Marilyn Manson, contrary to popular belief, is not a one-man show. Brian Warner, the masochistic, androgenic lead singer of the group did take on the Marilyn Manson, but is also the name of the band containing Scott Mitchell on guitar (AKA Daisy Berkowitz), bassist Gidget Gein, Keyboardist Madonna Wayne-Gacy, and (later) Sara Lee Lucas on drums. All of these interesting and socially defiant characters helped to create the image of Warner to the public as Marilyn Manson. The band hit commercial exposure, and success, with their remix of the Eurhythmics song "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" which had not only heavy radio, but MTV, rotation. The gruesome ../images of death and pain propelled the group (and Warner) into the media spotlight and questions about the band's influence on America's youth began to swirl. With the release of Antichrist Superstar in 1996, the controversy spun into an all out war against religious organizations of all denominations and Marilyn Manson. Mechanical Animals followed in 1998 with continued controversy. But the controversy and press had waned significantly by the 2000 release of Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) and the success of the album was very minimal by comparison to their previous releases. However, Warner, as Manson, continues to push the envelope by being a mere celebrity and staying in the public eye keeps the band on the map. In 2003 the band released The Golden Age of Grotesque and in 2004 Lunch Boxes and Choklit Cows. The group continues to be successful due to the very dedicated and long-suffering fans.
There isn't anything not to like about Marilyn Manson! Presenting a unified image of all things deviant, corrupt, taboo, and of course, evil, while adding a splash of glam to keep it all interesting, Marilyn Manson the man, and the band, have been able to cause more stir and create more buzz by doing nothing except being seen even more than Paris Hilton. That kind of marketing can't be ignored. And of course, there is the music. With screeching vocals and aggressive guitars, drums, and noise samples presented as music they found a line between pop and heavy metal that allowed them to walk the line and take themselves mainstream...while still being subversive.