Issue #22: Rob Zombie – Hellbilly Deluxe

Released:  August 25th, 1998

Recorded:  ?

Genre:  Industrial Metal/Rock

Record Label:  Geffen

Duration:  38:23

Producers:  Rob Zombie, Scott Humphrey

Personnel

Track Listing

Singles

Why Hellbilly Deluxe is One of My Favorites

Rob Zombie’s debut solo effort, Hellbilly Deluxe, rarely left my CD player from the moment I bought it.  It’s got the grinding, churning guitars from Manson’s Antichrist Superstar, Ministry’s knack for sampling, tidbits of Reznor’s “noise as music” and electronic from The Downward Spiral, and Korn’s sense of rhythm from their self-titled record.  And just to keep it fun without a bunch of socio-political lyrics to decode, there’s a generous helping of the Misfits’ overt love of horror.  Hellbilly Deluxe crams so much of what I personally find appealing into one package that it’s definitely one of my favorite favorites.

Rob Zombie obviously loves horror movies.  He named his previous band (White Zombie) after a 1932 horror film, went on to make horror movies of his own (which improved with each subsequent release), and he’s thoroughly saturated Hellbilly Deluxe with horror related samples (mostly from 70’s B-movies).  This album plays out like some kind of horror fairy tale; dark and creepy to be sure, but also containing its fair share of schlock and camp.  It’s a fun record about silly stuff with a booming soundtrack to match.

The music on Hellbilly may not be terribly original as evidenced by my description of the sound, but it doesn’t bother me, because Zombie pulls it off with aplomb.  The production here really gives the album its own sound, with emphasis on the various grooves created by Zombie and his growling vocal delivery.  After the opening track sets the mood, the bone crushing “Superbeast” kicks in, alternating between a muted, hissing grumble during the verses and full-on shouting in the hook.  This track hits hard and always manages to fire me up.  “Dragula” has a fitting “traveling rhythm” to it, with its intensity captured in bursts between Zombie’s cryptic lyrics about being dead, or something.  “Living Dead Girl” makes some of the best use of sampling on the record, and much like the previous 2 tracks establishes an unmistakable groove.

“Perversion 99” marks the album’s first interlude, and though it’s not quite a song, its got a sufficiently eerie exotic theme playing throughout, like a warped horror movie soundtrack, or perhaps something mummy-related taking place within the cool, dark corridors of a pyramid.  “Demonoid Phenomenon” continues the assault with some of the heaviest and fastest riffing on Hellbilly while also ushering in more of the record’s more electronic components with its abrasive industrial flavored synth.  “Spookshow Baby” moves further into industrial territory, utilizing electronics for much of the song.  “How to Make a Monster” sounds a lot like filler at first, but with a careful listen, it becomes clear that there’s a pretty amazing song underneath, intentionally obscured by low volume and lo-fi production.  Thankfully, we’d get another chance to hear it on 1999’s remix album American Music Made to Strip By, a great complimentary piece to those (like me) who can’t get enough of Hellbilly Deluxe.

“Meet the Creeper” brings us back to buzzing rapid-fire guitars, before moving into “The Ballad of Resurrection Joe and Rosa Whore,” what could be described best as an experimental piece.  “What Lurks on Channel X?” is another unconventional piece, sounding much like an early Ministry or KMFDM track.  “Return of the Phantom Stranger” marks the penultimate song on Hellbilly, and Zombie ends up sounding almost exactly like Marilyn Manson during the verses.  This track is more atmospheric than most, building up tension and a sense of foreboding.  Finally, another spastic piece rounds out the album.  Titled “The Beginning of the End,” it tends to suggest even more bizarre things are yet to come.

To quote one line or another would all point at the same stock horror references.  The lyrics may not have some great meaning, but they’re a great deal of fun for anyone who can equally enjoy the disturbing and the absurd all at once.  When a band breaks up and the famous frontman embarks on a solo career, no matter what his or her eventual fate, the first and even second albums are rarely successful.  But Zombie came out with a unique blend of what appealed to hard rock fans: the heaviness the resulted from the merging of metal and industrial and the accessibility found in nu-metal.  The result?  A great album full of energy, full etched in the realm of the fantastic.

Written by The Cubist

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Written by The Cubist

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Find out what these ratings mean and how I rate video games.

I collect as much video gaming paraphernalia as I can get my hands on, especially when it comes to hardware. With over 40 systems including oldies like the ColecoVision and Intellivision, obscurities like the CD-i and 3DO, and the latest and greatest including the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, and PS Vita, I get easily overwhelmed. Most of the time you can find me firmly nestled sometime between 1985 and 1995 when it comes to my games of choice, but I’m also having a great time seeing what the 8th generation has to offer.

Currently in love with: Mortal Kombat

Email me anytime, about anything: thecubist@butthole.nerdbacon.com