MARILYN MANSON Signs With COOKING VINYL RECORDS

Cooking Vinyl Records has announced the signing of MARILYN MANSON.

Having already sold over 50 million records worldwide, Cooking Vinyl overcame fierce competition from several labels in the U.S. and U.K., both major and independent, to release what will be MARILYN MANSON's eighth studio album.

The global deal will see the album issued via MARILYN MANSON's own label — Hell, etc. — in a joint venture between Cooking Vinyl, with the album slated for release in 2011.

After parting ways with Interscope Records, the new partnership with Cooking Vinyl gives MARILYN MANSON an unprecedented degree of creative control. The new setup will see the artist take charge of delivering the completed, mastered album and Cooking Vinyl handling worldwide distribution, marketing and promotion.

Famed for his originality and style, not only in the studio and on stage but also in his elaborate video and thought-provoking filmmaking, the latest studio instalment will again pair up Manson and Twiggy Ramirez.

Manson had this to say: "We will always be our worst audience, until we stop being an audience and start being an artist. Any art is flesh and blood, no matter how you perform, decorate or display it. But we all want the passionate horror of that blood. And blood is what I am here to bring."

The deal is a landmark signing for Cooking Vinyl, and follows the company's huge commercial success with THE PRODIGY, whose "Invaders Must Die" was the best-selling independent release in Europe in 2009.

Cooking Vinyl founder Martin Goldschmidt added: "We're delighted to welcome MARILYN MANSON to Cooking Vinyl. Often our 'relaxed' approach to A&R brings out killer performances and albums from artists. I can't wait to hear what Manson comes up with. This is a landmark signing for us. We shook up folk music in the late 80's/90's with MICHELLE SHOCKED, COWBOY JUNKIES and BILLY BRAGG, we have shaken up dance in the last couple of years with THE PRODIGY, GROOVE ARMADA and UNDERWORLD, and we are ready for a new adventure with Mr. Manson."

In an October 29 interview with "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show", MARILYN MANSON bassist Twiggy Ramirez (real name: Jeordie White) stated about the band's forthcoming CD, "It's almost done. It'll probably be out next year. It's fantastic. It's our best record yet, I think. I mean, everyone always says that, but I think this is our best work so far. . . It's kind of like a little more of a punk rock 'Mechanical Animals' [MARILYN MANSON's third album, which came out in 1998] without sounding too pretentious."

MARILYN MANSON last year parted ways with longtime record label Interscope following the disappointing sales performance of the shock-rocker's latest album, entitled "The High End Of Low".

Trent Reznor of NINE INCH NAILS signed MARILYN MANSON to his label Nothing Records, a vanity label of Interscope, in 1993. Nothing Records became defunct in 2004, and MARILYN MANSON remained signed solely to Interscope.

"The High End Of Low" sold 49,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart.

MARILYN MANSON's previous album, "Eat Me, Drink Me", opened with 88,000 units to land at No. 8. This marked a significant drop from the 118,000 first-week tally registered by its predecessor, "The Golden Age Of Grotesque", which entered the chart at No. 1 back in May 2003.

"The High End Of Low" was Manson's first album with longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez since 2000's "Holy Wood".

Produced by Manson, Vrenna and Twiggy, "The High End Of Low" was recorded in Manson's Hollywood Hills studio.

Photo credit: Perou