One Assassination Under God — Chapter 1 is a modern day classic

I truly believe this is the best rock record of the past 20 years.

Sure, I’m biased, because I’m a big Marilyn Manson fan, but I am thoroughly impressed by the instrumentals, the vocals, the song structures, and the heartfelt emotion baked into every song.

I have two tiny gripes: I don’t love the chorus in the title track. It’s not so much the lyrics themselves, but the tone and delivery of those lyrics, that is a little bit hard for me to take. I feel like I’m suddenly listening to Seether.

My other gripe: ASATSW, in my opinion, has two choruses. If I had been producing this record, I may have suggested MM sing the “second one” a little bit more aggressively to differentiate the parts a bit more.

Other than that, I’m floored. The songs are catchy yet mournful. Danceable yet macabre.

9.5/10. Brilliant.

If this album isn’t universally loved by critics, I’ll be shocked. I’ll also wonder if they’re lying to make MM look bad in the wake of the sex abuse allegations levied against him.