features a strong Japanese influence, and a similar influence seems to be present here. The song also features sound effects such as birdcalls and catlike growling, and a little more than halfway through, a choir kicks in and steals the song, with Björk wailing dramatically on top. At nearly ten minutes long, it is the longest song on the album, and its lyrical content speaks to her relationship with nature. It is another song that works as a sequel to Vulnicura, however, as it makes several references to the split that inspired Vulnicura. She even brings herself back to how she felt - how the death of her relationship felt like her death overall (a feeling that she highlighted on the Vulnicura track "Notget"). "Do I accept this ending?" she sings here. "Will I accept my death...?" The way that I interpret this song is that it's about healing; she is saying that her love for nature and for the world around her is ultimately what helped her on her journey toward healing: "Then the body memory kicks in, and I trust the unknown. Unfathomable imagination, surrender to future." This, in other words, is a reminder to herself to not fear the future and the unknown but to embrace it (a theme also present on the album's closing track, "Future Forever"), and her reference to her "body memory" reminds me of how she said during the Vulnicura era that the grieving process is a biological one.

The sixth track is titled "Creatures Features," a reversal of the term "creature feature" (or, in other words, monster movie). The song reminds me of her 2004 album Medúlla because a large portion of that album is a cappella, and much of the accompaniment in this song is provided by human chanting. The song also reminds me melodically of her cover of "Like Someone in Love" (found on her 1993 album Debut), which is probably not a coincidence because both songs are love songs and feature somewhat similar themes. Björk seems to once again be addressing her ex-partner Matthew Barney, as she says, "When I spot someone who is same height as you and goes to same record stores [once again accentuating her love for music], I literally think I am five minutes away from love. When I hear someone with same accent as yours, asking directions with the same beard as yours, I literally think I am five minutes away from love." It is my belief that she is, as previously stated, addressing Barney, saying that she, whether consciously or not, looks for traits in new prospects that are similar to his traits. This actually makes perfect sense because she was with Barney for thirteen years, meaning that that relationship is likely now her go-to model. I can completely relate to this because I was with the love of my life for five years, and I usually find myself attracted to people who, in general, have similar characteristics as he did/does. (I am looking at you, Keir Gilchrist. I am convinced that you are his long-lost brother.)

"Courtship" is very similar to the title track, featuring a similar musical accompaniment, similar not only because it is played on woodwinds but also because it is very similar melodically. The term courtship, of course, refers to a period in two people's lives in which romantic and sexual feelings develop, and it can also refer to a marriage proposal. Björk is likely yet again contemplating her ex-lover on this track, especially since some lyrics seem to run parallel to lyrics on Vulnicura. She opens "Courtship" with the following: "...His veins full of lead, he's left with loving what he lost more than what he has." The primary reason why I think that this might be a reference to Matthew Barney is that it reminds me of lyrics on Vulnicura such as these ones from "Black Lake": "I did it for love. I honored my feelings. You betrayed your own heart, corrupted that organ." Yet another line that comes to mind is from "Notget": "Will you not regret having love let go?" The similarity between "Courtship" and Vulnicura songs such as these two lies in the idea that she not only lost something but so did he, that he betrayed not only her but also himself. (This vividly reminds me of a line from a song called "Human Spirit" by Dolores O'Riordan, who coincidentally sadly passed away today: "Don't betray your lover; you will just betray yourself.")

Another highlight on Utopia is "Losss." (I have tried coming up with an answer, but I do not know or understand why the word is misspelled with an extra s.) This song could thematically be a song on Vulnicura, as it deals with almost identical subject matter, except in a bit more of a positive light: "I didn't allow loss... didn't harden from pain. The pain we have will always be there but the sense of full satisfaction too." The song examines loss and its role in our lives as human beings; it does have the potential to harden us and make us hateful, but it also has the potential to make us stronger, more self-sufficient, and more appreciative. "How we make up for it defines who we are," Björk asserts. I love this song and consider it a highlight on Utopia not only because of its positive and empowering message to which I wholeheartedly relate but also because of its beautiful sound, especially because of its haunting harp accompaniment. "Sue Me," although not necessarily one of my favorite songs from the album, is interesting because it takes the album in a new direction, a more electronic one as opposed to the organic one heard throughout most of the album. The song is likely an important one to Björk as it is about her and Barney's daughter and the custody battle that has followed their separation. She tackles the same subject matter that she did on the Vulnicura track "Family," which is that their separation has essentially destroyed not only a partnership but a family.

"Tabula Rasa" (Latin for "blank slate") returns the album to a more organic sound, driven almost entirely by woodwinds. It is potentially the first time that Björk has delved into the reasons why her relationship with Matthew Barney ended. Vulnicura brutally dealt with her feelings on the matter but not really with the reasons. "Tabula Rasa," however, tells us that "we are all swollen from hiding his affairs" and that "he led two lives." This probably tells us that Barney was likely unfaithful in the relationship. She once again refers to her daughter in this song, telling her that "my deepest wish is that you're immersed in grace and dignity... I hoped to give you the least amount of luggage." Here Björk is essentially writing a love letter to her daughter, telling her that she hopes that what her father did and what the consequences of that were haven't negatively impacted her too indelibly, that she can still continue to grow in "grace and dignity." "Oh, how I love you," she reminds her. "Embarrassed to pass this mess over to you." "Tabula Rasa" functions as a reminder of how brutally honest that Björk is through her music. Similarly to how Vulnicura made some of us (myself definitely included) feel, some of the songs on Utopia feel so intensely personal that hearing them and/or reading their lyrics feels like voyeurism. This song, after all, comes across as an extremely personal love letter written to her daughter. The bravery exhibited by baring her soul in such a way is immensely admirable.

Finally moving away from the subject of her separation, Björk takes us almost seamlessly into "Claimstaker" (likely stylized in such a way so as to be read as both "claim staker" and as "claims taker"). Although the lyrics to "Claimstaker" are very brief (only fourteen lines), the song runs at over three minutes long because of how drawn out most of the notes are. As I mentioned before, this is probably my favorite song on the album primarily because of how drawn that I am to its electronic energy and drive. It is carried heavily by swirling synths and, like "Body Memory," touches upon Björk's intimate relationship with nature. The song is then followed up by a short instrumental piece played on woodwinds, a piece called "Paradisia" (which, of course, means paradise, another word for utopia); it's absolutely beautiful and lush and features the birdcalls from "the gate" and "Utopia." "Saint" is somewhat of a low point on the album for me. Another song driven by woodwinds, it stays pretty stagnant without really developing. My opinion regarding this song could always, of course, one day change, as music sometimes takes a while to grow on me, but one aspect of this song that I definitely do love is its closing statement: "Music heals, too. I'm here to defend it." This reminds me of a statement that she made following the release of Vulnicura, about how she hoped that the songs on Vulnicura would act as "a crutch to others." They most certainly did for me; I give Vulnicura, at the very least, half of the credit for my eventually coming to terms with losing my ex. It helped me heal immensely.

