Mechanical Animals

Mechanical Animals is the third studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on September 15, 1998, by Interscope Records. While not abandoning the band's industrial metal roots, the album is less abrasive and more reminiscent of 1970s glam rock, such as David Bowie, T. Rex and Queen. The themes of Mechanical Animals primarily deal with the trappings of fame and drug abuse. The rock opera and concept album is the second installment in a trilogy also including 1996's Antichrist Superstar and 2000's Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death). Manson said in November 2000 that the overarching story within the trilogy is presented in reverse chronological order; Mechanical Animals, therefore, acts as the bridge connecting the two narratives and remains constant whether the trilogy is viewed in reverse or not. The album has been certified platinum in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand, and spawned the singles "The Dope Show", "Rock Is Dead", and "I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me)" as well as the promotional single, "Coma White". The former has been certified gold in Sweden. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making it the first Marilyn Manson album to do so.