* 1/2 MARILYN MANSON, “Antichrist Superstar,” Nothing/Interscope

Though the title of Marilyn Manson’s second full-length album hints at a newly sprouted sense of irony, it is in fact the only amusing aspect of the album, which covers acres of harrowing musical ground.

“Irresponsible Hate Anthem” provides the brutal pummeling that its title suggests, while “Cryptorchid” blossoms amid wriggling samples, frontman Marilyn Manson’s anguished voice and incongruously sweet backing vocals. In between are lots of sinuous grooves, stinging guitars and deftly meshed samples that often recall Nine Inch Nails--hardly surprising since Trent Reznor had a heavy hand in production, along with Dave Ogilvie.

Whipping through the flurries of angst is a steady drizzle of sadomasochistic sentiments, spiteful meditations on rock stardom and God, and a fixation with sores, scabs and scars. The motivation behind it all is, ostensibly, to plumb the deepest, darkest crevices of human imaginings, and it succeeds--to a point.

Reznor’s penchant for overstatement works in his own music because it’s grounded in challenging concepts--a love-hate relationship with God; the jagged line between self-importance and self-deprecation; the clash between love and lust. Without ideas to anchor the stormy sound Marilyn Manson generates, “Antichrist Superstar” is only so much sound and fury.