Manson took it upon himself to field questions and discuss his upcoming album and tour plans a few days ago.

He declared that The Union Underground and Godhead would support the first half of the upcoming tour, and he wasn’t kidding. “Appearing on the second half will be Cold and Godhead,” Manson said. We’ll find out for sure when that tour leg is announced, presumably in the near future.

On September 18, the Thin White Spook posted a nine-minute video clip on his Web site in which he responds to fans’ questions and reveals tidbits about Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death). The album is scheduled for release November 14 and the first single “Disposable Teens,” is already at radio.

Written in the house where the Rolling Stones lived during the making of Let It Bleed, Holy Wood is Manson’s first studio album in two years. Last year, he released a collection of songs recorded on his 1998 outing, Last Tour On Earth.

A number of dates on that tour were canceled due to civic pressure after the Columbine shootings. The student gunmen were allegedly fans of the shock rocker.

The pressure and controversy haven’t suppressed Manson’s love of graphic imagery, though. He describes Holy Wood as a record “… specifically designed for use while being beaten upon or inspiring you to beat upon someone. I’m not saying you should do that,” he adds. “I wanted to beat myself to death after listening to the entire record. If you don’t want to hurt anybody after listening to the entire record, I think you can take it back for a refund.”