Marilyn Manson

Described by Manson as the by-product of a relationship gone horribly wrong (the dissolution of his marriage to burlesque performer Dita von Teese), Eat Me Drink Me was allegedly written during one night of bitter torment. After hearing the overwrought sonic results of his inner upheaval however, one is left curious as to whether we should thank him for warning us about what might occur or slap him senseless for rushing. While the ideas and intentions for great songs are recognizable, as presented they are barely formed and juvenile. One isn’t left hurting for Manson’s heart as deeply as for his misjudgement. Almost all of the 11 tracks are elongated, plodding pieces that say little other than "I’m hurting” in the most confused, down tempo manner. The album is by far his dreariest melancholy work to date, revealing nothing but dry bouts of gothic emotion that stretch out to ridiculous lengths given their simplicity and relatively uninteresting traits. Titles such as opener "If I Was Your Vampire,” "The Red Carpet Grave” and "They Said That Hell’s Not Hot” sound far more cryptic than they actually are. In the end, Eat Me Drink Me is a spoiled feast, as deflating as it is outright boring. There’s something to be said for creativity in the shadow of turmoil but Manson should have waited until his self-pity turned into rage.