After gaining permission from Annie Lennox to do a cover of the ’80s Eurythmics hit “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” Marilyn Manson and his band made a video that earned heavy rotation on MTV. Proving that he could also write his own songs as well, Manson subsequently recorded his opus, “Antichrist Superstar,” blowing the collective mind of the semi-conservative mainstream music scene of the late ’90s. “Mechanical Animals” came out two years later, and although it reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts, it was clear that Manson’s goth-rock shtick could not keep shocking the world forever. After a live album and a subsequent mediocre studio release, Manson has returned with “The Golden Age of the Grotesque.”

Gone is the brilliance of Trent Rezor’s production that helped make mid-era Manson so cutting edge. In its place we are given a nu-metal album with electronic influences that does not measure up to Manson’s early work. In fairness, the album has a few enjoyable tracks, reinforcing Manson’s desire to now clearly establish himself as a musician as well as a performance artist. The first song on the CD, “This is the New Sh*t” kicks off with a crunchy beat-box and follows into a slamming, yet well syncopated, guitar hook. “Everything’s been said before,” Manson spits, “there’s nothing left to say anymore,” seemingly rapping the lines. Perhaps the king of shock-rock has ascertained such an approach from his recent collaborations with Eminem? “Ka-Boom Ka-Boom” is a grinding rap-rock explosion, owing testament to this.

On “mOBSCENE,” a B-52’s-esque female chorus joins Manson, singing, “Be obscene, be be obscene. Be obscene baby, and not heard.” The Oscar Wilde reference comes off as contrived and uninspired, and Manson’s pseudo-intellectual attempt seems calculated. Is it fair to say that Manson has run out of ideas? The title of the song “Doll-Dagga Buzz-Buzz Ziggety-Zag” hints at this, as do the lyrics from “(S)aint” — “I’ve got an ‘F’ and a ‘C’ and I’ve got a ‘K’ too . . . and the only thing that’s missing is a bitch like you.”

The CD picks up momentum when Manson backs up from his band, letting them work their creativity. The synergetic aspects of Manson are what have given the group its musical credibility within the metal community, and the backing tracks on the album are its saving grace. In other words, some of the strongest aspects of “Golden Age” are the musical breaks between the nihilistic howling of the group’s front man. “Use Your Fist and Not Your Mouth” has a powerful lead-in that slides into an electro-metal break down, reminiscent of Kraftwerk’s mid-era instrumentals. Just as this beat starts to become infectious, Manson comes in, howling “This is the black collar song, put it in your middle finger and sing along.” Yawn.

Of note is the guest female vocalist on “Para-noir,” who recites a spoken word piece about the shortcomings of celebrity, weighing them next to the implications of destructive narcissism and unhealthy sexual addiction. The track is interesting and stands out, chiefly because of Manson’s absence. Perhaps the future for Manson is to drop his need to be a histrionic front man and take a more subtle collaborative approach. We’re tired of Manson making Tim Burton-esque faces into the camera, and we’re tired of his pseudo-intelligent and self-referential lyrics that lack substance or creative agency.

For kids into nu-metal “The Golden Age of the Grotesque,” will be new fodder for suburban bedroom stereos across America. For die-hard Marilyn Manson fans, their favorite rock star is still singing about our crumbling society and his appraisal of his position within it. For most people, however, the scariest thing about the album will be picture of Manson on page 10 of CD booklet without his make-up: His tired 34 year-old face frowns, as the culture that once embraced him for shitting on it leaves him in the dust.