Zim Zum

The high point of Linton's music career thus far is his collaboration with Marilyn Manson. Linton was one of 150 people to apply for the guitarist position for Marilyn Manson and one of the 15 to actually audition. He was then hired, moved in with Marilyn Manson two weeks later in New Orleans and toured with the band for the 1996–1997 "Dead to the World" tour. Fans got their first glimpse of Linton during Nothing Records' now notorious showcase, "A Night of Nothing", that was held in 1996 at the Irving Plaza in New York. His first video for the band was "The Beautiful People". By using the stage name "Zim Zum", Linton became the first member of Marilyn Manson to not use a stage name that combined a sex symbol's first and a serial killer's last names.

According to Jeordie White (Twiggy Ramirez), he got his name from his Dungeons & Dragons character, though Manson has said that the name refers to the Kabbalistic concept of Tzimtzum. Linton contributed to all but four of the tracks on the band's 1998 release Mechanical Animals. In July 1998, Zim Zum left Marilyn Manson. He explained that his departure was the result of his desire to "expand on my own music rather than spending the next 18 months on a tour bus or plane" and described the split as "amicable", despite later animosity with the frontman. An interview in Guitar World with Zim stated that being in Marilyn Manson had opened new doors and new opportunities in music. Linton left/was replaced before the Mechanical Animals supporting tour began. His replacement was John 5.