First, you ought to know that I an atheist, so take that into consideration (although, you'd wonder why I am so tolerant when all my Christian friends tell me I am going to hell.....). This album rocks, and is by far Manson's best. Antichrist Superstar was okay, but he COULD NOT SING AT ALL. He sounded like he had a frog (or five) in his throut, and he was always either whispering or screaming. Now, however, he is a stunning musician. Sure he is depressing, but does everything have to be happy? Get Barney's Sing-Along if you want that. Also, to me, it seems like the message he is trying to get across is that the general public is that we are not thinking for ourselves, and that we simply go from one fad to another like lemmings. Isn't that what all you nay-sayers are saying about teenagers in the first place? Hmmmmm.... Any way, he is also saying that we should start being more caring about one another, as he says in Great Big White World, "We used to love ourselves, we used to love one another," and later in the song, he is saying that since we are all so desensitized, he has become unattatched from society and it's refusal to try and be peaceful, and to advance, "I'm not attatched to your world, nothing heals, nothing grows." Also, keep in mind that he is playing a character called Omega, a totally featurless and objective being from the future looking at us and our follies. Wow, "satan" is pretty depp, huh?

In my opion, This is one of the best cds I have ever had. There is a something for everyone in this. There are tecno, hard rock, and some depressing songs that make you think about life. I would encourge anyone thinking about buying anything by Marilyn Manson, to get this cd.

I loved the bagpipes solo in track 3. The tin whistle section was also a highlight. The classical piano overtones in the title track were very imaginatly presented, espiacially in the concerto section were the conducter of Manson's orchestra double the tempo of the operatic section. The opera vocalists in this album are certainly the breaking point of this of his panflute skills. This album is a very happy sounding album. It is very merry.

I have to say that Antichrist Superstar was a very appealing showcase of just how ugly a person can make themselves and still be beautiful. To paraphrase a bit, it seems Brian Werner came up from Hell, plucked his eyebrows on the way grew some boobs and then he was David Bowie - with boobs. I know that the second Bowie saw that costume he probably hit himself in the head with a copy of NEVER LET ME DOWN several times and screamed, "Why in Bloody Hell didn't I think of that when I was posing for the inside cover of ALADDIN SANE????"

I have decided that MECHANICAL ANIMALS is sort of a joke that Brian is playing on us. It's a tribute album of sorts. It's a jigsaw puzzle of David Bowie and Iggy Pop and a few others...Mainly Bowie. DOPE SHOW? It's a knock of perfume version of the Iggy stomper NIGHT CLUBBING. THE SPEED OF PAIN has the under tones of a Pink Floyd tune until you get to that taffy pull with the flute, then we are talking WIDTH OF A CIRCLE for sure...ROCK IS DEAD? Tastes like a compote of JEAN GENIE and CRACKED ACTOR. I DON'T LIKE THE DRUGS??? I can't be the only person out there that hears FAME getting funky loose on the guitar in that one. I WANT TO DISAPPEAR is a concoction with SUFFRAGETTE CITY as an ingredient. NEW MODEL? I think Ric Ocasek has been here.

MM borrowed visually and melodically from the Master of Borrowing, and that's OK. What he was unable to recreate was the atmosphere of the early Bowie units. Good Bowie has an unsettling quality to it. Mechanical Animals is much easier to listen to right off the bat than most classic Bowie. I like this MM offering. I figure if Bowie isn't going to be Bowie, some one has to be...

This album kinda had me worried when I borrowed it off a friend to have a listen before i bought it. There was a strange mix of bowie-style sounds, hard rock, and some old-fashioned depressing tunes. I gotta say, i didn't like what i heard. However, being a Manson fan, i still bought the album anyway. Now, a almost a year on, it remains one of my favourite albums of all time.

If you're new to Marilyn Manson, a tatster of his music, this album IS NOT for you. get Antichrist Superstar, or, even better, Holywood [*****]. But, if you like Bowie, if you're a Manson fan, or if you're a fan of strange music, get it now.