The Golden Age of Grotesque is the fifth full length album by Marilyn Manson released in 2003. It incorporates themes from the glamorous Swing era of the thirties, as well as from the Weimar Republic of pre-Nazi Germany. It was the last Marilyn Manson album with guitarist John 5.
These themes were primarily drawn from Mel Gordon's 2000 book Voluptuous Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin. Concerned that Gordon might take issue with use of the...
more
The Golden Age of Grotesque is the fifth full length album by Marilyn Manson released in 2003. It incorporates themes from the glamorous Swing era of the thirties, as well as from the Weimar Republic of pre-Nazi Germany. It was the last Marilyn Manson album with guitarist John 5.
These themes were primarily drawn from Mel Gordon's 2000 book Voluptuous Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin. Concerned that Gordon might take issue with use of the book's material, Manson called Gordon, who said he couldn't imagine a greater compliment than a popular CD based on an academic book. The album artwork is also influenced by the illustrations found in Voluptuous Panic.
The album met with modest commercial success. It debuted at #1 in the United States, selling over 120,000 copies in the first week, but was the lowest selling #1 album of the year. As of November 2008, the album has sold 526,000 copies in the United States. The album drew a mixed critical response. Although ending up in many...
less