A Dark Debut: Marilyn Manson's 'Portrait of an American Family' Holds Up Over 30 Years Later

MARILYN MANSON: PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY

SCORE: 85/100

Marilyn Manson's debut album marked a much more experimental path for the band, which came during a point in their career where they were still very much so finding their footing; resulting in an album that is much less polished and memorable than their later works - but one that still acts as a hugely recognizable piece of alternative metal that blends industrial into the mix for a potent and heavy project that introduces the band better than Smells Like Children does. 

The band was incredibly active at this early point in their career, releasing multiple projects within the span of a few years since finding their dark, murderous image and slowly building it up and polishing it. This album introduces the anti-system ideals of the band and worked to heavily spit at politicians and the corrupt moral system of higher-ups, and the album is a symbolic piece of rebellion and youth that few other bands could ever capture the way Marilyn Manson did in the 90's and 2000's. 

Despite not hitting it big until the mid-90's, the group was formed in 1989, releasing and working on a large influx of demo projects before being signed to Nothing Records (as well as Interscope) to release their debut album, which would become Portrait of an American Family - the album is a massively rebellious project that targets American politics and the state that the country had been in for many decades, and the band tackles heavy and dark subjects that are backed by rough and gritty guitar riffs and Manson's signature, snarling vocals. 

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails had a major part in backing the production and release of the album, re-producing the album for the band after they were unhappy with previous material meant for the album as well as signing the band to his vanity label, Nothing Records. The bands' established presence in the hardcore music scene in their local area had garnered the attention from Reznor after Manson had interviewed him while working as a journalist, and these early shows also worked towards gaining them an already established fanbase; something that would greatly help their early career. 

"When we were finally finished, Roli had done the opposite of what I'd expected. I thought he was going to bring out some sort of darker element. But he was trying to polish all the rough edges and make us more of a rock band, a pop band, which at the time I wasn't interested in at all. I thought the record we did with him came out bland and lifeless. Trent thought the same thing so he volunteered to help us repair what had been damaged." -Manson on the albums' original production [Wikipedia]

This album is much more authentic than some might think, with the influences of the bands' imagery and sound coming to life through the band recording in the same home where the Manson Family had committed the infamous Tate murders (which is where Reznor resided, as well as his home studio), adding another layer of darkness surrounding the album while making something raw and true to the bands' sound, showcasing each member and a variety of instruments on a deeply consistent project that carries out ideas that would help to shape their future music, with some of the lyrical themes of the album being expanded upon on albums like Antichrist Superstar and Holy Wood. 

Marilyn Manson were the last people to record in Reznor's previous home studio, as he had felt that the home had "too much history" for him to continue living in it in 1993, a year before the album was released to the market. These exclusive pieces of history make the album even more interesting, and the band working alongside one of the biggest artists in all of industrial music helped them to group together an incredible variety of sounds, which would build up an even bigger industrial influence on some of their later projects while keeping their music largely alternative. 

The album had been delayed many times in its production, being cited as too controversial due to both its artwork and subject matter. The bands' upfront references to Charles Manson made them a challenge for their label and the release of the album - but the album would go on to be released without any changes in July of 1994. In a traditional industrial fashion, the album runs longer than most, with just over an hour worth of runtime and songs that allowed for the band to reign in every sound possible in 13 tracks. It's an album that is sharp and well on its own, and the songs are incredible both in order as a sequencing story or outside of the album - meaning that it's an album with two sides, one for those who enjoy full album experiences, and for those who prefer to listen to singular songs or playlists.

Before the work on the album had fully commenced, the band had undergone many different lineup changes, with the original lineup being fizzled out over time and very sparsely performing together - with a total of two performances during the background of the album with all of the original members on stage together. The lineup changes presented a new and refreshed sound for the band, which would allow for them to create a sound with much more variety and charm than what was being offered through their oldest material. The resulting album is something deeply conceptual with heavy and dark songs, grim lyrics, and a level of style that no other band has met to this day. 

For an album that is so underrecognized in the bands' catalogue, Portrait of an American Family is hugely scathing and makes the band known incredibly well; despite the fact they would go on to change their sound and work on something that was much more sharp and focused, the sound of this album would help for the band to make a name for themselves, successfully working as a debut that would pave the way for their albums to come - starting the beginning of one of the most iconic discographies in all of rock music.