Hellbilly Deluxe: Solo Debut from the Ultimate Horror Fanboy
Written: Mar 06 '06
Product Rating:
Pros: Entertaining, loud, generally cool...
Cons: Not all songs are great, definitely an acquired taste...
The Bottom Line: If you liked Rob Zombie's work with White Zombie, then you are going to be impressed by Hellbilly Deluxe. It's an extension of the work he did with his band.
lambchops's Full Review: Hellbilly Deluxe [Edited] by Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is a pop culture visionary. He combines audio snippets, lines, and general clichés from horror movies to create interesting and entertaining music. It all began with his with his work as frontman of metal band White Zombie and has continued through today with his work as a solo artist. As far as I’m concerned, Zombie is definitely among the most charismatic and wildly enjoyable rock figures of the past few decades.
First things first—Rob Zombie is not “scary.” He may look frightening with his imposing glare, dreads, and grubby attire but the truth is that this is all part of his fascination with horror. Everything is based around horror culture from his look to his sound to his home (at least according to an old episode of MTV Cribs). Interviews show the rocker to be a well spoken, flexible, and intelligent artist. These things along with my own personal love of horror and rock and roll have made White Zombie and Rob Zombie very guilty pleasures.
After writing, producing, and performing on six White Zombie albums (including one remix release, Supersexy Swingin’ Sounds) between the late 1980s and mid 1990s, the singular Zombie struck out on his own. The Massachusetts native, born Robert Cummings, made his debut with 1998’s Hellbilly Deluxe. In the years that have since transpired he has released two more albums (American Made Music to Strip By and The Sinister Urge) along with a best of compilation. Zombie is expected to release his fourth solo album titled Educated Horses in Spring 2006. Each album has been wickedly entertainingly and carefully assembled. Zombie is a perfectionist in every sense of the word.
Hellbilly Deluxe (1998) was a risky move. White Zombie was among the most visible and most popular mainstream metal bands in the nation when Rob decided to go it alone. The switch was of little note to fans—the truth of the matter is that Zombie’s sound changed very little from the band to solo. Heck, he was always the one who held the reigns. This way, I suppose, at least it was “official.” Hellbilly Deluxe is for all intents and purposes a White Zombie album just with slightly different players. It sounds like one, it feels like one, and the cover looks like one (Rob Zombie is a very visual artist). In all, I get the same joy out of this particular album as I did from all prior releases. And for those of you who keep track of such trivial info, Hellbilly Deluxe sold well. It topped out in the number 5 slot on the Billboard 200.
Despite all of the admiration I have for Zombie, I wouldn’t ever say that that he appeals to every listener. The obvious horror overtones translate as “creepy” in many musical vocabularies. That bit of nastiness out of the way, I think there are many good reasons to love this music—most notably the fact that its primary intent is to entertain. I respect any artist who doesn’t think he or she is in the position to educate and enlighten. Zombie clearly understands that it is his position to simply rock. A quick glance at the thirteen track titles supports this fact. I mean how can you possibly take a guy who names songs How to Make a Monster, Demonoid Phenomenon and Spookshow Baby too seriously?
The first real song of Hellbilly Deluxe comes after a brief opener. Crank up your volume for Superbeast and leave it cranked for the remainder of this thumping, hard hitting, industrial influenced metal album. Despite the fact that there are a few obvious hits (Dragula and Living Dead Girl), this is a consistently good release. Superbeast is a great place to start off. Heck, the thumping guitars paired with wailing synthesizers and Zombie’s trademark guttural chanting make the song worth checking out. This is definitely the kind of creepy whack-you-over-the-head sort of metal I’ve come to expect from the multi-talented performer.
Dragula and Living Dead Girl are next on the table. As the two biggest hits of the album, it goes without saying they are entertaining. Plus as with the rest of this album it is clear that Zombie knows when to end a song. He doesn’t fill them full of unnecessary flourishes. These are tight, concise rock tracks. He always ends them before I grow tired. Dragula is first up and driven by percussion and electric guitars. The camp factor is fully realized here—the apparent object of Zombie’s obsession is Herman Munster’s car. It is funny at the same time the artist makes it seems incredibly sinister. I love the dichotomy of Zombie’s craft. Another thing I can’t ignore about Dragula is that it is just as suited for the dance floor as it is cranked on my stereo. I’m similarly pleased by Living Dead Girl which once again twists together b-movie samples, electric guitars, synths, heavy percussion, and those wickedly pleasurable throaty vocals. This one definitely also has some heavy duty industrial influences which adds a bit of vague diversity to the album.
It would be easy to just stop the review here and say “yeah, the rest of Hellbilly Deluxe sounds just like you’d expect” but I’m not going to. In fact, I think what really draws me back to this album at the same frequency as other Zombie (both “White” and “Rob”) releases is that it is chock full of surprises. The brief Perversion 99 features a comparatively gentle and whimsical melody. It serves as something of a segway into Demonoid Phenomenon which like Dragula is well suited to dance floors. Fast paced, face crushing, and infused with a good dash of dance beats and synthesizers sets the song apart. Plus I am impressed as always by Zombie’s occasional use of Edgar Allan Poe references.
Spookshow Baby continues in the campy horror-influenced direction and while not as excellent as the songs it follows it is still worth hearing. The thing about Zombie albums is that they are consistent. I for one wouldn’t say they are the most creative, unique or accessible releases but they are definitely amusing—especially for fans of horror flicks. Meet the Creeper is certainly a better song with more of those guitars/synths/vocals I can’t get enough of. Even as I would expect Hellbilly Deluxe to be winding down I still am impressed. The Ballad of Resurrection Joe and Rosa Whore is a muted, unusually mechanical sort of track. The mechanized feel is definitely a testament to Zombie’s heavy industrial influence. Wild and weird and generally cool (yes, I said “cool”) this is one of the most worthwhile songs of the album.
What Lurks on Channel X?, Return of the Phantom Stranger and Beginning of the End wrap things up nicely though I must admit that the best moments of Hellbilly Deluxe appear earlier. That said, I don’t think that this album is going to turn anybody into a Zombie fan. You love him or you hate him—there is no middle ground. The first step to enjoying this music is to realize it is not “serious.” Sure it is well made and Zombie is talented, but the fact is that the inspiration is rooted in horror b-movies. Once you make that distinction maybe the irony of the whole effort will become clearer.
Hellbilly Deluxe is a good album. I think it is on level with both Astro-Creep 2000 and La Sexorcisto, though it clearly doesn’t blaze any new trails. If you expect to be surprised by what you hear, you will be thoroughly disappointed. Otherwise, Hellbilly Deluxe is a worthwhile purchase.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Call of the Zombie
02. Superbeast
03. Dragula
04. Living Dead Girl
05. Perversion 99
06. Demonoid Phenomenon
07. Spookshow Baby
08. How to Make a Monster.
09. Meet the Creeper
10. The Ballad of Resurrection Joe and Rosa Whore
11. What Lurks on Channel X?
12. Return of the Phantom Stranger
13. The Beginning of the End
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