by Russ Austin

Created on: April 08, 2009

Below the stars is a piece from my 1996/1997 writing sessions. Like others written at the time, I wanted it to be a part of my book on Heavy Metal. That, of course, never happened. However, this piece on what evil is, particularly the letter from Marilyn Manson, has to be seen. Even though he probably didn't have Brian Hugh Warner (better known as Marilyn Manson) in mind at the time, what Don Kaye said about Heavy Metal is very applicable to the "All-American Anti-Christ."

Good and evil are often not what they seem. That's basically what I was trying to say with this piece back in the 90s. I did edit this down quite a bit, but it still looks how I wrote it back then. It's obviously not complete, but I think it's to the point.

See ya on the other side...

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EVIL IN DISGUISE

MARILYN MANSON is one group who has caught a lot of crap in the media for many reasons. It kind of reminds me of what W.A.S.P. and other groups were going through 10+ years ago, and still deal with. Daisy Berkowitz, the former guitarist of Marilyn Manson said, "What you hear about the band is always going to be more disturbing than any particular song. It's like tabloid news programs that talk about how horrible something is while at the same time, they're glorifying it as their top story. If it's so terrible, why are they drawing attention to it? I think enthusiasm for our music will be the spark that ignites the fire under the people that hate it and think we're a bad influence on kids. But hey, either you get it or you don't."(358)

The Reverend Marilyn Manson, the vocalist of Marilyn Manson, wrote this:

"To whom it may conform:

"We are your s*. You should be ashamed of what you have eaten. I am writing on behalf of my band, who has adopted my namesake as a mockery of your fixation with the grandiose stars that litter your televison screens daily. I am the All-American Anti-Christ bathed in Talk Show-Trash, here to help hysterical housewives wallow in their own suffering. I have predicted the past. I am the accuser.

"Marilyn Manson is the harvest of thrown away kids, and America is now afraid to reap what it has sown.

"You have spoonfed us Saturday Morning mouthfuls of maggots and lies disguised in your sugary breakfast cereals. The plates you made us clean were filled with your fears. These things have hardened in our soft pink bellies. We have grown up watching YOUR television that you put in YOUR homes. We are a symptom of YOUR Christian America, the Biggest Satan of all.

"It's too late to take

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