Marilyn Manson

So, the once "god of fuck" continues his decent to "idol of suck." The return of original bassist/freak brethren Twiggy Ramirez is simply a distraction tactic. It's no surprise Manson's most vital work is behind him — all that irreverent rage has got to weigh a ton on a slowly weakening, middle-aged spine. 2007's Eat Me, Drink Me was embarrassingly pop-centric in places and, more troubling for the man who built half of his rep on being the "smart" shock rocker, lyrically lackadaisical — a portent of diminishing returns to come. The High End of Low might as well be a Brian Warner solo album; the man behind the band has reduced his thesis on pop culture demonology to a simpering caricature of the iconic character he birthed. However, as much as Manson doesn't deliver, it is Chris Vrenna's complete lack of guitar hooks or songwriting chops that mires this glossy gruel in the low end of mediocre.