Since Marilyn Manson returned to the stage in the summer of 2024 with the One Assassination Under God tour, pulsating illuminated upside-down double crosses have been a consistent part of the stage design. The double cross itself is nothing new in Manson's work. It has been part of his imagery for many years and became particularly prominent again after the Heaven Upside Down era. What is new since 2024 is the way the symbol has been incorporated into the lighting of the performance. Rather than functioning simply as a static emblem, the crosses now pulsate and change as part of the stage itself, becoming one of the most noticeable elements of every concert. Manson's return to the stage has also involved bringing back many features and images from earlier periods of his career, which has naturally given the performances a nostalgic quality for longtime fans. What interests me for this analysis, however, is what has actually been added during this new period that has not be...
When Marilyn Manson was first named and accused of domestic abuse and sexual assault on social media in February 2021, and I read through the various statements against him, my suspicions immediately arose when they started using common language and describing something similar in style to how Bram Stoker slowly but ultimately reveals in his novel Dracula that Dracula is a vampire preying on and controlling his victims. And when the court complaints against Manson were being made public months later, and you can even see it in Evan Rachel Wood's documentary Phoenix Rising , they went even further in narrowing down every aspect of their relationship to Manson as them gradually realizing he was a monster and he was someone they needed to escape from. For those unfamiliar with the novel Dracula (though I'm sure everyone knows the basic story), here is a brief summary to help you understand how it unravels: Brief Summary of Bram Stoker's Dracula In Bram Stoker's horror no...