Returning to the scene after a lengthy absence -- during which time the shock rocker began to see some of the consequences of numerous assault accusations --
Marilyn Manson
barreled headlong on the "innocent until proven guilty" route, lashing out at detractors and critics with his 12th studio album,
One Assassination Under God: Chapter 1
. Objectively,
One Assassination
is another strong late-era set that's packed with dramatic industrial-lite statements and rollicking spook-show anthems, where
Manson
's twisted wordplay, (no-longer-that-shocking) religious imagery, and cartoonish cult-master antics intersect. Tracks such as the bouncy pop-metal "Sacrilegious" and the rabid "Nod If You Understand" are as catchy as any of his turn-of-Y2K-era hits, merging the glam sheen of
Mechanical Animals
, the caustic fury of
Antichrist Superstar
, and the cinematic scope of
Holy Wood
. ~ Neil Z. Yeung