Utopia's closing track is "Future Forever," ending the album on an incredibly hopeful and positive note. The song, a very quiet and peaceful song driven by what sounds like the light chimes of an organ (although I could be mistaken), encourages listeners to stop living in the past and to start looking at what the future might have to offer: "Imagine a future, and be in it," she advises. "Feel this incredible nurture; soak it in. Your past is on loop; turn it off. See this possible future, and be in it." The song makes an effective conclusion to Utopia, and I, overall, really love this album. As previously mentioned, it is, once again, intensely personal, and I applaud Björk for such bravery. It is quite clear that music is something that she needs and even feeds on, which creates a mutual core (See what I did there?) for both her and most of her listeners because even though I obviously cannot speak for anyone else, Björk's music is therapeutic for me, having helped me through some of the most difficult periods of my life. I will say, however, that I hope for a return to high energy in the future, as I would love to hear more tracks like "Crying," "There's More to Life than This," "Violently Happy," "Army of Me," "Mutual Core," etc., but I will take Björk in just about any format that she has to offer.

HIM - Bang and Whimper 2017 - The Farewell Tour - Live at the Worcester Palladium [Thursday, 11/16/17] [Review]

I have been a very loyal fan of the alternative metal band HIM for over a decade, really ever since hearing "Wings of a Butterfly" on the radio when I was in high school, an experience that led me to collecting all of their albums and following them religiously from that point forward. Something that I unfortunately had not had the opportunity to experience, however, was seeing them perform live, and that stayed on my mental bucket list for years. When the band announced that they were calling it quits after approximately twenty-five years of being active, my heart was broken, and I knew that I had to somehow make it a point to see them live during their farewell tour, titled the Bang and Whimper tour. I fortunately was able to attend the show in Worcester, Massachusetts on Thursday, November 16th, planning it around a trip to see my sister in Connecticut. I am beyond thrilled that I finally got the opportunity to see this band. I also saw them at a perfect time because since this was, as previously mentioned, a farewell tour, the setlist was basically a greatest hits setlist. The setlist was as follows:

1. Buried Alive by Love
2. Heartache Every Moment
3. Your Sweet 666
4. The Kiss of Dawn
5. The Sacrament
6. Tears on Tape
7. Wings of a Butterfly
8. Gone with the Sin
9. Soul on Fire
10. Wicked Game
11. Killing Loneliness
12. Poison Girl
13. Bleed Well
14. Heartkiller
15. Join Me
16. It's All Tears (Drown in This Love)
17. In Joy and Sorrow
18. Right Here in My Arms
19. The Funeral of Hearts
20. Rebel Yell

Almost every song that the band played would be considered one of the band's hits, and most can, in fact, be found on their 2004 greatest hits collection, And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997-2004, and/or their 2012 greatest hits collection, XX - Two Decades of Love Metal. I was overall very pleased with the setlist, although I read that they usually closed shows on this tour with "When Love and Death Embrace," which I definitely would have preferred to hear to their cover of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell." In fact, my dream setlist would have looked a little bit more like this:

1. Buried Alive by Love
2. Wings of a Butterfly
3. Vampire Heart
4. The Kiss of Dawn
5. Soul on Fire
6. Your Sweet 666
7. In Venere Veritas
8. Close to the Flame
9. Poison Girl
10. Venus Doom
11. For You
12. Join Me
13. Passion's Killing Floor
14. Killing Loneliness
15. Scared to Death
16. Gone with the Sin
17. Heartkiller
18. Tears on Tape
19. When Love and Death Embrace
20. The Funeral of Hearts

My dream setlist, however, features several songs that were not released as singles, and, as I said, the actual setlist was very much a greatest hits playlist (which definitely seemed to be the intention), and I did very much enjoy that aspect of the show.

Something that has always drawn me to HIM ever since first hearing them more than a decade ago is frontman Ville Valo's vocal ability; he is able to reach both high notes and extremely low notes, and his vocal range definitely did not disappoint at this show. During his performance of some songs, he went even lower than he does on the songs' studio versions, which tended to cause the crowd to go wild. The crowd was most excited during the band's performance of their song "Wings of a Butterfly," which did not come as a surprise to me because that is probably the band's best known song in the United States. (It was, as previously mentioned, the first song that I ever heard of theirs, so it was both an exciting and emotional experience hearing and seeing it played live.) Concertgoers around me, myself included, also seemed to be emotionally touched when, during the band's performance of "Gone with the Sin" (which, although I did not record it, you can see here), Ville Valo temporarily put the performance on hold because he thought that someone in the crowd was hurt. It was very touching to see a musician care about fans enough to interrupt a performance because he thought that someone was hurt. It was fortunate that no one was actually hurt, but it wouldn't have surprised me if someone had been hurt because the crowd was very energetic and fired up. There was a great deal of moshing and crowd-surfing (especially crowd-surfing) during both CKY (one of the two opening bands - the other being 3TƎETH, neither of which I liked very much)'s set and HIM's set. The energy definitely took me a bit by surprise because I have been to heavier shows than HIM where the energy wasn't anywhere near as rabid. Fans were definitely very passionate and happy to be there (as was Ville, who wore a smile on his face throughout a good portion of the set), which I suspect was at least in part because of this being the band's final tour.

Highlights during HIM's set included "Your Sweet 666" (one of my favorite songs from the band), "Wings of a Butterfly" (which, as previously mentioned, garnered a great deal of excitement from the crowd), "Heartkiller," "Join Me" (another well known song of the band's), and "The Funeral of Hearts" (another one of my favorites that I was hoping was going to be on the setlist). I really only had two complaints about the show, and I don't think that either of these complaints was really within the band's control. The first is that there were some songs' musical accompaniment (parts that I don't think were played live, or, if they were, the keyboard or whatever instrument was used was not in tune) that sounded off as if they weren't in tune. The biggest culprit was "The Sacrament," during which the piano accompaniment, which opens the song and then drives it all of the way through, sounded as if it were out of tune. The second is that the band did not interact with the audience much, but I don't hold them accountable for that because they had twenty songs to get through, which, while great, unfortunately did not afford much time for social interaction. As previously mentioned, I just feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to see one of my all-time favorite bands... one last time. (HIM fans will know what I did there.) As I suspected would probably happen, I definitely got emotional once I was at the show, especially when I saw that merchandise was being sold which sported the words HIM In Memoriam 1991-2017. It finally sunk in and hit me that they were actually done, that this band, which has been stealing my heart with tender and beautiful melodies combined with dark strings and aggressive guitar riffs for more than a decade, was actually calling it quits. Ville Valo has fortunately, however, declared that we can probably expect to hear from him in the future, either via a new band or a solo career, so at least there is that.

