Rob Zombie Hellbilly Deluxe 2

Rob Zombie
Hellbilly Deluxe 2
buy album here

When it comes to Rob Zombie, there are no surprises as far as what you are in store for. So rather than waste your time and my breath rehashing over and over again who he is and what he does, I will get straight to the meat and potatoes of why we are all here: the new album. Throughout the past year, there has been a certain buzz that has surrounded this record and a sense of mystery regarding the release of Hellbilly Deluxe 2 and what exactly it was going to sound like. Well friends, the time has come, the album is hot off the press, and it is more than likely all that you had hoped for and quite possibly more.
Deep down inside, I was hoping: a.) that Rob Zombie and company hadn't changed a bit stylistically speaking, b.) they hadn't abandoned their love of madmen, monsters and the macabre, and c.) they still rocked as hard as they had in the past. I am happy to say that all three of my wishes for this record have come true. From the packaging, to the lyrics, to the sound, this is a Rob Zombie record in the deepest sense, straight to the marrow. The entire record ROCKS, and does so in an extremely heavy fashion. Like his previous material, Rob has carefully placed controversial and horrific samples along with mood music into the mix, presenting great transitions, intros, and outros to the eleven listed tracks. However, though the sound is big, it is much more stripped down than what we have heard before, keeping the layers to a minimum and a strong emphasis placed on the hooks which run rampant throughout. Beginning things with "Jesus Frankenstein" and "Sick Bubble Gum", you've already got enough catchy chorus work that will serve as your ear-worms for the next month. Rob's voice is raspy and his delivery ranges from the demented preacher. to carnival barker, to the weary prophet. John 5 once again proves his wizardry with both taste and technical prowess, adapting to the different styles within the confines of the album and providing just the right rhythm and lead tracks for the melodic direction of a great deal of the material. Piggy D and Tommy C, on bass and drums respectively, add the low end and groove to round out the massive Hellbilly Deluxe 2.
"What?" and "Werewolf, Baby" bring a strong vintage horror and garage rock vibe to the mix, complete with Farfisa organ and chord progressions that could just as easily accompany a 1960's B- Horror movie soundtrack or haunted house score. "Mars Needs Women" begins with an intro that sounds like something that could have come out of the mid-period Zeppelin camp with acoustic 12-string, mandolin, and soft hand percussion accents. This change of pace doesn't last too long however, as the track quickly crashes into a heavy half-time feel with crunchy, distorted wah-wah leads and chanted vocal work. "Werewolf, Baby" features John 5 with nasty slide guitar leads, which sound a great deal like something we would have heard from Raging Slab in the early 90's.
Hats off to you, Mr. Zombie, for another job well done. It seems that with Hellbilly Deluxe 2, he is as strong as ever and still up to the same old shenanigans. I highly doubt that he will be hanging up his boots any time soon. Thus, the masses are happy, all fat and sassy with bellies full of hellbilly goodness and monster mayhem. Amen and goodnight. -Andrew Bryant