Rock’s resident master of macabre, shock rock’s slinger of sludge, horror’s howling voice of insanity, the Superbeast, aka Rob Zombie, returns with a vicious aural assault on an album titled Hellbilly Deluxe 2.
In all honesty, I haven’t listened to Rob Zombie since The Sinister Urge and I originally became a fan when I first heard White Zombie’s La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1. To be fair to you and this review, I’ve since gone back and listened to (for the first time) Educated Horses.
At first I wanted to say that Hellbilly Deluxe 2 was a move away from the remixed/club feel of his earlier work, but after listening to the somewhat ominous Educated Horses I have to say that it’s a bit of a return to it. However, despite being championed as a “sequel” to 1998’s Hellbilly Deluxe, the new album is considerably more rooted in classic metal riffs and hooks (on tracks such as “Jesus Frankenstein” and “Virgin Witch”), with a bit of psychobilly sprinkled in (see tracks “What?” and “Werewolf Women of the SS”), and some southern slide and bluesy charm (“Werewolf, baby”) than Zombie’s first two solo efforts.
Although it’s clear that Rob Zombie is evolving, which is a good thing for an artist to do, fans of his earlier work won’t be disappointed as there are the typical Zombie grooves and frat-house fist-pumping anthems along with the sci-fi/horror-inspired samples on this recording. A particularly pleasing surprise was the ode to the ‘70s drum solo in middle of the 9:44 track “The Man Who Laughs.”
Hellbilly Deluxe 2 is Rob Zombie’s first album with Roadrunner Records, and although reception of the first single, “What?”, hasn’t been astonishing, the standout tracks I think people will enjoy most are “Jesus Frankenstein,” “Sick Bubblegum,” “Mars Needs Women” (the first track I went back to listen to a second time), “Werewolf Women of the SS” (something that sounds like Quentin Tarantino would enjoy), and “The Man Who Laughs.”
The album also features the closest thing resembling a band Rob Zombie has had since his days in White Zombie. Working closely with his most sustained touring band, you’ll find and hear the influences of John 5, Piggy D., and Tommy Clufetos. Also of note is the fact that Hellbilly Deluxe 2 may be the last CD Rob Zombie releases, as he’s interested in moving to a strictly digital format of distribution. As such, if you’re a fan of his album art, you will want to pick up this CD, which will feature collaborations with a number of artists (Dan Brereton, Alex Horley, David Hartman, and Sam Shearon).
If you’re looking for an album to get your blood flowing, pick up Hellbilly Deluxe 2.