In This Moment - Ritual [Review]

After hearing Black Widow for the first time in 2015, I quickly became a fan of alternative metal band In This Moment and have even, in fact, now seen them play live three times. The follow-up to Black Widow, titled Ritual (which is the band's sixth studio album), was a highly anticipated release for me because of how much that I loved Black Widow. (I love Black Widow so much, in fact, that I own it on both CD and vinyl.) While Ritual does not match up to Black Widow for me (something that is going to be difficult for the band to do, if I am being honest), it is still a really strong album and one of the band's best albums to date. Something that I really love about the album is that, like Black Widow (which showcases a strong feminist theme), it seems to have an overall theme, and as the album title suggests, it, in many ways, examines the ritualism of religion and history. The band's frontwoman, Maria Brink, said that the album's theme was inspired primarily by her trip to Salem, Massachusetts, where she felt an almost palpable magic in the air, and that is something that I totally and completely understand because I visited Salem myself last year and can confirm that the feeling in the air is a magical one; it's like crossing the threshold into another realm, and it was a life-changing experience that I would love to relive someday. Moving on to discussing the album, though, it opens with an eerie and mostly instrumental piece titled "Salvation." Dark and foreboding and composed of dissonant and ambient noises, the sound of a bell tolling, thunder, sirens, and so forth, "Salvation" builds in intensity until finally ending with a spoken monologue by Brink herself: "It took lying with the devil and looking him straight in the eyes for me to seek and truly know the grace of God and all of Her glory." There is a theme of duality and reflection here that occasionally repeats throughout the rest of the album. It can, for example, be interpreted that our ideas of God and the devil, of good and of evil, are reflections of ourselves, and that we come to terms with the good in us by first acknowledging our dark sides.

"Salvation" moves seamlessly into the album's lead single, "Oh Lord," effectively functioning as both an intro to the album and as an intro to "Oh Lord." "Oh Lord" is a bluesy-rock song with a catchy and cascading melody as its chorus. The song brings forth the same theme as "Salvation" - that being the duality of human nature. Brink addresses the dichotomy of her essence when she asks whether she is "the righteous or the damned," "the sinner or the saint," and "Lillith or... Eve." Brink has said that she considers herself "spiritual" but not associated with any one particular religion, and that really seems to be exemplified on this album. Songs such as "Oh Lord" tackle Christianity (or at least use it as allegory) while songs such as "Witching Hour" tackle witchcraft and/or Paganism. "Oh Lord" is followed by "Black Wedding," one of my favorite songs on Ritual. "Black Wedding" features the lyrics "Priest, are you there?"and "Forgive me, priest, for I have sinned," and I am thinking that these lyrics are deliberate considering the fact that the song features guest vocals by Rob Halford, the lead singer of Judas Priest. When I saw In This Moment play in Rochester, NY this past summer, Chris Motionless of Motionless in White performed Halford's vocals, and he and Brink sounded great together. (This was, however, not a surprise to me, as the two had previously collaborated on the Motionless in White song "Contemptress.") "Black Wedding" is driven by a playful and oscillating piano accompaniment, a huge part of the song's appeal for me (as are its captivating lyrics, which briefly sample Billy Idol's classic hit "White Wedding"). It is definitely one of the catchiest songs on the album, and as I said, one of my favorites. The fourth track on Ritual is a cover of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight," and it's one of only two songs on the album that feels, to me, like a throwaway. It really doesn't do anything new or exciting with the song and isn't the best choice for Brink's unique and raspy voice, although it does definitely fit the album's overall spiritual theme. (Although there is currently no music video, "In the Air Tonight" was released as the album's third single.)

"Joan of Arc" is probably my favorite song on the album. In classic Rob Zombie fashion, the song opens with a line from a film; Dustin Hoffman, from the film The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, ominously but assertively asks the rhetoric question, "Who are you to even think you can know the difference between good and evil?" (This line yet again accentuates the album's overall theme of the duality of good and evil within us.) Similar to the Madonna song of the same name, the song addresses being the sacrificial lamb, either to the media or within a personal relationship. In This Moment's song, however, is much angrier than Madonna's and is lousy with sarcasm: "Go ahead; blame me for your sins. Go ahead, and sacrifice me." One of the heaviest songs on the album, it features a killer guitar riff encouraging headbanging galore, and it would be amazing to hear this song live. (I saw the band twice during their most recent tour to promote Ritual, and this song was unfortunately left off the setlist both times.) "River of Fire" has a catchy hook and, like "Joan of Arc," a memorable guitar riff. The first time that I heard the song was when I saw the band in Rochester this past summer, and it initially sounded a lot like "Oh Lord" to me. Although I am obviously now able to hear the clear differences, I still think that it has a similar bluesy groove to it. Ritual then gives us another highlight, the aforementioned "Witching Hour." This song was definitely inspired by historical witch trials. Similar to "Joan of Arc," it begins with a spoken intro (although in my efforts to find out whose voice is heard or what the monologue is from, I unfortunately found nothing): "Superstition and fear drove them all to accuse their friends and family of consorting with the devil..." "Witching Hour" is an upbeat electrorock song with an aggressive beat and catchy, almost poppy chorus. (Interestingly, the song makes several references to accused witches being burned alive, but no accused witches were burned alive in Salem. Most were hanged; some died in prison, and one was pressed to death. This is why I say that it's inspired by witch trials in general.)

