Zombie Releases Hellbilly Deluxe 2

After a four year hiatus, Rob Zombie returns with his fourth full-length studio album, “Hellbilly Deluxe 2,” a diverse compilation of southern blues influenced metal tracks, go-go-girl inspiring spook sessions and the reoccurring theme of a classic horror movie soundtrack.

Completed in 2008, “Hellbilly Deluxe 2” has been repeatedly delayed due to Zombie’s commitment to the Halloween movie series which he resurrected a few years back. The new album mixes elements of hardcore punk, electronic samples, southern rock and blues and of course, his trademark spooky metal sound all pieced together with audio clips of vintage movie dialogue and unusual but entertaining filler.

Unfortunately, “Hellbilly Deluxe 2” is no “Hellbilly Deluxe”-not by a long shot.

With the addition of ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist, John5, you would expect the most demonic Rob Zombie album to date. However, John5’s guitar solos (which aren’t that bad) simply don’t mix with the sound “Hellbilly Deluxe” fans are so familiar with. At times, the guitar riffs sound like rehashed White Zombie and to make matters worse, Rob Zombie’s voice is sounding as weak as ever.

The new album could have been more appropriately titled “The Sinister Urge 2.” This isn’t a horrible record though, just not what you would expect for being the companion to one of the greatest metal albums of our time.

The highlight of “Hellbilly Deluxe 2” is the opening track, “Jesus Frankenstein.” This song is a roller coaster of dark screams over a simple guitar rhythm accented with spooky comic book-like lyrics. At times, it slows down to a dramatic pace and than intensifies with Zombie screaming “All Hail Jesus Frankenstein.” Check out this track.

Another notable cut is “Sick Bubblegum,” which sounds more like classic White Zombie than any material in the Rob Zombie catalog. John5 shines with his guitar solos on this track which again, sound quite similar to the classic guitar stylings of White Zombie. This makes one wonder how significant of a role John5 actually played in the writing of the guitars on this record. Is John5 trying to sound like White Zombie? Is Rob Zombie pushing John5 to sound like White Zombie? Does it really matter? Check out this track and decide for yourself.

Closing the new album is “The Man Who Laughs,” a tune which sounds similar to material on Rob’s 2001 album “The Sinister Urge.” A symphony orchestra serves as a backdrop to this old-school onslaught of traditional metal guitar riffs and an overly dramatic vibe. Like the rest of the album, this is a decent track-it just lacks a spark of creativity. Maybe the “Superbeast” himself needs to take a vacation and rediscover his creative side.

Hyped as having “the best artwork yet,” “Hellbilly Deluxe 2” falls short of expectations-mostly for the poor choice of title. If you’re a die-hard Rob Zombie fan (or White Zombie fan for that matter), you’ll probably dig this album. If you’re exclusively an old-school “Hellbilly Deluxe” fan, don’t be fooled by the scary cover. It will most likely disappoint.

Recommended for fans of: White Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Megadeth, and Static-X.
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