•
Rating:
I begin by stating that I've never been a fan of Rob Zombie, partly because I'm not very familiar with him and partly because in the world of industrial/alternative metal I prefer other artists. But lately, I've realized that this particular figure has fired some noteworthy shots throughout his career, capable of hitting the mark.
First with White Zombie, and just mentioning this group, I think "La Sexorcisto" or "Astro-Creep 2000" convey the idea well, and then as a solo artist, capable of producing an album like "Hellbilly Deluxe," perhaps his best work, with tracks like "Dragula" or "Superbeast" that have now become heavy classics, nothing to envy to Ministry or the golden age Marilyn Manson.
After the equally interesting work "The Sinister Urge," released in 2001, one had to wait five years for the release of this "Educated Horses."
Five peculiar years for someone like him, considering that during these years, besides co-producing the Ramones tribute album "We're A Happy Family," he also started directing some good-quality horror films (it's well-known that he has the role of director in his blood) like "La Casa Dei 1000 Corpi" or "La Casa Del Diavolo".
And indeed, in Rob Zombie's universe, something was genuinely changing. Apart from the aforementioned opening to the cinematic world, right in "The Sinister Urge" one could already feel something different. But in "Educated Horses," Rob does even more. First of all, Mike Riggs is out of the group to make room for John 5, former guitarist of the aforementioned Marilyn Manson, who adds a bit of spice with his heavy riffs. Secondly, now the Superbeast is not only that mysterious splatter character from "Hellbilly Deluxe," or the wild madman from "The Sinister Urge," but he also approaches sounds that many would have never expected from him. And sometimes he succeeds ("Foxy, Foxy", heavily criticized by many, or the acoustic marches of "Death Of It All" and "Ride"), while other times less so, revealing his decidedly less appealing side, in the truest sense of the word ("The Scorpion Sleeps", perhaps Rob's worst song, characterized by a melody I can't fully appreciate).
However, there are still pieces in his classic style, like "Let It All Bleed Out" (very close to the recent "rides" of Rammstein), "American Witch", "The Lords Of Salem" (both inspired by the Salem Witch Trials of the late 1600s, especially recommended is the second one), "The Devil's Rejects" (perhaps the posthumous theme of "La Casa Del Diavolo"?) or the instrumental "100 Ways", with a bass somewhat reminiscent of Mr. Trent Reznor's sounds from the time of "The Fragile" ("Ripe (With Decay)" as a reference). In short, something for everyone. And that's what counts.
However, in trying to do more, Rob perhaps dared too much, paying less attention to quality. "Educated Horses" is far from being a masterpiece, but despite everything, it is not the mediocre CD some claimed it was at the time. You just need to skip a few low-quality fillers to find some flashes of genius scattered here and there.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 American Witch (03:48)
Body of a monkey and the feet of a cock,
Dragged from her home on the killing rock,
The black dog dying on the weather vain,
The Devil's in a cat and the baby's brain,
[Chorus]
The End - The End of The American,
The End - The End of The American,
The End - The End of The American,
The End - The End of The American Witch,
Alone on the hill and ready to die,
The cancer of darkness - a blackened eye,
The mark of the wolf and the sign of the calf,
Angels bleed down above the raft,
We all pray for 20 innocents,
We all bow down 20 innocents,
We all hang high - 20 innocents,
We all accused - 20 innocents,
[Chorus]
Do you want to know where their dreams come from?
Some showed the faith and some showed none.
We all pray for 20 innocents,
We all bow down 20 innocents,
We all hang high - 20 innocents,
We all accused - 20 innocents,
[Chorus]
Do you want to know where their dreams come from?
Some showed the faith and some showed none.
The End - The End of The American Witch
03 Foxy Foxy (03:29)
He who gets slapped and he who gets saved,
He who brutalizes the timeless stage.
He is the mongrel, he wants it all,
He lives for relics, hang on the wall.
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
She who looks back, and she looks away,
She internalizes the motion wave.
She is the butcher,
She wants the air,
She hides the scars under her hair.
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
05 The Scorpion Sleeps (03:38)
Yeah,
Yeah,
Midnight candy four cups of coffee,
I ate my breakfast with a side of eggs,
I saw something in the jungle,
Low in gear - black mudd on my legs,
She was something stretch before me,
Her arms into wings into pillbox heads,
Can the side show - wherever you go,
Two naked figures in my breath,
Can you see it?
If you feel it,
The Scorpion Sleeps right in my hand,
A poison dealer,
An evil wheeler,
How can I make you understand?
Yeah alright - Said it's alright - Yeah alright
A blue light shindig - Well I'm addicted,
Killing black kettle is what they saw,
I feel like something in the congo,
Dead were the women not the warriors,
Last great road show - A canvas tilt go,
Arms into wings into pillbox heads,
Creep the high-go and keep the down low,
Into the mind of a melting man,
Can you see it?
If you feel it,
The Scorpion Sleeps right in my hand,
A poison dealer,
An evil wheeler,
How can I make you understand?
Yeah alright - Said it's alright - Yeah alright
Can you see it?
If you feel it,
The Scorpion Sleeps right in my hand,
A poison dealer,
An evil wheeler,
How can I make you understand?
Yeah alright - Said it's alright - Yeah alright
07 Let It All Bleed Out (04:09)
(One time I saw a Filipino cab driver, cut out a cancer with a rusty butter knife.)
BLEED - BLEED - BLEED IT OUT - YEAH!
A rat on the scraps,
Jaws to the fossil,
Turn into conventional man, yeah!
(conventional man, yeah!) [x3]
Persistance of the system,
Acccumilate collection like a
Hype show on the surface,
(On the surface) [x3]
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out!
(Bleed Out!)
High status freaks,
Grandize and screaming,
I'm a Major, Prince, Squire and King, Yeah!
(Squire and King, Yeah!) [x3]
Black tie appearance,
Circus roles for nothing,
All the odd ones leave'em screaming,
(Leave'em screaming) [x3]
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out!
(Bleed Out!)
(Let it all,
Let it all,
Let it all bleed out,)
BLEED - BLEED - BLEED IT OUT - YEAH!
BLEED - BLEED - BLEED IT OUT - YEAH!
A rat on the scraps,
Jaws to the fossil,
Turn into conventional man, yeah!
(conventional man, yeah!) [x3]
Persistance of the system,
Acccumilate collection like a
Hype show on the surface,
(On the surface) [x3]
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out!
(Bleed Out!)
(Let It All Bleed Out)
11 The Lords of Salem (04:14)
([Crowd Chants:] Zombie! Zombie! Zombie! Zombie!)
I speak the truth,
I dare not tell a lie,
One child is in fits,
The other child dies,
Now the yellow bird sits upon her finger,
The yellow bird a specter lost to linger,
God Hates - The Lords of Salem,
No can ever save them,
God Hates - The Lords of Salem,
No one can destroy them,
Do you think they suffered,
Up on Gallows Hill?
Burn me and hang me,
And I always will,
Tumble like a swine,
A victim of the fury,
Glory to the saint,
Before you start to bury,
God Hates - The Lords of Salem,
No can ever save them,
God Hates - The Lords of Salem,
No one can destroy them,
God Hates - The Lords of Salem,
No can ever save them,
God Hates - The Lords of Salem,
No one can destroy them,
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By LuKaPiz
Rob talks about things I would talk about if I ever wrote metal pieces.
In an ever more crowded metal universe of subgenres and fleeting trends, how satisfying is it to finally be able to simply call an album "HEAVY METAL"?
