ROB ZOMBIE ‘Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool’ (Roadrunner/Loud & Proud) RATING: 9/10 Buy in Live-Metal.net Shop

By GREG MAKI

I don’t believe a reason has been given on Geffen Records’ end for allowing Rob Zombie to walk before the release of his fourth solo studio album, the sequel to his 1998 solo debut. If the decision was linked somehow to the quality of the material, someone at Geffen, Zombie’s longtime home dating back to the White Zombie days, has some explaining to do. Hellbilly Deluxe 2 is easily Zombie’s best since his first Hellbilly offering.

Obviously, Rob Zombie is the architect of this album. It’s his show, and any praise for it must start with him. He’s in fine form as a songwriter; see the ridiculously infectious chorus of “Sick Bubble-Gum.” At this point, though, we know what we’re going to get from him vocally and he doesn’t deviate from those expectations. So I want to focus on the musicians surrounding him. With guitarist John 5, bassist Matt “Piggy D.” Montgomery and drummer Tommy Clufetos, Zombie’s never had a stronger, and he knows it. Like Educated Horses (2006) before it, Hellbilly Deluxe 2 takes him away from his familiar industrial-metal trappings and has a looser, classic-rock, garage-band feel. Zombie’s music has always been good, but it’s never been this fun before.

I don’t have the songwriting credits in front of me, but John 5’s influence is all over this album, making it the most guitar-driven of Zombie’s career. The guitarist, who also showcases his diverse talents on solo releases of his own, creatively employs a range of styles and techniques, perhaps most surprisingly a Southern rock tilt on “Werewolf, Baby.” There’s also more soloing than on any previous Zombie recording (check out the end of “Virgin Witch”). Clufetos also stands out, providing the rock-solid foundation every band needs, and—talk about a blast from the past—he even gets a four-minute solo on the album-closing “The Man Who Laughs.” Maybe I’m biased as a former drummer, but I find that incredibly exciting and cool to hear on a studio disc.

Today’s Zombie is not the one who got his big break when Beavis and Butt-Head watched his video in the early ‘90s, and some old-school fans might have fallen by the wayside. He’s become a well-rounded entertainer and, I would argue, between his budding career as a filmmaker and Hellbilly Deluxe 2, has reached a new creative high.