Marilyn Manson, Ours

Eat Me, Drink Me, the effort supported by Marilyn Manson's Rape of the World tour, is unimaginative alt-rock from an artist that became more accessible at exactly the time he could and should have pushed the envelope further. Following the yes-no-maybe The Golden Age of Grotesque, last year's Eat Me, Drink Me only cemented the suspicion that Manson needed bassist Twiggy Ramirez by his side to continue his streak of inventive, challenging albums.

Thanks to a January reunion, fans will get the proven pair when Marilyn Manson goose-steps into House of Blues, and Manson rarely disappoints when it comes to stage shows—his use of robotics, pyrotechnics, lights and props has rivaled the best of Broadway on some tours. Fan accounts of recent shows, however, cite a decrease in the dramatic flair save a few automatons and lighted backdrops. What will undoubtedly make up for the loss of pomp is the circumstance—Twiggy by Manson's side and more of the welcome (read: pre-Grotesque) cuts such as "Coma White," "1996" and "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" (all of which have been reported as being on set lists from earlier dates).

Manson will undoubtedly continue to mimic the postures of Bowie, employ the charisma of a cult leader and dig into his well-worn bag of covers (Eurythmics, Patti Smith and, hopefully, the Screamin' Jay Hawkins).

Mismatched and rather non-productive since 2001, Ours opens.