By John Wiederhorn
On the eve of the new Mechanical Animals album, Marilyn Manson announced the parting of ways with guitarist Zim Zum. According to Manson, Mr. Zum was originally recruited for the band's Antichrist Superstar tour to fill a vacancy left by original string-slinger Daisy Berkowitz.
Zum is credited with co-writing eight songs on the band's new disc, but Manson says he didn't work hard enough or play well enough to remain in the group. "This is something that could have happened sooner. Because we were friends, I carried him," says Manson. "But I can't afford to have any sort of weak link when it comes to doing something on this grand a scale."
Zum refutes Manson's claim, and insists that he quit the band simply to pursue other ventures. "There wasn't any problems with me playing the parts. I wrote the parts on three-quarters of the album," he says. "But when we got done recording I just felt I needed to explore my options. I didn't want to be on the road for another 18 months because I wanted the chance to create on my own."
Since stepping out on his own, Zim Zum has remixed a song from Korn's new album Follow the Leader, and in the near future, he hopes to work with such luminaries as David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Shudder To Think vocalist Craig Wedren. "I don't want to think about money, I just want to be creative," he says. "I've lived on five dollars a week before, and I'll do it again if I have to."
Even if the Bowie thing never pans out, Zum probably won't have to live off food stamps anytime soon. After leaving Manson, he contacted a high-profile lawyer, and is currently working on reaching an amicable settlement with his ex-bandmates.
Zim Zum may never have to sue Manson, but original Marilyn Manson guitarist Berkowitz has already served the singer legal papers, claiming that he was never compensated for the work he did on the band's double platinum album Antichrist Superstar. A dollar figure hasn't been established, but he estimates the suit will be in the "low millions."
Manson says he and Berkowitz mutually decided to part ways halfway through the recording of Antichrist Superstar, and that the guitarist received full compensation for his work. Berkowitz insists he was muscled out and that he's never received a penny.
"He and Twiggy were doing whatever they could to keep me out," says Berkowitz. "They would keep information from me and break my equipment and tell me my clothing sucked. I never did anything wrong. I did whatever I could to be professional about things. But if I confronted Manson about anything or didn't agree on something creatively, he would take it out on me later by doing something like throwing out my clothes when I wasn't there."
Berkowitz says he co-wrote four songs on Antichrist Superstar and played on five, but never received any payments for record royalties, merchandise sales or unrecovered gear. "I just want what is owed to me, and then I want to forget the whole thing," he says.
After leaving Marilyn Manson, Berkowitz recorded his own solo project Three Ton Gate, which he sold over the Internet. He has since joined the band Jack Off Jill, whose members were early peers of Manson's from the Fort Lauderdale music scene in the early '90s. "I find it kind of amusing because it's a poor attempt to ride my coattails while suing me at the same time," says Manson. "I don't really care what he does, and I'd be happy to give him what he deserves, but nothing more."
Marilyn Manson recently recruited new guitarist John Lowery, who played with David Lee Roth as well as Rob Halford's Two. When contacted for comments about his new gig, Lowery was not permitted by the Manson regime to speak publicly. For Marilyn Manson, it seems, free speech only goes so far.
