Charles Manson “Inner Sanctum” 7”

Right out of the "unexpected and seemingly out of nowhere" department, Holy Terror Records (along with a mysterious entity under the ATWA Records banner) has just released this three-song, 14-minute 7" of new, previously unreleased Charles Manson material. How a release of this nature comes to fruition is beyond me, but... you can't deny it's a curious occurrence! I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I'm a diehard fan of Charles Manson's musical output, as I honestly haven't heard a great deal of it over the years, and it's just not the type of thing most people listen to on a regular basis—or necessarily for its musicality, in many cases. Beyond those who possess a keen interest in all things esoteric, there's the simple fact that the man's psyche tends to put forth some intriguingly odd shit, you know? In this case, the "songs" seem to have been separated out from what was likely a largely improvisational, stream of consciousness recording session—one that quickly transitions from standard blues riffs or loose guitar noodling to hypnotic lulls of repeated notes as background texture; while Manson's peculiar subject matter is delivered through relaxed singing, hushed whispers, or even straight spoken word during "Labor of the Mind". The sound quality's as rugged as you'd expect from a performer who is and has been incarcerated for decades, but such a reality obviously makes perfect sense. It won't be for everyone, but it is an interesting and unusual piece of work that should not be deemed a mere "collector's item". Here's a little taste of what's to find:

Charles Manson "Air" (excerpt)

I believe the 100 red-vinyl pre-orders sold out rather quickly, and I'd wager the remainder of the pressing (1,000 copies on black) will be on that path as well, seeing as there are quite a few Manson collectors out there. Whatever your rationale, if this is something that interests you, pick one up while you still can...

Get It

Holy Terror Records