Is there any such thing as a “shock rock” artist anymore? Or have we reached a point where television, social media and the internet have numbed society to the point where, as Jane’s Addiction sang, “Nothing’s Shocking?”
“Camera got them images. Camera got them all. Nothing’s Shocking.
Showed me everybody naked and disfigured. Nothing’s Shocking.”
I would never have considered Jane’s Addiction to be shock rock, but their 2003 tour mate, Marilyn Manson certainly deserves that distinction. Or at least he used to. It’s not that Manson isn’t up to the same antics that fueled protests 10-15 years ago, it’s just that audiences are not as easily shocked.
Take the new Marilyn Manson album, for example. Set to be released on October 6 with the title Heaven Upside Down, the album was originally to be called “SAY10.” That sinister turn of phrase might have caused an uproar in small towns across America in the late 1990s. But in 2017, it would more likely generate little more than eye rolling… among fans and foes alike.
Whether Heaven Upside Down will ruffle any feathers remains to be seen. But even considering the ostensibly provocative song titles on the track list, my guess is WalMart won’t think twice about stocking this:
01. Revelation #12
02. Tattooed In Reverse
03. We Know Where You F**king Live
04. SAY10
05. KILL4ME
06. Saturnalia
07. JE$U$ CRI$I$
08. Blood Honey
09. Heaven Upside Down
10. Threats of Romance
Here’s the first single from the album. It’s an audio-only clip, but be warned that the lyrics are NSFW:
And maybe that’s what shock rock has ultimately become today: #NSFW Rock.
