It’s as if Rob Zombie’s trying to be something else, but still coming up totally Zombie. Influenced by ‘60s garage rock, the vocals are run through a maximal amount of mid-range distortion and accented by tambourine clinks and organ riffs behind the usual crunch, but where bands like the Horrors make raw revival work for them, “What” is too calculated and processed to actually sound raw. Chris Baseford’s production is thick throughout, notwithstanding the single “What,” a song Zombie and company wrote and recorded in only a few hours. His trademark “yeah” and monotone hoedown growl are still front and center, the B-horror movie references are still plentiful (Frankenstein, martians, witches, and two songs about werewolves), and the chugging guitars and dark, sleek beats are still trashy enough to be stripclub staples. “Jesus Frankenstein,” “Sick Bubblegum,” and “Mars Needs Women” are the same schlocky grooves that made up his five previous solo records and six White Zombie records. This could be because it was his first outing to include help from his bandmates (longtime touring comrades guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D, and drummer Tommy C), but it’s probably more attributable to the fact that making this type of song is old hat by now.
Returning with his first album since 2006’s Educated Horses after several delays following the record’s completion in 2008 - due to his work on Halloween 2, time spent shopping for a new label after 18 years of recording for Geffen, and, perhaps, a lack of public interest - Zombie has since gone on to say that the songs on Hellbilly Deluxe 2 were his easiest to write. However, "nice" should never be a word that can describe a Rob Zombie record.Love him or hate him as a director or as a musician, Rob Zombie shows no signs of closing the door on either of his creative endeavors anytime soon. JOHN 5 does his best to disguise lifeless riffs with some stylish playing and a killer tone, resulting in some nice mainstream metal. "Sick Bubblegum" is catchier than any song with a "Rock, motherfucker" rejoinder deserves to be, and "What?" may be the best GIBBY HAYNES impression since 1996, right down to lyrics that sound made up on the spot. Even when he isn't sounding awkwardly experimental, songs like "Mars Needs Women" and "Burn" are worthy of Rob's mediocre kid brother's band, but not the guy who gave us Astro-Creep 2000. "Werewolf Women of the SS" is an undeserving musical counterpart to Rob's inspiring Grindhouse trailer. The artsy detours and sound clips on "Jesus Frankenstein" and particularly the interminable "The Man Who Laughs" distract from otherwise fine songs. He's maintained the bells and whistles that made WHITE ZOMBIE stand out, but he no longer has the hooks to carry them. Sheri Moon Zombie sounds like an artist who should be on Roadrunner pitching himself to The End Records.
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