Mechanical Animals

This article is about the album. For the tour, see Mechanical Animals Tour.
Not to be confused with Animal Mechanicals.

Mechanical Animals
Studio album by
Marilyn Manson
ReleasedSeptember 15, 1998 (1998-09-15)
Recorded1997–1998
Studio
Genre
Length61:08
Label
Producer
Marilyn Manson chronology
Remix & Repent
(1997) 		Mechanical Animals
(1998) 		The Last Tour on Earth
(1999)
Singles from Mechanical Animals
  1. "The Dope Show"
    Released: September 15, 1998
  2. "I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me)"
    Released: February 17, 1999
  3. "Rock Is Dead"
    Released: June 14, 1999

Mechanical Animals is the third studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on September 15, 1998, by Interscope Records. The album marked a major shift from the industrial metal and alternative metal styles of the band's earlier efforts, into an experimentation with 1970s glam rock[1][2][3] with glam metal,[4] industrial rock,[5] alternative metal[4] and electronic rock[6] styles. As their first release following the success of their breakthrough album, 1996's Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals' themes primarily deals with the trappings of fame and drug abuse.

A rock opera and concept album, Mechanical Animals is the second installment in a trilogy which included Antichrist Superstar and 2000's Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death). After the release of Holy Wood, Manson said that the overarching story within the trilogy is presented in reverse chronological order; Mechanical Animals, therefore, acts as the bridge connecting the two narratives and remains constant whether the trilogy is viewed in reverse or not.[7]

The album has been certified platinum in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. It spawned the singles "The Dope Show", "Rock Is Dead", and "I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me)" as well as the promotional single, "Coma White". The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it the first Marilyn Manson album to do so.

  1. ^ "CMJ's Top 30 Editorial Picks". CMJ. Vol. 57, no. 601. January 11, 1999. p. 3.
  2. ^ Klosterman, Chuck (November 5, 2004). "Marilyn Manson, 'Lest We Forget' (Interscope)". Spin. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  3. ^ Higgins, Mike (September 19, 1998). "The Week in Review: Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  4. ^ a b Hill, Stephen (August 2, 2019). "Marilyn Manson vs Courtney Love: The true story of 1999's Beautiful Monsters Tour". Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  5. ^ Powers, Ann (September 4, 1998). "Mechanical Animals". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  6. ^ Empire, Kitty (September 9, 1998). "Marilyn Manson – Mechanical Animals". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  7. ^ Lanham, Tom (November 2000). "Marilyn Manson: Absinthe Makes The Heart Grow Fonder". Alternative Press. No. 148. pp. 76–86.