Band : Rob Zombie
Album Title : Hellbilly Deluxe 2
Label : Roadrunner Records
Distribution : CNR – Concreteweb Promotion Office
Release date : 01/02/2010
Review : CD

“Hellbilly Deluxe 2” is the fourth studio album of the American metal musician and horror filmmaker Rob Zombie. The album was already recorded in 2008, but was postponed until February 2010, due to obligations with his fifth movie, “Halloween II” (2009).
Multi-talent Rob Zombie founded the industrial metal band White Zombie in 1985, started a solo career in 1998 and wrote, produced and directed several horror movies over the last couple of years, like for instance “House Of 1000 Corpses” (2003), “The Devil’s Rejects” (2005) and the remake of “Halloween” (2007). Enough about Zombie’s film career, we’re here to discuss his music.
After disbanding White Zombie in 1998, Rob Zombie released his debut solo album “Hellbilly Deluxe” (1998), which sold three million copies in the USA only.
The remix album “American Made Music To Strip By” (1999), the studio albums “The Sinister Urge” (2001), “Educated Horses” (2006), the compilation album “Past, Present & Future” (2003) and the live album “Zombie Live” (2007) followed and contributed to a sales figure of more than 15 million albums sold worldwide.

And let’s not forget that Zombie also got nominated not less than seven times for a Grammy Award. Tasteful ingredients of Zombie’s swampy heavy metal are his thundering voice, the driving guitar riffs and the surreal lyrics influenced by sick horror films. For years now, the line-up of the band is steady with guitarist John 5 (ex-Marilyn Manson), bass player Piggy D. (Amen, Wednesday 13) and drummer Tommy Clufetos (Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper). On the new album, “Hellbilly Deluxe 2” (11 songs, playing time 46 minutes), with as subtitle “Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls And The Systematic Dehumanization Of Cool”, this line-up provides a dark, creepy atmosphere.
Highlights of the album are the opening track “Jesus Frankenstein”, the single “Sick Bubblegum”, “Virgin Witch”, “Death And Destiny Inside The Dream Factory” and “Werewolf Women Of The SS”. On the other hand, I wonder why we have to cope with the tedious and superficial drum solo in “The Man Who Laughs” (a song that takes almost 10 minutes). Rob Zombie has regularly toured in the USA, but it’s been an incredibly long time ago since we saw the man on stage in Europe. Maybe something for the festivals?

80/100

Erik.