Rob Zombie
Hellbilly Deluxe II
Release Date: Feb 2, 2010
Genre(s): Rock, Metal
Record label: Roadrunner Records
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Album Review: Hellbilly Deluxe II by Rob Zombie
Fairly Good, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating B-
It’s hard to divine why Mr. Zombie has made this particular CD. Hellbilly Deluxe 2, an official ”sequel” to his 1998 solo debut, given that his two subsequent releases both stuck close to that collection’s muscular horror-rock vibe. Regardless, the musician-auteur does not overly besmirch the memory of HD1 with such monster-invoking metalers as ”Jesus Frankenstein” and ”Werewolf Women of the SS.” However, he saves the true horror for CD closer ”The Man Who Laughs.” A drum solo? Now, that’s scary.
Based on rating 6/10
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. 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. 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.
Based on rating 6/10
Having created one of shock rock’s most distinctive sounds with White Zombie and on his own with such great albums as La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1, Astro-Creep 2000, and Hellbilly Deluxe, Rob Zombie doesn’t have to put out another new album again. His musical legacy is set, plus he’s gone on to enjoy a very fruitful new career as a horror movie director with five popular feature films now under his belt, and counting.