#18 History Of Rock Music: MARILYN MANSON: THE DEVIL ON THE LOOKOUT.
Reverend Manson has achieved something not seen in the rock world since the best 80's, scandalizing a large part of the public and conquering a loyal following at the same time, becoming the direct heir of so many famous transgressors who gave birth to the scene during the two decades that preceded him. Rock had long ceased to be dangerous and socially contemptible. Grunge had produced a generation of disillusioned but meek kids, it was necessary for someone to raise blisters and put his finger on the sore spot again, and although there were wild and provocative bands in the underground, it was necessary for one to consolidate itself as a new metal bastion.
El Reverendo Manson ha conseguido algo que no se veía en el mundo del rock desde los mejores 80, escandalizar a gran parte del publico y conquistar a un fiel sequito de seguidores al mismo tiempo, convirtiéndose en el heredero directo de tantos celebres transgresores que pariera la escena durante las dos décadas que le preceden. Hacia tiempo que el rock había dejado de ser peligroso y socialmente desdeñable. El grunge había dado una generación de chicos desengañados pero mansos, se necesitaba que alguien levantara ampollas y pusiera de nuevo el dedo en la llaga, y aunque había bandas salvajes y provocativas en el underground, era necesario que alguna se consolidara como un nuevo bastion metalico.
And that role was reserved for Marilyn Manson. From their tenderest beginnings the band, and especially their ambiguous leader, carried provocation as a flag. They were a combo of freaks, of shocking aesthetics that horrified mothers, who were willing to uncover all the deplorable customs and hypocritical American morals. On the other hand, they were also a clear product of that same corrupt society. Musically, they had owed to the most experimental and raucous currents of the 90's among many other things, and the most corrosive and unhinged industrial rock loaded with a multitude of nuances was their sonorous choice.
Y ese papel estaba reservado para Marilyn Manson. Desde sus mas tiernos comienzos la banda, y en especial su ambiguo líder, llevaba la provocación por bandera. Eran un combo de freaks, de impactante estética de esa que horroriza a las madres, que estaban dispuestos a destapar todas las deplorables costumbres e hipócrita moral americana. Por otra parte también eran un claro producto de esa misma sociedad corrompida. En lo musical habían debido de las corrientes mas experimentales y rayantes de los 90 entre otras muchas cosas, y el rock industrial mas corrosivo y desquiciado cargado de multitud de matices fue su elección sonora.
“Portrait Of An American Family” caught the attention of a few and Manson and his band became one of rock's most promising up-and-comers. Although “Smell Like Children” was not an easily digestible album for most, his time was about to come, in 1996 and sponsored by Trent Reznor (NIN), WITH “Antichrist Superstar”, a dart of raw and heartbreaking sound, a prophetic, shocking and key work for the rock of the 90s, heavily influenced by the philosophy of Nietzsche and later revealed as the end of a trilogy -the story of Adam Kadmon- which however was released in reverse order.
“Portrait Of An American Family” llamo la atención de unos pocos y Manson y los suyos se convirtieron en una mas de las grandes promesas del rock. Aunque “Smell Like Children” no fue un disco fácilmente digerible para la mayoría, su hora estaba a punto de llegar, en 1996 y apadrinado por Trent Reznor (NIN), CON “Antichrist Superstar”, un dardo de sonido crudo y desgarrador, una obra profetica, impactante y clave para el rock de los 90, muy influenciada por la filosofía de Nietzsche y posteriormente revelada como el final de una trilogía –la historia de Adam Kadmon- que sin embargo fue publicada en orden inverso.
The antichrist had become flesh, and the success was assured both by the strictly musical way, because that album was a winning card at any table, and in the wildest and most direct field of a full-fledged attack against everything established. Manson was a character of enormous attraction or repugnant according to the eyes of those who looked at him. America shuddered with his slogans, with his screams, with the bile that his dark soul spat out. His shows became dangerous rituals against the Church and the USA, Bibles were burned, the Stars and Stripes trampled in a spectacle of unparalleled violence and sex. The American censorship machine was in place to protect its youth, but there was no turning back. If Marilyn Monroe was an American emblem, Manson shattered her sweetness and took her more recondite and savage facet, fusing it with an icon of America's dirty underbelly, the psychopath Charles Manson. The bastard son of that singular couple had the world at his feet.
El anticristo se había hecho carne, y el éxito estaba asegurado tanto por la via estrictamente musical, pues aquel álbum era una baza ganadora en cualquier mesa, como en el terreno mas salvaje y directo de un ataque en toda regla contra todo lo establecido. Manson en un personaje de enorme atractivo o repugnante según los ojos de quien le miraban. America se estremecía con sus consignas, con sus gritos, con la bilis que escupía su alma oscura. Sus shows se convirtieron en peligrosos rituales contra la Iglesia y los EEUU, las Biblias eran quemadas, las barras y estrellas pisoteadas en un espectáculo de violencia y sexo sin igual. La maquinaria censora estadounidense estaba en marcha para proteger a su juventud, pero ya no había vuelta atrás. Si Marilyn Monroe era un emblema americano, Manson destrozo su dulzura y tomo su faceta mas recóndita y salvaje, fusionándola con un icono de las sucias entrañas americanas, el psicópata Charles Manson. El hijo bastardo de esa singular pareja tenia el mundo a sus pies.
