TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1999

Probing mind of self-proclaimed antichrist

By Daniel Oliveira

On-Line Forty-Niner

Marilyn Manson calls himself the ultimate rock star and the biggest antichrist of all times. Playing a music style that stands somewhere between the accessibility of pop and the aggressiveness of heavy metal, the mysterious singer continues his saga on his latest album, "Mechanical Animals."

Q: What animals are you referring to with the title "Mechanical Animals"?

A: The record is kind of a hallucinatory vision, a dystopia that I have of the world. Looking at the rest of the world, it's people who look like human beings, but don't necessarily have souls inside of them. So they are almost like androids, but not so much in science fiction. People are acting more and more like machines. This record was about finding my emotions. Once I found them, it became apparent how cold the rest of the world was.

Q: Many stories surround your sexuality. Are you heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual?

A: I consider myself very androgynous in the way that I care about my personality. I'm currently involved - I have a girlfriend. But in my life, I have looked at other possibilities.

Q: You date actress Rose McGowan. How does she react to your sexual fetishes on stage?

A: I think that she respects my work just like I respect hers if she were doing a movie. She knows that I am an artist. Sure, some of the stuff makes her uncomfortable, but if people are gonna be together with me, they will have to accept me.

Q: What was the worst problem that you had to face?

A: Usually just the people who tried to keep us from playing because it was not just against us. It was against music in general. It was against the people who wanted to see us. So I ended up fighting for everybody.