Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar (1996)
Tracklist front / back album covers
Lyrics written by Marilyn Manson, except "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" written by Manson and Twiggy Ramirez.
Cycle I: The Heirophant
1. "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" 4:17
2. "The Beautiful People" 3:38
3. "Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World" 4:16
4. "Tourniquet" 4:29
Cycle II: Inauguration of the Worm
5. "Little Horn" 2:43
6. "Cryptorchid" 2:44
7. "Deformography" 4:31
8. "Wormboy" 3:56
9. "Mister Superstar" 5:04
10. "Angel with the Scabbed Wings" 3:52
11. "Kinderfeld" 4:51
Cycle III: Disintegrator Rising
12. "Antichrist Superstar" 5:14
13. "1996" 4:01
14. "Minute of Decay" 4:44
15. "The Reflecting God" 5:36
16. "Man That You Fear" 6:10
99. "Track 99" (hidden track) 1:39
Antichrist Superstar is the second studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson, released on October 8, 1996, by Nothing and Interscope Records. It was recorded at Nothing Studios in New Orleans and produced by the band's eponymous vocalist along with Sean Beavan, former Skinny Puppy producer Dave Ogilvie and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. The recording of the album was marred by excessive drug use, which provoked a high level of antagonism between band members. Consequently, it was their last release to feature contributions from founding guitarist Daisy Berkowitz, who acrimoniously quit partway through recording.
A rock opera and a concept album, Antichrist Superstar was the first installment in a trilogy which included succeeding releases Mechanical Animals (1998) and Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (2000). The central storyline on the album revolved around a supernatural being who seizes all power from humanity in order to initiate an apocalyptic end event; a populist demagogue who is driven solely by resentment, misanthropy and despair, he uses his newfound position to destroy the world. The record can be seen as a social critique, utilizing this premise as a metaphor for the perceived fascist elements of conservatism in the United States.
Preceded by "The Beautiful People", whose music video received three nominations at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, the album was both a critical and commercial success. Lorraine Ali of Rolling Stone credited Antichrist Superstar with ending the dominance of grunge within popular music. In the years since its release, various publications have listed it among the best albums of the 1990s. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, and has sold almost two million copies in the United States alone. As of 2011, worldwide album sales had surpassed over seven million copies.
