"The Pale Emperor" is the ninth studio album from Marilyn Manson, released on January 15, 2015. The album marks a departure from the band's earlier work, moving towards a more bluesy, mature sound compared to their industrial rock style.
Marilyn Manson and composer/producer Tyler Bates collaborated on the album, which they started developing during the ending of the "Hell Not Hallelujah" tour. Crafted in a span of 18 months, the two worked together on "The Pale Emperor" in Bates' basement studio. The album takes its title from an epithet for Roman Emperor, Aurelian.
Guideline-wise, the album is a departure from Manson's normal shock rock style. Its songs tackle themes such as desperation, decadence, absence of faith and the decay of the Western world, but are imbued with a new sense of maturity.
The album was also a commercial success, debuting at number eight on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of approximately 49,000 copies. It received widespread acclaim from music critics, and was lauded as Manson's best work in over a decade.
