Marilyn Manson: EVERY Album Ranked Worst To Best

11. Born Villain

Born Villain is by no means a bad album, but as far as Manson records go, it's easily the least daring and memorable of his discography. As noted in the introduction, one of the joys of listening to a new Manson album is the anticipation to see what he'll do next, and in that vain Born Villain is a bit of a let-down.

Rather than attempting a new, genre-fusing style, Manson instead leaned into the more reliable beats of his previous records, bringing solid anthems with songs like "No Reflection" and "Overneath the Path of Misery," both of which are dependable tracks that just don't stand-out, simply because we've heard it all before.

On top of that, it's also wholly disjointed, with the industrial sounds being followed up by slower, less accomplished ballads that for some reason just don't mesh. Also, there's the issue of the lyrics, somewhere Manson has rarely had a problem, but on this album (see "Pistol Whipped") he seems determined to bring out the controversy with little thought or care. Not a terrible album, but easily the weakest of Manson's discography.

Best Songs: Breaking the Same Old Ground, Hey Cruel World, No Reflection