Marilyn Manson is an American alternative metal band based in Los Angeles, California. Advocates of nonconformity, and often utilising controversial imagery and lyrical content, the band is commonly described as shock rock. It is difficult to categorise the band, as it displays influences from many genres of hard rock, including industrial, heavy metal and glam rock. Each album thus far has had a distinct and individual sound, and the band and frontman endeavor to devise and use a unique image and aesthetic for each album's era. The band was formed in 1989 as "Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids". The band's uniquely theatrical performances gathered a local cult following that subsequently developed into a worldwide fanbase. The band's lineup almost always changes between album releases. The current members of the band are the eponymous lead singer Marilyn Manson, bassist Twiggy Ramirez, drummer Ginger Fish, keyboardist Chris Vrenna and guitarist Rob Holliday.
Marilyn Manson's reputation has likewise grown, with the band now considered one of modern music's most widely-known and most controversial; this has been due, in large part, to eponymous lead singer Marilyn Manson — born Brian Warner — and his frequent clashes with religious and political figures. The name of each band member was originally created by combining the first name of an iconic female sex symbol and the last name of an iconic mass murderer or serial killer. In recent years, new members of the band have st...