Marilyn Manson 2003 The Golden Age Of Grotesque shirt

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“The Golden Age of Grotesque” is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Marilyn Manson, released in 2003. This album marks the first time former KMFDM member Tim Sköld participated in the group, joining after longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez amicably left over creative differences. It was also the final studio album to feature keyboardist Madonna Wayne Gacy and guitarist John 5, who both quit due to disagreements before the release of the band’s next studio album​.

The record was produced by Marilyn Manson and Sköld, with co-production from Ben Grosse. Musically, it moved away from the metallic sound of the band’s earlier work and instead embraced more electronic and beat-driven music. This shift was intended to avoid creating music similar to nu metal, a predominant genre of hard rock at the time, which the vocalist considered cliché. In association with the album, Manson collaborated with artist Gottfried Helnwein to create several projects. These included “Doppelherz,” a 25-minute surrealist short film included as a bonus DVD in limited edition units of the record. “The Golden Age of Grotesque” was also the title of Manson’s first art exhibition​.

The album’s lyrical content is relatively straightforward and was inspired by the swing, burlesque, cabaret, and vaudeville movements of Germany’s Weimar Republic era, specifically 1920s Berlin. In an extended metaphor, Manson compares his work to the “Entartete Kunst” (degenerate art) banned by the Nazi regime as he attempts to examine the mindset of lunatics and children during times of crisis. Several songs incorporate elements commonly found in playground chants and nursery rhymes. “Mobscene” and “This Is the New Shit” were released as singles, and a controversial music video was made for “Saint”​.

The record received mixed reviews from mainstream music critics, some praising its concept and production, while others criticized its lyrics and described the album as uneven. Despite this, it was a commercial success, selling over 400,000 copies in Europe in its first week, debuting at number one on Billboard’s European Top 100 Albums. It also topped various national record charts, including Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the US Billboard 200. It was certified gold in many of these territories. “Mobscene” was nominated in the Best Metal Performance category at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards in 2004.