Not that Manson is really that shocking this time around. It seems like the former Antichrist Superstar has softened up his approach. His approach to getting attention, that is. The sound still as heavy as it's every been.

Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) is the third part of a trilogy of albums started by Antichrist Superstar, and it's closer to the sound of that breakthrough album than "Part 2," Mechanical Animals. And it should be no surprise that most of the songs go for song shock value with the semi-Satanic style that Manson always seems to ooze.

There are 19 songs on the CD. It could be argued that it's overkill, but none of it is particularly bad, nor does anything stand out as filler. Of course, that doesn't mean that there aren't high points littered throughout. The singles, "The Nobodies," "Fight Song," and especially "Disposable Teens" are great and aggressive. Other highlights include "King Kill 33," "Coma Black: Eden Eye/The Apple of Discord," and "The Love Song."

But on the whole, there aren't any new revelations on this record. Manson emphasizes his strengths, which leads to nothing incredibly shocking here. There aren't any gender-bending costumes here. He doesn't refer to himself as the Antichrist Superstar. References to Satan and the Bible aren't really that shocking to anyone anymore. In fact, the only thing that really sticks out as offensive as any of Manson's past antics is the album's cover.

But Manson, always the savvy marketer, still built up a level of hype for this album and made it sell. After the minor backlash from the more glammed-up Mechanical Animals, this got attention to returning to his former sound and combining it with the accessibility of Mechanical Animals, and that is where this album's strengths lie. Manson has tried his best to please the fans of both sounds and gain new fans, and, for the most part, it worked.