Ritual's eighth track is titled "Twin Flames" and is honestly a lower point on the album for me. It doesn't have the catchy hook that many of the other songs found on the album do and is a bit repetitive, especially with its seemingly looping acoustic guitar strumming. It both sonically and lyrically reminds me of the band's song "Burn" (which seems to be one of the band's favorite songs, since they often include it in setlists). "Half God Half Devil" obviously sets the previously mentioned theme of duality down very clearly, as evidenced by its title alone. It would have even functioned well as the title of the album and was, in fact, the title of the band's most recent tour (even though the song was uncannily not performed). One of the heavier tracks on the album, "Half God Half Devil" is, like "Oh Lord," riddled with binary oppositions such as in the lyrics "You saw a sinner, saw a saint inside of me" (suggesting that both were seen), "You want to know if I'm a friend or an enemy," "my angels and my demons," and so forth. The song's chorus, in fact, is full of what seem to be polar opposites: "I can be your heavenly or I can be your hell. I can say a prayer for you or I can cast a spell. I push you to the darkness just to pull you to the light 'cause I can take away your breath or I can bring you back to life." I am reminded of the point that I made in my review of the new Marilyn Manson album regarding his song "SAY10": "You say God, and I say Satan," Manson sings. There is a similar theme present on this album, which is that we all have both good and evil within us and that one person's villain is potentially another person's hero (and vice versa). Following "Half God Half Devil," Ritual provides us with "No Me Importa" (Spanish for "I Don't Care"). "No Me Importa" begins with a low, weeping piano that quickly transforms into a chugging electric guitar. The song, which assertively chants that "I don't care!" in its chorus, lyrically addresses someone who has been manipulating the speaker, with the speaker finally taking a stance and saying that the offender's actions will no longer have any effect.

"Roots" is Ritual's second single following "Oh Lord" and reminds me a great deal of the band's older song "Blood" (from the album of the same title). "Roots" is a fun and catchy rock song (that I immediately loved upon my first listen) about thanking your difficult past for making you the strong person that you currently are. The lyric that I really take to and relate to is "I'm stronger than I ever knew; I'm strong because of you." The chorus features anthemic, strongly accentuated, and staccato notes similar to Three Days Grace's signature sound in songs like "I Hate Everything About You" and "Home." A standout track on Ritual, I remember feeling mightily disappointed when the band did not perform the song live the first time that I saw them during the Half God Half Devil tour in Rochester. It had just recently been released as the band's latest single, and my expectation had been that they would have wanted to help promote it by performing it. By the time that I saw them again in Utica, NY, however, it was added to their setlist. My only complaint about "Roots" is its placement on the album; its energy sounds like it should be near the beginning of the album, not near the end. The final song on most editions of Ritual is a soft piano ballad titled "Lay Your Gun Down." (The Japanese edition of the album features a breathy, dreamy, and ethereal cover of the classic Radiohead song "Creep.") "Lay Your Gun Down" is slow and gently hammered out on a piano. An atmospheric song during which Brink's vocals are semi-spoken and semi-sung, I would argue that lyrically speaking, the song's gun imagery is allegorical, that the song is more so speaking to mental illness and how it makes sufferers their own worst enemies: "What have I gone and fucked up again this time? How did I become my own demise?" With that being said, however, when I saw the band in Utica, Brink, before an extremely raw and heartfelt performance of the song, dedicated the song to the victims of the massacre in Las Vegas that had occurred two nights prior, and the song can definitely be interpreted in a more literal way such as that one.

I am overall very pleased with Ritual as an album. While not as good as Black Widow (which honestly sounds more like a greatest hits compilation than an album), it definitely has its charms and only a couple of tracks that are, in my opinion, throwaway tracks. (The two that come to mind are the "In the Air Tonight" cover and "Twin Flames," neither of which serve as highlights on the album for me.) In comparison to the band's last two albums, Black Widow and Blood, the album, in some ways, takes us back to In This Moment's roots because it is a lot more organic than either of those two albums. Like early albums such as Beautiful Tragedy and The Dream, it is a lot more raw and not as electronically driven as tracks like "Blood" and "Big Bad Wolf" are. That is neither a good thing nor a bad thing, although I do admit that one reason why I love Black Widow as much as I do is because of its synthesis of heavy metal and electronic music. (Ritual still does this at times such as on "Witching Hour," but it's definitely not as prominent as it is on Black Widow.) Something that makes studying and following In This Moment's career is that one can hear the progression and evolution of their sound from album to album, and Ritual, in some ways, seems to be a conglomeration of their previous five albums. I, as stated before, love the album's spiritual themes and its theme of duality within each of us. Both times that I saw In This Moment live during the Half God Half Devil tour, their stage was lousy with religious icons such as the Christian cross and the Pagan pentagram, and the fact that Brink said that she wanted to represent different avenues of religion is represented both on the album and during live shows. In This Moment will, very soon, be embarking on yet another tour in promotion of Ritual, this time titled the Witching Hour tour, but they are unfortunately not hitting a city close enough to me for me to see them. I, for now, definitely feel satisfied having seen them three times so far for, however.

In This Moment - Half God Half Devil Tour - Live at the Stanley Theatre [Tuesday, 10/3/17] [Review]

During alternative metal band In This Moment's Half God Half Devil tour, which was intended to promote their newest album Ritual, I actually had the pleasure of seeing them twice - first on Saturday, July 8th in Rochester, NY and then on Tuesday, October 3rd in Utica, NY. The Utica, NY show was, in fact, my third time seeing them, as I first saw them last year in Syracuse, NY when they opened for Rob Zombie and Korn on the Return of the Dreads tour (which I reviewed here). (For purposes of conserving time and because the band's setlist didn't undergo much change between the two dates of the tour, I will be focusing primarily on the Utica, NY show at the Stanley Theatre in this review.) In This Moment is a phenomenal band to see live, as I wrote when I saw them last year as an opening act. They were so good then that I vowed to see them as a headliner, and I feel so grateful to have had that opportunity twice this year. (The band's frontwoman, Maria Brink, is actually from Schenectady, NY, which isn't too terribly far from where I live, so I am lucky in that the band seems to play in my relative area pretty frequently.) The first time that I saw them this year in Rochester (where the venue, as pictured below, looked like a medieval castle on the outside), they had three opening acts - Little Miss Nasty (which was basically a cabaret female strip show in which I had very little interest), VIMIC (a band that I didn't much care for), and Motionless in White (a band that I actually do really like, so that was a treat for me, as well).

That show was honestly far too long, as Little Miss Nasty, who had not one but two segments, seemed completely unnecessary. The sound quality of the show also wasn't very good; Maria Brink addressed the audience pretty frequently at both shows, but at the Rochester show, I usually could not understand what she was saying. (Rumor had it that there had been a rap show at the venue the week prior, and the sound had then not been properly adjusted for a rock show.)

