Marilyn Manson to Sing Songs of Salem

Steve Barton   |  

Apr 24, 2014

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I’ve gotta say I’m pretty impressed with WGN America’s “Salem.” It pushes the envelope way farther than I thought it would for network TV with all sorts of weird and ghastly imagery. That being said… It’s about to get some music to go with it!

As per THR, WGN America’s “Salem” has released its opening titles ahead of the second episode, and the sequence sets a suitably dark tone for the series — thanks in large part to vocals provided by Marilyn Manson.

The singer, who’s no stranger to the macabre, makes his TV scoring debut with series composer Tyler Bates on the song “Cupid Carries a Gun.” The 50-second titles for the Fox 21-produced period drama make their debut during the April 27 episode.

“The song ‘Cupid Carries a Gun’ was the last track we just finished for my new album,” says Manson. “The occult and witchcraft [are] so often used in cinema with a heinous disregard for even researching its origins. However, I liked the themes of ‘Salem.’ It looks at the witch trials without being cliche like most modern films.”

“Manson and I wrote a draft of ‘Cupid Carries a Gun’ shortly before I began working on the score for ‘Salem,’” says Bates. “A couple weeks later I saw the title sequence, and the song immediately came to mind. I showed it to Manson for fun more than anything, and it inspired us to finish the song that night. The next day I played it for Brannon Braga, and he said that ‘Cupid Carries a Gun’ was the perfect tone and attitude for the show’s main titles.”

“Salem” stars Janet Montgomery as the ruthless but vulnerable Mary Sibley, Salem’s most powerful enchantress; Shane West as handsome, hardened war veteran John Alden – and Mary’s onetime love interest; Seth Gabel as local aristocrat Cotton Mather, who fans the flames of Salem’s witch hunt; Ashley Madekwe as Mary’s mysterious, carnal accomplice, Tituba; Xander Berkeley as chief politician Magistrate Hale; Tamzin Merchant as the forthright Anne Hale, an artist with a perilous attraction to Alden; Elise Eberle as the mysteriously afflicted Mercy Lewis; and Iddo Goldberg as outcast Isaac Walton.

“Salem” Episode 1.02 – “The Stone Child” (airs 4/27/14)
John investigates what’s really going on in Salem as the fear over witches rises, and Mary prepares to execute a plan.

Keep your eyes on the “Salem” Facebook page for updates and more info.

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