Marilyn Manson: I've not been tamed

Marilyn Manson says the only dramatic change he's made to his lifestyle recently is cutting out absinthe.

The goth rocker is just as known for his unique personality and drug habits as he is for his heavy metal tunes. While it may appear he's toned things down since he entered the limelight in the early 90s, Marilyn insists he's still just as experimental as ever behind closed doors.

"I don't think I've ever given up on myself. I've not become some safe version of me. I think the only dramatic change I've made in the past six years was to stop drinking absinthe. I switched to pot and vodka. We still like to - and when I say 'we', I mean the collective 'we' in my head - f**k sh*t up," he explained to Kerrang! magazine.

A small change he's made to his everyday antics in the last year is deciding to get up at 6am, when he used to go to bed, leaving those who know him personally puzzled.

To help send him into a peaceful sleep Marilyn "gets stoned" and reads the Bible aloud until he dozes off, reasoning that the religious text has everything he needs - devils, demons, vampires and zombies.

He's aware his status in the industry leaves people divided, but feels that's important as if not music in America would be "pretty f**king boring".

"It's strange," he mused. "The world changes, but it doesn't really change at all. Everything I could have been mad about when I was younger, I feel the same way about today. The phrase 'ignorance is bliss' was created for a reason. Once you see behind the curtain, it either horrifies you or p**ses you off."