In This Moment's setlist at the Utica show was as follows:

1. Salvation / Blood
2. River of Fire
3. Adrenalize
4. Roots
5. Burn
6. Lay Your Gun Down
7. Monster Jam (Interlude)
8. Black Wedding
9. In the Air Tonight
10. The Infection / Sick Like Me
11. Oh Lord
12. Whore

As previously mentioned, the setlist did not undergo much change between the Rochester show in July and the Utica show in October, but one noticeable difference that I do want to note is that "Roots" was not played in Rochester, and I remember that being both surprising and disappointing to me because it, at the time, was a brand new single just having been released. I love(d) the song and imagined that they would be wanting to promote it at the show. The fact that it was added to the setlist in time for the Utica show (which I believe was the only change made) is one major reason why I am glad that I had the opportunity to see them twice during this tour. "Roots" is, to be frank, a kickass song in the same vein as that of "Blood" and deserves to be played live. "Blood" was definitely a highlight of the show, as well, especially since it was one of the few songs that they played that the friend with whom I went knew. "Black Wedding" was another definite highlight of the show that I hope sticks around on setlists for a while, since (a) it is a melodically driven song full of energy and (b) it samples Billy Idol's hit song "White Wedding," which my friend almost immediately recognized. This was one rare instance, however, of the performance probably being better in Rochester than it was in Utica; in Rochester, the song was performed as a duet between Maria and Chris Motionless of Motionless in White, whereas Maria sang it solo in Utica. (The studio version on the album is a duet with Rob Halford of Judas Priest.) "Whore" was also a highlight at both shows because it was the song for which the audience seemed to be the most excited, which makes sense because it's probably their most popular song. ("Whore" is perhaps to In This Moment as "Holiday" is to Madonna, since both songs seem to frequently be played as encores.)

I don't have much to say as far as negative criticism goes regarding the Utica show. The sound quality was much better, and the venue was perfect. The venue in Rochester, the Marina Jeep Arena, was beautiful on the outside (as it sort of looked like a medieval castle, as exemplified in the photo) but run down and industrial on the inside. The Utica show was played at the Stanley Theatre, a classy theatre where plays and musicals are usually performed. The inside of the theatre is pictured below, and as you can see, it's quite beautiful and well taken care of. (This photo, unlike the one of the Marina Jeep Arena, is not mine, and credit must go to the Stanley Theatre's Facebook page.)

I definitely would have made changes to the setlist, though. The tour, for example, was titled the Half God Half Devil tour, but its namesake, a new song from Ritual, was not played. I was also deeply disappointed that "Joan of Arc" (a badass motherfucker of a song, if you will pardon my French, with a killer guitar riff), my favorite song from Ritual, was not played. In fact, while this probably is not all that unusual for In This Moment, since their setlists are usually relatively short, only half of the setlist was made up of new songs from the new album. (More artists should, in my opinion, take a pointer or two from Madonna's Confessions tour, which showcased its corresponding album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, almost in its entirety. Even most of the older songs that were played were played with a new flavor that fit the album's overall sound and direction.) At both shows, Maria, seemingly much different than she appeared at last year's show in Syracuse, seemed very earthy and in tune with the world around her. Seen near the end of the show sporting a witchy white robe (as pictured below), she preached to the audience about the importance of loving one another in trying times, and she dedicated her performance of the new piano ballad "Lay Your Gun Down" to the victims of the massacre that had occurred in Las Vegas two nights prior.

While, as previously mentioned, In This Moment did not do much in the way of changing their setlist between the Rochester show and the Utica show (save adding "Roots"), the lineup of the tour did completely change. Little Miss Nasty was thankfully nowhere to be seen in Utica, and VIMIC and Motionless in White were replaced with Avatar and Of Mice & Men. Avatar, dressed in matching black and red circusy costumes, were a lot of fun and put on a really great show. I immediately loved their songs "Paint Me Red" and "Bloody Angel." Of Mice & Men, on the other hand, was unfortunately not very exciting at all. They didn't do much in the way of interacting with the audience and, in fact, barely acknowledged our presence. They didn't have much energy and just seemed worn out and tired. I guess that in some ways, though, that only made In This Moment, who, as usual, was full of energy, that much more exciting. In This Moment's shows are always theatrical, always at the brink (pun intended) of feeling like more of a cabaret show than a rock show. This is especially the case thanks to Maria's Blood Girls, supportive dancers who surround her and move emotively and sensually to the music. It is always obvious to me that hours went into rehearsal, and that hard work and passion is always evident. I certainly would not mind, if the opportunity were arise, to see In This Moment yet again, but that probably won't happen in the immediate future. The band is soon to embark upon a second tour in promotion of Ritual, titled the Witching Hour tour. (I wonder if the title track will be played this time?) Unfortunately, however, the closest that they are playing to me is Niagra Falls, NY, which is 200 miles away from me. As previously mentioned, however, Maria seems to enjoy playing in the central/upstate New York State area, so I am sure that I will have yet another opportunity to see them again someday.

Evanescence - Synthesis [Review]

Synthesis (defined as the combination of ideas to form a theory or system) is Evanescence's fourth studio album (fifth if one counts Origin) and was announced by frontwoman Amy Lee earlier this year. Lee announced that the album would consist mostly of re-recorded versions of older songs now stripped back and infused with orchestra and synth. (Synth being heavily prominent on the album is partly why the album's title is quite clever.) The album features eleven re-recorded songs, three new instrumental pieces, and two new songs ("Hi-Lo" and "Imperfection"), opening with an instrumental piece referred to as the overture. The overture, driven by piano and strings, initially reminded me a lot of the introduction heard at the beginning of an early version of the band's song "Whisper" (a song that I actually wish had been reimagined on Synthesis) and sure enough, Lee confirmed that the overture intentionally features elements of "Whisper." The short overture (running at just under a minute long) moves smoothly into "Never Go Back," reimagined from the band's 2011 self-titled album. The Evanescence version is one of the heaviest songs that the band has done to date, but this one is stripped back and driven primarily by piano and strings. The original version features a hauntingly beautiful piano break approximately halfway through, but it is featured more prominently here, serving as the introduction to the song. When it returns where it originally was in the Evanescence version, it is played with strings instead of piano. Lee sings the song in a slightly gentler and lower register. My favorite part of the song is when thumping strings accentuate Lee's syllables during the second verse, but I, overall, prefer the original heavy version. The song was written about the earthquake and tsunami that hit and shook Japan in 2011, and I strongly believe that the weight of the original version better captures the nature of the disaster and the damage that it left in its wake.

