Marilyn Manson: New album is “a study of the chamber of horrors in my head”

Marilyn Manson (Image credit: Kevin Winter - Getty)

Marilyn Manson has spoken about the ideas behind his highly anticipated new studio album.

The follow-up to 2017’s Heaven Upside Down is expected to be released before the end of the year and sees Manson once again team up with Shooter Jennings, with whom Manson collaborated on a David Bowie cover in 2016.

Asked by Revolver if he had a name for the record yet, Manson responds: “It's still to be determined, but I think it’s the album that should be called Marilyn Manson."

He explains: “I’m in a mode in life where I wanted to tell stories with this record, and it's sort of like a wax museum of my thoughts, a study of the chamber of horrors in my head. All the romance and hope you can have in the world, here in the End Times where it can be a different kind of apocalypse for each person listening to the record. 

“I tried to paint it with words, and Shooter with sounds, so you can see and hear all of your longing, your passion and despair. 

"That's sort of a dramatic explanation of it! But it is full of drama. I wouldn't compare it to any of my other records, but you hear a bit of everything. It’s like I've focused everything into one spot, finally.”

Last month, Manson welcomed drummer Brandon Pertzborn into his band following the departure of Gil Sharone in March. And, asked about who is joining him and Jennings on the record, Manson says: “My guitar player, Paul Wiley, is also working on some stuff for it, as well. 

“I have a new drummer in my band, Brandon Pertzborn, so he'll probably be playing on the record. And Jamie Douglass, Shooter's drummer, he's also played on some stuff. 

“Shooter and I also did a cover of The End by the Doors, for a new mini-series of The Stand by Stephen King, which I'm also going to be acting in. I think that sort of kick-started our process for the album, and started us exploring different things.”

Manson and Rob Zombie will kick off The Twins Of Evil: Hell Never Dies Tour in Baltimore later tonight (July 9), while it was also recently revealed that Manson would star alongside Sharon Stone in new HBO series The New Pope.

Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson 2019 tour dates
Jul 09: Baltimore Royal Farms Arena, MD
Jul 10: Allentown PPL Center, PA
Jul 12: Huntington Big Sandy Superstore Arena, WV
Jul 13: Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center, OH
Jul 14: Evansville Ford Center, IN
Jul 16: Rockford BMO Harris Bank Center, IL
Jul 17: Bonner Springs Providence Medical Center Amphitheater, KS
Jul 21: Council Bluffs WestFair Amphitheatre, IA
Jul 23: Sioux Falls Denny Sanford Premier Center, SD
Jul 24: Bismarck Event Center, ND
Jul 25: Billings Rimrock Auto Arena, MT
Aug 04: Vancouver Rogers Arena, BC
Aug 06: Saskatoon SaskTel Center, SK
Aug 07: Winnipeg Bell MTS Place, MB
Aug 09: Fargo Fargodome, ND
Aug 10: Cedar Rapids US Cellular Center, IA
Aug 11: Fort Wayne Allen County Coliseum, IN
Aug 13: Grand Rapids Van Andel Arena, MI
Aug 14: London Budweiser Gardens, ON
Aug 16: Ottawa Richcraft Live at Canadian Tire Centre, ON
Aug 17: Quebec Videotron Centre, QC
Aug 18: Gilford Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, NH

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.