Marilyn Manson

This bootleg of Marilyn Manson will please more than one fan of the early LPs of the band. Far from what has become of the music of Mr. Manson and his group, The 5000 Fingers of Marilyn Manson (a name beautifully chosen, wisely inspired from the cult movie The 5000 Fingers of Dr T.) remains close to the spirit of their best album: Portrait of an American Family. And that for a very good reason: The first part of this collection gathers songs from two early demo tapes done by MM and the Spooky Kids. Of course the sound quality is not so good, but that is the price to pay if you want to ever listen to songs such as "Suicide Snowman," "Let Your Ego Die," and "Thingmaker." The interest of those recordings not only lies in the previously unreleased songs but also in the versions of the tracks, dating from before Manson ever worked with Reznor. For one thing, the references to Charles Manson are legion. And the music is less sophisticated, for the better -- and not for worse! The live material from Toronto is not as enjoyable as the first part of the CD. Except for extending the length of the record, it has no real purpose. ~ Romain Guillou, All Music Guide