The third track on the album is a "new" song titled "Hi-Lo." I was first made aware of the existence of this song years ago when Lee mentioned the title, saying that it was written for the self-titled album, even though it obviously did not make the final cut. The song is an electronic song featuring strings and piano as support, and the best part of the song is renowned violinist Lindsey Stirling being featured on violin during a dramatic instrumental break near the end of the song. "Hi-Lo" lyrically addresses a former lover or friend with whom she is no longer angry: "Oh, the damage was real, but nothing cut me so deep I could not heal." (Fans have speculated that the song is about ex-member and co-fouder Ben Moody, but this has not been officially substantiated.) The fourth track on Synthesis is a new rendition of "My Heart Is Broken," which was originally featured on the 2011 self-titled album. "My Heart Is Broken" has always been one of my favorite Evanescence songs, especially since it has personally helped me through some very difficult times, so I was pretty excited to hear the Synthesis version. While this is another song that I think sounds better backed by heavy guitar, I still very much appreciate the Synthesis version. The raw emotion is still there, and even though the beautiful piano accompaniment persistent throughout the original version is only featured minimally in this version fairly close to the end, it is played on the harp and is absolutely beautiful. I cried the first time that I heard it because of how beautiful that it sounds on the harp, and it is also beautiful because it is almost a dream realized for Amy Lee. She originally wanted to play the part on the harp on the Evanescence version but opted to play the piano instead because she still wasn't all that proficient on the harp. Although it still is not her playing it on the Synthesis version, it is the woman who taught her to play harp who is playing, and there is still a beauty to that.

"Lacrymosa" serves as the album's third single and is its fifth track, probably deliberately placed as the third song in a row that could easily be interpreted as a song about a failed relationship. ("My Heart Is Broken" was actually written in response to sex trafficking being on the rise, but it can easily be interpreted as being about having lost a loved one in some way in a more universal way.) The song, which was originally featured on the 2006 album The Open Door, was originally an epic metal piece that managed to successfully synthesize hard rock and classical music, as the song features elements of Mozart's Lacrymosa from his Requiem mass. This is yet another song of which I prefer the original version. I find the song to be much more dramatic backed by heavy guitar, and the killer guitar solo that screeches out of control near the end of the original version is noticeably absent. The Lacrymosa chorus of Mozart's is also much more prominent and easily heard on the original version. It is difficult to see the re-recordings of separate bodies of work independent of their original versions, and this is one that seems to be drastically lacking something. With that being said, near the end of the Synthesis version, Lee operatically sings in a hauntingly high register that sends chills down my spine, so this version of the song, a song which speaks of finding strength and independence at the end of a failed relationship, does have an evident strength. Following "Lacrymosa" is the new version of "The End of the Dream," a song that I might just prefer on Synthesis to the original version, which was found on the 2011 self-titled album. This new version is darker and sounds very eerie with its low electronic droning. The piano part in the original version is brought to the foreground and played on what sounds like a xylophone, and it's stunningly beautiful. My favorite part of this version is near the end when the chorus is broken by thumping strings and what sounds like a little bit of electric guitar. 

The seventh track on Synthesis is the first single released from the album, the new version of the band's first ever single, "Bring Me to Life" (which I reviewed here). We then move into a new instrumental interlude titled "Unraveling," a beautiful blend of piano and strings. I saw one fan say that they could hear elements of "Call Me When You're Sober" in this piece, but I honestly don't hear that; I do, however, definitely hear elements of "Bring Me to Life," which is why I find it interesting that this piece was originally meant to open the album, with the following track "Imaginary" being the first song heard. It, to me, makes sense to have this piece either before or after "Bring Me to Life" because of its obvious melodic allusions to it. The next two tracks on Synthesis are two revamped versions of older songs, revamped versions which I love. "Imaginary," originally from the 2003 major label debut album Fallen, reminds me a bit of demo versions that were recorded prior to Fallen. This new version is very electronic driven and very upbeat, and the coolest part of the song is, perhaps, when the instrumental break from the Fallen version, then played on electric guitar, is now played by horns. I felt absolutely floored when I first heard that part. "Secret Door," a lulling and beautiful song about the escapism that dreams can sometimes offer, was originally on the deluxe version of the band's 2011 self-titled album and then re-released on last year's Lost Whispers compilation of b-sides. "Secret Door" is probably the only song that has had something added to it on Synthesis rather than being stripped down. On Evanescence, the song featured only piano, strings, harp (the first ever Evanescence song to feature harp after Amy learned how to play), and a very light beat; on Synthesis, however, a stronger and much more prominent beat has been added, breathing new life into a beautiful song that has always been one of my favorite Evanescence songs.

"Lithium" is another song that has always been one of my favorite Evanescence songs of all time. The melody is gorgeous, and the raw emotion in the lyrics is evident, such as when Lee sings "Come to bed; don't make me sleep alone" and "Just didn't drink enough to say you love me." Featured originally on the 2006 album The Open Door, Lee seemed to be baring her soul much more transparently than she did on Fallen, as this was one of several songs on the album written about her ex-boyfriend Shaun Morgan, the frontman of Seether. I have always vehemently related to this song on a personal level, as the song is basically stating that she would rather feel melancholy than feel nothing at all. (As a side-note, the song's music video is more than likely my favorite music video of all time.) Heavy guitar has been removed from the Synthesis version, and harp has been added as well as what is probably a xylophone, as heard in "End of the Dream." As is the case with several other songs on the album such as "Bring Me to Life," Lee's vocals are a lot more raw and live-sounding than they are on the original version of the song. We then hear "Lost in Paradise" and "Your Star," which flow together with no gap. "Lost in Paradise" was originally featured on the self-titled album and was one of the softer songs on the album. The chiming probably played on a xylophone (although I could definitely be wrong about that) are heard once again, but as is the case with most of the new versions on Synthesis, it is stripped down and is even softer than the Evanescence version. The original version brings in electric guitar and a more prominent orchestra after the chorus is heard the first time, but that break on Synthesis brings in a much more intense orchestra than heard before in the song but no electric guitar. The Synthesis version is definitely beautiful and raw, but this is another song that I think sounds better as a rock song.

As previously mentioned, "Lost in Paradise" transitions smoothly with no gap into "Your Star," originally featured on The Open Door. Layered with piano, electric guitar, strings, and choir, it is a breathtaking song and definitely in my top five favorites. The Synthesis version is, of course, stripped back, relying more on synth than on guitar. The chillingly beautiful piano break heard about halfway through the original version is still present, but the choir that eventually joins it is much more subdued and nowhere near as prominent. I was so happy when I found out that "Your Star" was on the tracklisting, but it unfortunately is lacking something on here and is weakened. The fourteenth track might be the only track on Synthesis that feels unnecessary. Fans have heard multiple versions of the band's smash hit single "My Immortal." It was first recorded in a very raw and underdeveloped stage in 1998. (I love the lyrics that are in that version and later unfortunately removed.) It was then re-recorded and further developed for Origin and was then placed on Fallen only slightly changed. The song was then released as a single from Fallen, and the single version was a different recording with heavy guitar added near the end. "My Immortal" went on to become the band's best known single, being partially responsible for Fallen being certified 7x platinum in the United States. It is almost always included in setlists when the band goes on tour and was, of course, included on their live album Anywhere but Home. Including it on Synthesis consequently felt like beating a dead horse (if you'll pardon the crudity). Lee has even said that she has grown to hate the song, especially since the lyrics were written by Ben Moody, so I am thinking that she felt obligated to include it because of how popular that it is. It wouldn't be so bad if the Synthesis version were drastically different from what we have heard before, but it's really not. It's driven by strings and piano, just like we have almost always heard in the past. As I said, it feels unnecessary.

