Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2012

A fellow music fan recently put on a dead heavy recording of a metal band’s concert and asked me to identify it. Slayer? Pantera? Nope. It was Marilyn Manson, which, when you look behind the theatrics turns out to be one of the heaviest touring bands around. With Born Villain due out this year, Manson is again on the warpath. The album is being touted as its hardest since Mechanical Animals and a disturbing video teaser—a macabre short film directed by actor Shia LaBeouf—is already spooking and titillating visitors to the band’s website.

Studio Coast, Mar 9-10 (listing).