Artist: Marilyn Manson

Album: “Eat Me, Drink Me”

Release Date: June 5

Label: Interscope

Availability: CD, iTunes, Ruckus

The product of a two-man operation, Manson and guitarist Tim Skold, this album has an appropriately sparse sound. The electronic loops, vocal manipulations and varied instrumentation of Marilyn Manson’s previous records are gone here. Most of the tracks only have Skold’s guitar and drums to accompany Manson’s vocals.

Those vocals, still sung in Manson’s toneless drawl, are focused on personal feelings, abandoning his penchant for social commentary. Perhaps inspired by his recent divorce from burlesque queen Dita Von Teese, he sings of intimate, doomed and tragic romances – on every track. Really, all that distinguishes one track from another is the instrumentation, which, aside from Skold’s virtuoso guitar solos, is similar track to track.

The single released so far, “Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand),” is one of the better tracks, an upbeat track a little more like Manson’s earlier work. The downbeat “Just a Car Crash Away” and “Evidence” are also good – notably, both include electronic backing instruments. The rest of the songs aren’t so much bad as just tiresome – there’s just not enough variance in technique. This album represents a decline for Manson, but the few standouts should make the album worth purchasing for fans.