MARILYN MANSON On His Upcoming Album: It's Like 'A Study Of The Chamber Of Horrors In My Head'

Marilyn Manson spoke to Revolver magazine about about how he came to collaborate with country rocker Shooter Jennings on his new studio album, tentatively due before the end of the year.

"Me and Shooter first met to do a song for 'Sons Of Anarchy', before I ended up being on [the show]," Manson said. "We didn't end up doing the song for it. We decided it wasn't right for us. We did the [David] Bowie cover ['Cat People'], and then we wanted to do more work together, but we had different things going on — I broke my leg; you know the story of what happened. But I think it was in about November of last year, we got together to hang out and listen to music, and I think we found a common bond with Bowie's 'Diamond Dogs', and just the way that it tells stories in the songs.

"Last night, I was working pretty late in the studio, and we finished the sixth song," he continued. "So, it'll be out before the end of the year, definitely. I plan on going on the 'Twins Of Evil' tour, and I have an art book that I'm going to release, and I'll probably have a bunch of exhibitions all over to go along with it. And then I'll release the album after that."

Asked if he has a working title for the album, Manson said: "It's still to be determined, but I think it's the album that should be called 'Marilyn Manson'. I'm in a mode in life where I wanted to tell stories with this record, and it's sort of like a wax museum of my thoughts, a study of the chamber of horrors in my head. All the romance and hope you can have in the world, here in the End Times where it can be a different kind of apocalypse for each person listening to the record. I tried to paint it with words, and Shooter with sounds, so you can see and hear all of your longing, your passion and despair. That's sort of a dramatic explanation of it. [Laughs] But it is full of drama. I wouldn't compare it to any of my other records, but you hear a bit of everything — it's like I've focused everything into one spot, finally."

Manson went on to say that his guitarist Paul Wiley will also appear on the album, as will his new drummer, Brandon Pertzborn [of BLACK FLAG, DOYLE and HO99O9]. "And Jamie Douglass, Shooter's drummer, he's also played on some stuff," he said. "Shooter and I also did a cover of 'The End' by THE DOORS for a new miniseries of 'The Stand' by Stephen King, which I'm also going to be acting in. I think that sort of kick-started our process for the album, and started us exploring different things. He's very talented in so many ways, and working with him is very fluid. We have a totally different collaborative style than I did [with Tyler Bates] on the last two records. Sometimes Shooter will already be doing something that I was going to suggest. We lock brains a lot together. You know, that could be because of drugs and alcohol, or it could just be because we're in a small room together. Who knows? [Laughs] Or both!"

Manson and Jennings previously teamed up in 2016 to record a cover version of "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" for Jennings's "Countach (For Giorgio)" LP, a covers collection featuring songs by electronic-music pioneer Giorgio Moroder. Moroder and Bowie wrote "Cat People" for the 1982 film of the same name, but also reimagined it for Bowie's 1983 album "Let's Dance".

Manson wrote and recorded "Heaven Upside Down" with guitarist and producer Tyler Bates, who also collaborated with the singer on 2015's "The Pale Emperor".

Manson and Rob Zombie will embark on the 2019 leg of their notorious "Twins Of Evil" tour this week. Produced by Live Nation, the co-headlining North American summer trek, which is subtitled "Hell Never Dies Tour 2019", kicks off in Baltimore, Maryland on July 9 and makes stops at Rock USA in Oshkosh, Wisconisin and Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin.