Salem type TV Show network WGN America genre Thriller

The devil has come to Salem — and he’s found an ally in none other than the famously eyelinered rocker Marilyn Manson.

In the third season of Salem — which premieres Nov. 2— Manson will recur as Thomas Dinley, the town’s not-so-friendly barber/surgeon (Yup, that was a thing back then), and EW has your first look at Dinley in this exclusive teaser trailer.

“Most us die as we are born — in Agony,” Dinley chillingly says to Isaac (Iddo Goldberg) as he examines (and eats a leech off of) a corpse in the bloody and stomach-churning 20-second teaser.

However, Manson tells EW that Dinley’s agenda consists of more than just haircuts and surgeries. He’ll be teaming up with the devil to create hell on Earth.

“My character ends up being something that could be called the devil’s advocate or the devil’s best friend,” says the Born Villain singer, who also wrote the show’s eerie opening theme song “Cupid Carries a Gun” with composer Tyler Bates.

The new season of Salem concerns the war between the devil and witch Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery), who died at the end of season 2 and will be resurrected when the show returns. Dinley, who does not play a part in bringing Mary back, will be working both sides of the conflict.

“He has no moral balance,” says Manson, who felt right at home on the Shreveport, Louisiana, set. “The place where Dinley operates his business is not dissimilar to my home. I collect a lot of the medical devices.”

Image zoom Sam Lothridge

Although the role wasn’t written for Manson in mind, series creators Brannon Braga and Adam Simon thought he’d be perfect for it when they found out he was interested in being on the show. Braga says Manson “brought the character to live instantly” with his “inherent, exquisite weirdness.” Manson wasn’t sure how to play the part until director Nick Corpus suggested he bring a lot of his personality to the part.

However, unlike Manson, Dinley also has some murderous tendencies. Customers entering Dinley’s shop for a shave need to be on guard, since a beard trim could very well come with a slashed throat.

“He’s Vidal Sassoon and Jack the Ripper,” says Braga. And there’s definitely some Sweeney Todd mixed into the character as well. Says Braga, “Don’t be surprised if you see a meat pie or two.”

Salem returns Wednesday, Nov. 2 on WGN America.

A version of this story appeared in Entertainment Weekly issue #1426, on newsstands now or available digitally here. Don’t forget to subscribe for exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.