With the release of his latest album, Marilyn Manson’s creative team took audiophilia to a new level. When The Pale Emperor dropped, it was made available in the typical mp3 and vinyl formats and, in a confounding move, as a PlayStation disc. There was no hidden Manson-themed video game to be found on the disc; the format was chosen in order to further emphasize Mason’s trademarked aesthetic. PlayStation discs are made of black polycarbonate, and they’re thicker and more durable than a regular CD-ROM. When a purchaser initially opens The Pale Emperor CD packaging, the disc appears to be completely black, but with the added thermal layer, it slowly turns white when it heats up in a player. It’s kind of like a mood ring… a sad, gothic mood ring. It’s supposed to mirror the themes to be found on The Pale Emperor; the contrast between light and dark, hot and cold, life and death, Manson’s pale face shrouded in a black cloak, etc. Read more about the CD over at Kill Screen.