Marilyn Manson - Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
Nothing / Interscope Records
Alternative Metal with Industrial influences
19 songs (1:08:07)
Release year: 2000
Marilyn Manson
Reviewed by Khelek
Archive review

I was never really a Marilyn Manson fan before I heard this album. Before this I had heard what was on the radio, and while I didn't find it completely boring, it wasn't all that interesting either. Now this was of course back in my high school days before I really had much experience in finding good music, and somewhere I learned that this album was hated by the Christian community. As the rebellious youth I was, I thought to myself: if they hate it so much it must have some redeeming qualities. So, hesitantly, I ordered it. The album cover is a bit grotesque and nightmarish, showing a distorted picture of Manson as if he's rotting on a cross. Cute. The sound of the album however, was not exactly what I expected.

The first two tracks on the album, the creepy intro Godeatgod and then the stomping The Love Song, did not catch my attention on my first few listens. While it does have some heavy guitar work and a slightly memorable chorus, it is The Fight Song that steals the show. This song basically became the anthem of angry high-schoolers in the early 2000s, likewise for Disposable Teens. Manson uses a few different vocals styles, ranging from his typical rough "singing" and some higher pitched wails and yells. But the really interesting stuff here is the music. The guitar riffs are chunky and down to earth, but combined with industrial metal rhythms and electronic arrangements they create infectiously catchy songs. The band would later attempt to perfect this more industrial style in his next album, with debatable success. Target Audience did not really catch my attention either. It starts off too slow and the verse simply drags the song down with the chorus being the only somewhat exciting part. President Dead however might be my favorite song from the album. It starts out with energetic drums and a great bassline (sounds like it's influenced by early Stone Temple Pilots, but that could just be me). It's a catchy song with memorable riffs and lyrics, not to mention the excellent guitar work. In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death is a much better slow song; an acoustic ballad that uses cold, minor guitar chords and synthesizers to create a real atmosphere. It was only after I heard Mechanical Animals that I realized in some ways it simply sounds like a rehash of The Last Day On Earth. Cruci-Fiction In Space is another excellent industrial slab with catchy, heavy guitars and memorable lyrics. I think Manson's voice really fits the sound here. I also like the use of the female vocals on the bridge, unlike some songs where he uses that effect; it really adds depth to the song here by providing a contrast to Manson's lower pitch singing. Plus the melodies in this song, while being dark and foreboding, flow together quite well. A Place In The Dirt is a song that also builds tension nicely and really delivers a memorable chorus, although it is quite a short song. The Nobodies starts out interesting again with the organ-ish sounding synthesizer and an industrial vibe once again. The electric guitars come in powerfully in the chorus, although the song can get a bit repetitive. After the first verse and chorus, you've heard just about everything this song is going to do.

The only problems I see with this album are 1) it's too long and 2) there is too much filler. 19 tracks is simply too much to take in of this type of music for me, so what happened is that I would put the album on, get to Cruci-Fiction or A Place In The Dirt and not go any further. Because of that I at first missed out on good songs like Coma Black and The Death Song. Overall though, I think the song quality does drop off about halfway through the album. It's still a decent record, and one that I still come back to even after 8 years or so, albeit there are only 5 or 6 songs that I listen to. Of course it still holds a special place for me as an album that introduced me to the different world of alternative/industrial metal and showed me that Manson and his band were not necessarily the posers everyone made them out to be.

Killing Songs :
The Fight Song, President Dead, Cruci-Fiction In Space, The Death Song, Coma Black
Khelek quoted 79 / 100
Other albums by Marilyn Manson that we have reviewed:
Marilyn Manson - The High End Of Low reviewed by Khelek and quoted 63 / 100
Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals reviewed by Khelek and quoted 89 / 100
Marilyn Manson - The Golden Age of Grotesque reviewed by Jay and quoted 57 / 100
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