Dark and dramatic, the new Marilyn Manson track isn’t bad at all, surprisingly. Considering how much of a let-down his last album was, I–like many–thought Manson’s best moments were well behind him on albums like Antichrist Superstar. However, with this new single of his, there’s a glimmer of hope that he might pull through on his upcoming full-length titled The Pale Emperor.

What makes “Third Day Of A Seven Day Binge” so appealing is its dreary melody and organic rock instrumentation. The guitars sound and feel much more natural and dynamic than they did on much of Manson’s 00s output, and it really enhances his relentlessly depressing moans.

Some of the song’s top comments on YouTube liken the music to that of Bowie and Nick Cave, and I have to wholeheartedly agree. It’s nice to see Manson wearing his influences on his sleeve a bit more at this point in his career. If I recall correctly, Born Villain even had a few post-punk-y moments on it, which I dug a lot.

All I’m saying is we’ve got a pretty good song here, and a reason to have faith in rock’s last major figure of controversy again.