Rob Zombie
Hellbilly Deluxe

THE REVIEW

Putting an end to the White Zombie experience, which had produced great albums like "L.A. Sexorcisto" and "Astro Creep: 2000," the singer (as well as director and writer) Rob Zombie begins his solo career with this good album, where all his major influences come together: from Slayer-like killer riffs to Ministry-like technological blasts passing through nods to a certain Marilyn Manson, resulting in a good album—not a masterpiece, mind you—but a pleasant, captivating album from the first song to the last, an album that attracts even without being the epitome of originality!

“Hellbilly Deluxe” begins with an intro (“Call Of The Zombie”), in which a girl recites some verses that might (?) belong to some evil poetry. It really kicks off with “Superbeast,” relentless drums, sinister voice for an anthemic chorus, and industrial base for one of the best tracks on the entire album, besides having become a Rob classic. In the same vein as “Superbeast” is “Dragula,” but there’s more openness to certain disco/new wave rhythms typical of Reverend Manson, which does not ruin the song at all; quite the contrary, it's very lively and full of energy for a Rob in great shape! The masterpiece of the album is the following “Living Dead Girl,” a dark atmosphere introduces us to a paced and dirty industrial track, halfway between Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, with heavy riffs taken from thrash metal and Arabesque influences setting the stage for this excellent piece. “Perversion 99,” in its short duration, is a murky dark/industrial instrumental serving as filler, unnecessary. “Demonoid Phenomenon” is another highlight of the album, another piece that maliciously blends Slayer-like riffs and technological flair, again with an anthemic refrain.

“Spookshow Baby” is a more rock-oriented piece, slightly moving away from industrial and skillfully embracing certain oriental influences, resulting in another enjoyable song. “How to Make a Monster” is another filler, an industrial speed track lasting 1 minute and 38 seconds. “Meet The Creeper” is a somewhat repetitive track, but its main riff and technological embellishments enrich it, making it a nice song. “The Ballad Of Resurrection Joe And Rosa Whore” is a track with the typical Reznor-esque main theme, but enriched by a refrain more in Rob's style, decidedly more aggressive than that of NIN. A vicious piece (in the sense of angry) is “What Lurks on Channel X?” with heavy drums and a dirty, hard riff, even though Rob is not at his best, not aggressive enough, but delivers a low and hoarse voice. The organ of a funeral mass introduces us to “Return Of The Phantom Stranger,” a typical Rob Zombie-style track, paced industrial with dark background atmospheres, with melodic openings regarding the voice, quieter and more relaxed (with due exceptions, of course), concluding this dive into Rob's murky mind with the outro “The Beginning Of The End,” a 1 minute and 52-second instrumental piece rich in frenzied drums and technological samples.

In addition to Rob's fans, I highly recommend it to lovers of the already mentioned Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Slayer, and Marilyn Manson.