Marilyn Manson w/ The Pretty Reckless

As his relevance dwindled after the late '90s, when he was briefly the most controversial musician in America, Marilyn Manson remained a public figure, albeit more for his romances with teenage actresses and the occasional burlesque performer than his music. Despite a cleverly glammy lead single, “Heart-Shaped Glasses,” and an exploitative accompanying music video, Manson's 2007 release, <i>Eat Me, Drink Me</i>, met with mixed reviews and general indifference from the public, and though 2009's <i>The High End of Low</i> marked the return of longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez, it garnered little attention outside of the most loyal circles. Anybody curious about what a Marilyn Manson album sounds like in 2012 probably won't be disappointed by the new <i>Born Villain</i>, though; it's the band's strongest, most riff-heavy album in a decade.