“The Beautiful People” was the passport to the domain of radios and televisions through which to touch with his clairvoyance the weak minds of the whole planet, a song with an infallible potential and a video clip that only by means of the cathodic waves turned the crucifixes of churches and walls upside down. The album was a best seller, and the image of Manson and his band traveled around the globe, adding more followers to their cause, surrendered to the power of the new metal messiah. His visit to Spain was apocalyptic, the devil himself stepped on the bull skin. His wanderings and as always happens in these cases, the most unsuspected rumors about his person, circulated through the media and monopolized the word of mouth.
“The Beautiful People” fue el pasaporte al dominio de radios y televisiones por las que tocar con su clarividencia las mentes débiles de todo el planeta, una canción con un potencial infalible y un videoclip que solo mediante las ondas catódicas daba la vuelta a los crucifijos de iglesias y paredes. El disco fue todo un superventas, y la imagen de Manson y su banda recorrió todo el globo, añadiendo mas adeptos a su causa, rendidos ante el poder del nuevo mesias del metal. Su paso por España fue apocalíptico, el mismísimo diablo pisaba la piel de toro. Sus andazas y como siempre ocurre en estos casos, los mas insospechados rumores acerca de su persona, circulaban por los medios y acaparaban el boca a boca.
A star was born and there are opinions for all tastes. For some, Manson became a caricature of himself, transforming himself into a show business product whose provocation was nothing more than a simulated attitude, more interpreted than anything else. But he was already among the greats, and no one was going to stop him, whatever his intentions, he even argued with his mentor Trent Reznor, with whom he would not reconcile until 2000. “Mechanical Animals” gave a new direction to his career, with the FM's already surrendered to his reign. She transformed herself into an even more androgynous and glammie being, Omega, with red hair and fake breasts over a livid, almost extraterrestrial skin.
Había nacido una estrella y hay opiniones para todos los gustos. Para algunos Manson se convirtió en una caricatura de si mismo transformándose en un producto del show business cuya provocación no era mas que una simulada actitud, mas interpretada que otra cosa. Pero ya estaba entre los grandes, y nadie le iba a parar los pies, fueran cual fueran sus intenciones, incluso discutió con su mentor Trent Reznor, con el que no se reconciliaría hasta el año 2000. “Mechanical Animals” le dio un nuevo rumbo a su carrera, con las FM’s ya rendidas a su reinado. Se transformo en un ser aun mas andrógino y glammie, Omega, con cabello rojo y pechos postizos sobre una lívida piel casi extraterrestre.
The LP, less aggressive than its predecessor, was another commercial success thanks to video clips in her more transgressive line, like “The Dope Show” or the explicit “I Don't Like The Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me)” (does it need translation?). Her status, that of an authentic rockstar, and her integration in the vicious circle of the industry made her partially lose her identity. But she still caused chaos wherever she went. In fact, she has recently added to her list of pending causes with the justice and the Yankee morality the accusation of sexual assault by one of the security guards of one of her shows (?).
El LP, menos agresivo que su predecesor, fue otro éxito comercial gracias a videoclips en su línea mas transgresora, como “The Dope Show” o la explicita “I Don’t Like The Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me)” (¿necesita traducción?). su estatus , el de una autentica rockstar, y su integración en el vicioso circulo de la industria es cierto que le hicieron perder parcialmente su identidad. Pero seguía provocando el caos allí por donde pasaba. De hecho recientemente ha sumado a su lista de causas pendientes con la justicia y la moral yanqui la acusación de agresión sexual por parte de uno de los vigilantes de seguridad de uno de sus shows (¿?).
“Holy Wood” has closed the trilogy, returning again to the rage lost in his previous work although without the millionaire sales added by his two previous works, and it is that the Reverend has been made a fierce counter-publicity from the competent organisms of his country. Even so, Marilyn Manson is a star with hardly any rivals in today's rock world. Who will put barriers to this guy, if ever, we can not know, the rock world is as changeable as life itself, but for now, the traveling circus of Brian Warner seems to have no intention of stopping his journey, and is, today, one of the top attractions of heavy metal. We anxiously await his next release, “The Golden Age Of The Grotesque”, due very soon.
“Holy Wood” ha cerrado la trilogía, volviendo de nuevo a la rabia perdida en su anterior trabajo aunque sin las ventas millonarias sumadas por sus dos obras previas, y es que al Reverendo se le ha hecho una feroz contra publicidad desde los organismos competentes de su país. Aun asi Marilyn Manson es una estrella sin apenas rivales en el mundo del rock actual. Quien le pondrá barreras a este tipo, si es que alguna vez se las ponen, no podemos saberlo, el mundo del rock es tan cambiante como la vida misma, pero por ahora, el circo ambulante de Brian Warner no parece tener intenciones de parar su viaje, y es, hoy por hoy, una de las máximas atracciones del heavy metal. Ansiosos esperamos su próximo parto, “The Golden Age Of The Grotesque”, previsto muy pronto.
