Album
The Golden Age of Grotesque
The Golden Age of Grotesque is the fifth studio album by Marilyn Manson, released in May 2003 on Interscope Records. It was the first to feature Tim Sköld, formerly of KMFDM, who arrived after bassist Twiggy Ramirez left on amicable terms. It was also the last studio record with keyboardist Madonna Wayne Gacy and guitarist John 5.
The sound is less metallic than before, leaning towards electronics and beats, a deliberate step away from the hip-hop-tinged nu metal that Manson found cliché. The lyrics draw on the cabaret, burlesque and vaudeville world of 1920s Berlin, with nursery-rhyme and playground-chant touches. Limited editions came with Doppelherz, a short surrealist film made with artist Gottfried Helnwein. Reviews were mixed, but it topped the US Billboard 200, and "Mobscene" earned a Grammy nomination.
The Golden Age of Grotesque: tracklist, credits and charts
16 tracks · 1:01:13Tracklist
- 1ThaeterGacy, Manson, Skold1:14
- 2This Is the New Shit5, Manson, Skold4:20
- 3mOBSCENEJohn 5 and Marilyn Manson3:26
- 4Doll-Dagga Buzz-Buzz Ziggety-Zag5, Manson, Skold4:11
- 5Use Your Fist and Not Your MouthJohn 5 and Marilyn Manson3:35
- 6The Golden Age of GrotesqueJohn 5 and Marilyn Manson4:05
- 7(s)AINT5, Manson, Skold3:42
- 8Ka-Boom Ka-Boom5, Skold, Manson4:03
- 9SlutgardenJohn 5 and Marilyn Manson4:07
- 10♠John 5 and Marilyn Manson4:35
- 11Para-noirGacy, 5, Manson, Skold6:01
- 12The Bright Young ThingsJohn 5 and Marilyn Manson4:19
- 13Better of Two EvilsGacy, 5, Manson, Skold3:48
- 14Vodevil5, Skold, Manson4:40
- 15Obsequey (The Death of Art)Marilyn Manson and Skold1:48
- 16Tainted LoveEd Cobb3:20
- Produced by
- Ben Grosse, Marilyn Manson, Skold, Ben Grosse, Tim Sköld
- Recorded at
- Doppelherz Blood Treatment Facility, Los Angeles, Ocean Way, Hollywood, The Mix Room, Burbank
- Recorded
- 2002–2003
- Mixed by
- Ben Grosse
- Engineered by
- Marilyn Manson, Skold, Ben Grosse
- Labels
- Interscope Records, Nothing, Interscope
- Length
- 1:01:13
Line-up
- Marilyn Manson · vocals
Singles
- “Mobscene” · 22 April 2003
- “This Is the New Shit” · 1 September 2003
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 2003 | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart · 2003 | 4 |
| Australian Heavy Rock & Metal Albums (ARIA) · 2003 | 1 |
| Austrian Albums · 2003 | 1 |
| Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 2003 | 1 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) · 2003 | 1 |
| European Albums (Billboard) · 2003 | 1 |
| German Albums · 2003 | 1 |
| Italian Albums · 2003 | 1 |
| Swiss Albums · 2003 | 1 |
All 28 charts
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 2003 | 1 |
| French Albums · 2003 | 2 |
| Belgian Albums (Flanders) · 2003 | 4 |
| Norwegian Albums · 2003 | 4 |
| Portuguese Albums · 2003 | 4 |
| Scottish Albums · 2003 | 4 |
| Swedish Albums · 2003 | 4 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 2003 | 5 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 2003 | 5 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) · 2003 | 5 |
| Danish Albums · 2003 | 6 |
| Greek Albums · 2003 | 6 |
| Irish Albums · 2003 | 7 |
| Finnish Albums · 2003 | 8 |
| Dutch Albums · 2003 | 14 |
| New Zealand Albums · 2003 | 16 |
| Polish Albums · 2003 | 18 |
| Hungarian Albums · 2003 | 28 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia · 2003 | Gold |
| Austria · 2003 | Gold |
| France · 2003 | Gold |
| Germany · 2003 | Gold |
| Japan · 2003 | Gold |
| Portugal · 2003 | Silver |
| Russia · 2003 | Gold |
| Switzerland · 2003 | Gold |
| United Kingdom · 2003 | Gold |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
82.6
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
7.1k
ListenBrainz listeners
76k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
43k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 13 May
Every year →
More from Marilyn Manson
Full discography →
Portrait of an American Family
1994
Smells Like Children
1995
Antichrist Superstar
1996
Remix & Repent
1997
Mechanical Animals
1998
The Last Tour on Earth
1999
Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
2000
The Fight Song
2001
The Nobodies (2005 Against All Gods mix)
2001
Lunch Boxes & Choklit Cows
2004
Lest We Forget: The Best Of
2004
Eat Me, Drink Me
2007
The High End of Low
2009
Birth of the Antichrist
2012
Born Villain
2012
The Pale Emperor
2015
Heaven Upside Down
2017
We Are Chaos
2020
One Assassination Under God, Chapter 1
2024
One Assassination Under God, Chapter 2
2026
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Portrait of an American Family
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 2003-05-13 vs 2003-05-07 (musicbrainz), 2003-05-12 (wikidata)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 7 May 2003 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 13 May 2003 | |
| Wikidata | 12 May 2003 | |
| US release | 13 May 2003 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 12 May 2003 | earliest UK or European date |
14 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | — | Interscope Records | 0602498000939 | other |
| 7 May 2003 | JP | Interscope Records | 4988005324993 | original |
| 7 May 2003 | JP | Interscope Records | 4988005325006 | original |
| 12 May 2003 | DE | Nothing Records | 602498000809 | other |
| 12 May 2003 | GB | Nothing Records | 0602498000939 | other |
| 12 May 2003 | DE | Interscope Records | 602498000656 | other |
| 13 May 2003 | US | Interscope Records | 602498000373 | other |
| 13 May 2003 | GB | Nothing Records | 0602498000823 | other |
| 13 May 2003 | KR | — | other | |
| 13 May 2003 | CA | Interscope Records | 602498000380 | other |
| 19 May 2003 | AU | Universal Music Australia | 602498000809 | other |
| 17 May 2006 | JP | Interscope Records | 4988005429735 | other |
| 3 December 2008 | JP | Universal Music | 4988005537799 | other |
| — | — | Interscope Records | 602498000656 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: major: best source 1424x1397, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1424×1397 | upscaled: major: best source 1424x1397, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |