Rob Zombie
HELLBILLY DELUXE II
Roadrunner Records

Let’s be honest, here.  Rob Zombie can come out and say this and that about each and every new release.  He’s always talking about how this album is better than the last because of X, Y or Z.  The reality though?  He’s never released a “Rob Zombie” album that could measure up to the last three “White Zombie” albums.  Further, his solo albums have been largely similar – both from album to album and from song to song.  Sure, Rob’s had some commercial success with songs like “Dragula” and “Living Dead Girl”.  That said though, there’s every few people that really love the Rob Zombie solo music – regardless of what labels and industry types think.  

So now, after years of Rob Zombie’s name being more closely associated with movies than music, he’s back with a new album.  How is it?  Well, some things really don’t change much.  While Rob Zombie is out there saying how this album is a “throwback” and a “sequel”, reality just says it’s another Rob Zombie solo album to these ears.  It’s not bad by any standard, and it’s equally not likely to end up on anyone’s top 10 lists at the end of the year either.  HELLBILLY DELUXE II is HELLBILLY DELUXE.  It is EDUCATED HORSES.  It is THE SINISTER URGE.  In short, your opinion of Rob Zombie’s music previously won’t be challenged in the slightest with this new album.  Take that for what it is.  

HELLBILLY DELUXE II has all the same elements you might expect from previous albums.  Listening to songs like “Mars Needs Women” as a primary example, you hear a smathering of heavy metal riffs, catchy (yet fairly tepid and repetitious) lyrics, as well as sound effects from movies, video games and just general noises.  It’s the theme throughout the entire album, as well as Zombie’s entire solo catalog.  Songs like “Werewolf Baby” is everything you’ve come to expect from Zombie.  Even surrounding himself with more world class musicians like John 5 and Tommy Clufetos does little to bring this up to a new level of any sort.  With the exception of Zombie’s voice being a little less deep than on earlier albums, it’s doubtful that the average person could listen to these songs and separate what’s here from anything he did in the past.  I guess for an artist with a signature sound and style like Zombie, that’s probably not a terrible thing.  Yet, given that he has the White Zombie catalog as well as his solo catalog to compete with, this release continues to weigh itself into the lesser half of his musical career.

PITRIFF RATING – 6/10 – After numerous listens to HELLBILLY DELUXE II, there’s a couple songs that stand as singles for radio, and absolutely nothing that’s overly memorable, different, or enticing here.  It is EXACTLY what I expected it to be.  It’s not terrible.  It’s not great.  It’s just Rob Zombie.  Take that as a compliment or an insult, depending on your previous opinion of his work.  It won’t be changed in the slightest with this effort.

Chris Akin