Marilyn Manson is back, trying to put his legal problems behind him, after having been accused in recent years of rape and sexual and psychological abuse by several women; among them, his ex-wife, actress Rachel Evan Wood, who is accused by Brian Warner of defamation. With other women, Manson has reached an out-of-court settlement, while other lawsuits have been dismissed.
Marilyn Manson’s return materializes with the release of a new single, ‘As Sick as the Secrets Within’, and with the start of a Marilyn Manson tour in the United States and Canada.
‘As Sick as the Secrets Within’ is a classic Marilyn Manson ballad. Although the melody and the softness of the arrangements refer to the work of ‘Mechanical Animals’ (1998), the lyrics take us back to the imagery of ‘Antichrist Superstar’ (1996) with its references to “communion”, to “worms of flesh”, to the “bones” of a “body” or to a “cage” in which Manson and his lover find themselves “trapped”.
Marilyn Manson’s intention to recapture the visual aesthetic of ‘Antichrist Superstar’ is evident in the video for ‘As Sick As The Secrets Within’, which seeks an openly dark and grotesque element that brings to mind the clip for ‘Tourniquet’. It is directed by his regular collaborator, Bill Yukich, by the way, also known for his work on the visuals for Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’.
It is not known whether ‘As Sick As The Secrets Within’ represents a new full-length project from Marilyn Manson. His last work, ‘We Are Chaos’, was released four years ago.