Synthesis ends with a new piano solo titled "The In-Between" which transitions into the album's second single, the new song "Imperfection" (which I reviewed here). "The In-Between" is, as just mentioned, a piano solo which features the piano melody from "Hello" drastically slowed down, so Lee playing the piano is the only sound that is heard up until the end when strings begin to transition into "Imperfection." The piece sounds very classical in nature and picks up in in intensity as it progresses. I find myself wondering if the title of the piece is intended to be a reference to a place between life and death, since the intended audience of "Imperfection" (which is, without a doubt, one of the most intense songs on the album) is those who suffer from mental illness and suicidal thoughts. I am overall pretty pleased with Synthesis, although there are definitely some things that I would have done differently. "Whisper," one of Evanescence's heaviest and most intense songs to date, seems to be sacrilegiously missing, and "My Immortal," as previously mentioned, seems to be wholly unnecessary. I also wish that another Evanescence song in my top five favorites, "Disappear," were on Synthesis because it features a beautiful piano part that I would love to hear more isolated. I have always felt like that song would sound great stripped back. I finally find myself wishing that the album went farther back in the Evanescence catalogue than just Fallen and had included some revamped songs from Origin. They re-recorded the Origin song "Even in Death" for the Lost Whispers compilation, so it doesn't seem like too ridiculous of a thought to me. It would have been a real treat to hear songs like "Where Will You Go?" or "Away from Me" on Synthesis, but at least we finally got a new Evanescence album after six years; beggars can't be choosers, I suppose. The rumor is that yet another Evanescence album featuring strictly new songs, apparently in the same vein as that of "Hi-Lo" and "Imperfection," is in the works and should be dropped next year (as in 2018). Here is to hoping for that!

Marilyn Manson - Heaven Upside Down [Review]

“I am not someone who is loved,” Jared Leto’s rendition of The Joker muses in the extended version of the 2016 DC film Suicide Squad. “I’m an idea, state of mind.” This is an outlook on one’s identity that is probably not too far removed from how Marilyn Manson (born Brian Hugh Warner) views himself (or at least how others view him), which seems to be evidenced on his latest album, Heaven Upside Down. The album was originally titled SAY10 and was slated for a Valentine's Day 2017 release, but due to mostly undisclosed reasons, the album was delayed to later in the year. (Manson has since said that he is grateful for the delay because the delay gave birth to songs that we previously would not have heard.) Heaven Upside Down is undeniably Manson's heaviest and most aggressive album in years (possibly even since 2003’s The Golden Age of Grotesque), and if it accomplishes anything wholeheartedly, it is that it serves as a stark and brutal (although probably pleasant to many fans) reminder that the self-proclaimed “God of Fuck” is still alive and well and doesn’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon. Highlights on Heaven Upside Down include "Tattooed in Reverse," the first single "WE KNOW WHERE YOU FUCKING LIVE," "KILL4ME," and "Blood Honey."

As I have seen other Marilyn Manson fans point out, there are several tracks on the album which seem to call back to earlier Manson albums, and I agree. The opening track, for example (titled "Revelation #12"), sounds almost like an outtake from the debut album, Portrait of an American Family. The song is one of the heaviest songs on the album, and while it is actually one of my least favorite songs on the album (primarily due to its stale repetition), it does invite listeners to share nostalgic memories of '90s Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. The second track on Heaven Upside Down is titled "Tattooed in Reverse" and is definitely, as previously mentioned, a highlight on the album. One reason why I love it so much is that it is sonically similar to sounds heard on Eat Me, Drink Me, my favorite Manson album to date. The track features a thumping and playful beat, reminding me strikingly of the Eat Me, Drink Me track "The Red Carpet Grave." What I also love about the song is that it features clever wordplay (something that he employed frequently on his last album, The Pale Emperor, another one of my favorites), such as when he asserts that he is "unstable" and "not a show horse."

The album's third track is its lead single, "WE KNOW WHERE YOU FUCKING LIVE." This song is sure to remind fans of older Manson albums such as Antichrist Superstar and/or Holy Wood (in the Shadow of the Valley of Death). The track abandons the playful cabaret sound of "Tattooed in Reverse," instead opting for a raw and straightforward heavy metal track. The song's music video depicts Manson portraying the leader of a cult of murderous nuns, and this idea of blindly following someone or something and consequently surrendering your sense of individuality is one that is prevalent on the album. "WE KNOW WHERE YOU FUCKING LIVE" definitely (at least in my humble opinion) features a political slant (to which Manson is no stranger), as it could easily be interpreted as being from the perspective of (a) government official(s) who is/are proudly exercising his/their power to tap into citizens' personal and private lives. (Big Brother, anyone?) Even if the song is not intended to be interpreted so literally, however, the theme of power (be it political, social, etc.) being abused by the song's speaker is there regardless.

"SAY10," as previously mentioned, was originally intended to be the title track, and it is actually the first song that was previewed. Nearly a year ago, Manson uploaded a music video that only previewed a snippet of the song; the gory video depicted Manson destroying a Christian Bible as a decapitated man resembling Donald Trump lie in a pool of blood on the floor. The full music video, which was released about a month ago, abandons that concept but still doesn't hold back on the gore, as Manson is seen gushing blood out of his throat during the video as a character played by Johnny Depp (longtime friend of Manson's) is seen alongside Manson and getting it on with young and attractive women. The song is heavy and reminds me of the Golden Age era, and it lyrically calls attention to the idea that one person's villain is another person's hero, which could be meant to clarify his stance on Satanism; while he believes in neither God nor Satan, Satan, like Manson himself, is often misunderstood as a figure of pure evil when the reality is that he was merely a rebel, unwilling to obey God's rules. (The song's title is an obvious play on Satan and is also probably meant to exemplify the fact that Heaven Upside Down is Manson's tenth studio album.)

While I don't intend to keep comparing the album's songs to older Marilyn Manson songs, "KILL4ME" is strikingly similar to "Third Day of a Seven Day Binge" from The Pale Emperor, even opening with a very similar bluesy rock beat. I can't help but associate this song with the character Kai Anderson on American Horror Story: Cult. Kai is basically a modern day Charles Manson (from whom Manson gets half of his stage name), a cult leader who manipulates people into brutally murdering people for political reasons. (The "WE KNOW WHERE YOU FUCKING LIVE" music video would have been a good concept for this song, as well.) The song is also probably intended to be a satirical commentary on all of the heat that Manson has taken over the years for supposedly being a negative influence on people, especially youth, and encouraging them to commit acts of violence. Manson's career, in fact, nearly came to a screeching halt when conservative fearmongers like Bill O'Reilly pointed blame at Manson for the Columbine massacre that occurred in 1999. Mainly because of its similarity to "Third Day of a Seven Day Binge" (which, in my opinion, is one of Manson's best songs in his entire catalogue) and because of its catchy hook, "KILL4ME" is my favorite song from Heaven Upside Down.

"Saturnalia" is honestly a low point on the album. It runs (probably unnecessarily, I might add) at eight minutes long and is one of the more subdued songs on the album, not really featuring a memorable hook like songs like "WE KNOW WHERE YOU FUCKING LIVE" and "KILL4ME" do. Although attempting to analyze this song's lyrics can be a challenge (as is often the case with Manson), lyrics like "I was invited to eat the young" and "I don't want to be another bullet hole in the exit sign on your road" seem to suggest that Manson might be pointing at a theme similar to that of "KILL4ME" - the unnerving fact that Manson has so often over the past two decades been used as a scapegoat by people who don't actually understand him. I have an older relative, for example, who once successfully convinced my mother when I was much younger to try to avoid allowing me to listen to Manson, citing reasons such as how Manson encourages listeners to murder their parents. It was immediately clear to me that he was acting on ignorance, as people who oppose Manson often do, as there is, to the best of my knowledge (and I am a pretty passionate fan), no Marilyn Manson song that encourages such a thing.

"JE$US CRI$I$" is a fun and upbeat song that pulls no punches. It violently introduces us to its hook, during which Manson declares that he "write[s] songs to fight and to fuck to. If you want to fight, then I'll fight you. If you want to fuck, I will fuck you." Manson could definitely be demonstrating a strong sense of self-awareness here, but is he? One reason why Marilyn Manson's songs tend to be somewhat difficult to interpret (aside from the fact, of course, that he often extensively employs esoteric knowledge of the Christian Bible, which, as his autobiography The Long Hard Road Out of Hell explains, is primarily because he attended Christian Bible school as a child) is that it's rarely clear whether or not Manson wants his words to be taken satirically or seriously. He has, for example, said in the past that he doesn't really understand why people are drawn to him sexually because he doesn't want to be attractive and even intentionally attempts to make himself look like a corpse. This shines an interesting light on these lyrics. My interpretation of the song is that Christianity is a manipulative (and maybe even financially driven, as the title of the song seems to suggest) power that is the root of many of our crises.

"Blood Honey" is another highlight on the album, serving as one of my favorites. Although undoubtedly still a hard rock song, "Blood Honey" is a slower song on the album, almost having a waltzy rhythm to it, and it may actually be one of Manson's most personally reflective songs to date. "I fuck every broken-crazy girl instead of hanging from the ceiling," he laments. As previously mentioned, I have read Manson's autobiography, so I know that he is no stranger to trauma, having been raped as a child by the very same person who also murdered his beloved dog. "I got some feelings, but I try to hide when I'm healing... so I keep my life a lie." This idea of keeping "my life a lie" is indicative of why, as previously mentioned, we are probably not intended to take everything that Manson says via his music at face value. How do we know, after all, that Brian Hugh Warner and Marilyn Manson are the exact same person? How much of Marilyn Manson is a persona? Celebrities are so often seen as archetypes or as characters rather than as human beings, and I think that Manson is well aware that this tends to be the case for him, which is why I made the comparison to The Joker calling himself a "state of mind."

The penultimate song on Heaven Upside Down is the album's title track, another song, like "KILL4ME," that has somewhat of a bluesy rock sound that sounds like it could belong on The Pale Emperor. Like many of the songs on the album, the song refers to realities being reversed and "upside down." Songs like "Tattooed in Reverse" and "Blood Honey" (which even features the lyric that "you only say that you want me when I'm upside down") feature this theme, and I even came to the realization that the unconventional way that the CD is packaged might have been a creative choice done to help promote one of the album's themes. Many people nowadays (if they buy it at all) buy music digitally, and the age of CDs seems to sadly be dying. (Be still, my poor CD player junkie heart.) I did, however, buy the CD and was almost immediately taken aback by how it was packaged. The front cover is very thin, featuring only two sides, and the booklet, which is made out of a thin, newspaper-like material, is underneath the disc. I have never before seen an album packaged in such a way and can't help but wonder if, as I said, it's meant to accentuate the album's theme of reality being "upside down."

The album's final track is titled "Threats of Romance." The introduction of the song features a slamming and heavily accentuated beat similar to that of "Tattooed in Reverse." It is, in fact, yet another one that reminds me of Eat Me, Drink Me. "Threats of Romance" is another song that could potentially be personal for Manson. It's no secret that Manson has been unlucky in love, moving from relationship to relationship, none of them lasting very long. "Things that are pretty are always kept behind glass," he sings in an almost mournful tone, "and someone like me... can't make it last." Manson, or at least the speaker of this song, seems to be blaming himself for failed relationships, reasoning that his need for chaos and disarray is what leads to his relationships ending. On his song "WOW," found on his 2009 album The High End of Low, Manson sings, "Did you stop and take a look at who you fell in love with?" which seems to parallel his feelings on "Threats of Romance." He continues, "My seed would have made good fruit, and you could have been a tree." Could it be that Manson regrets never having fathered any children? Manson's own father passed away this year, something that hit him very hard, so it could very well be that this is on his mind.

I am overall relatively pleased with Heaven Upside Down. It is most definitely not my favorite Marilyn Manson album to date (that, as previously mentioned, would be Eat Me, Drink Me, and it's going to take a lot for a future album to take that album's place), but it is also far from being my least favorite. (While it is difficult to pinpoint my least favorite Marilyn Manson album, Portrait of an American Family, The High End of Low, and Born Villain all come to mind as possible candidates.) The album features some low points such as "Revelation #12" but also features brilliant highlights such as "KILL4ME" and "Blood Honey." It is interesting how, via this album, Manson manages to continue implementing his modus operandi of using clever wordplay and biblical imagery while still capturing a somehow introspective and personal photograph of himself as a human being. This duality, this question of identity regarding where Brian Hugh Warner ends and where Marilyn Manson begins, if anywhere, perhaps at least partially begins to deconstruct the idea that Marilyn Manson is nothing more than an archetypal character, a "state of mind," that he is actually a human being who tends to be looked at "upside down."