Issue Date: 2/8/10
Long-awaited album underwhelms
By Camilo Barrero
Twelve years after its original installment, American musician, film director and screenwriter Rob Zombie released his fourth studio album "Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool."
It was hardly worth the wait.
Though it was recorded in 2008, the release was delayed due to a lack of publicity and Zombie's focus on other projects.
Finally on Feb. 2 the album was released through Roadrunner Records.
"Hellbilly Deluxe 2" is full of catchy rhythms from beginning to end but it doesn't say much.
The first single of the album, "What?," is the song that best exemplifies Zombie's potential but it doesn't go much further than that.
Tracks like "Werewolf, Baby" and "Mars Needs Women" sound as if they were recorded during the original "Hellbilly Deluxe" session in 1998, with the same predictable sounds and very little innovation.
However throughout the album Zombie creates a movie-like ambience. Songs like "Sick Bubble-Gum" and "Cease to Exist" include some bold sound effects, something he is known for and has gained him a lot of acclaim.
"Jesus Frankenstein" is another of the few songs that shows a flash of new sounds and Zombie's aggressive, hard rock style; however the song soon becomes repetitive.
In any case, the last track of the physical album, "The Man Who Laughs," brings together all the album's good qualities, joining them in a cohesive way and elegantly drawing it to a close with a four-minute drum solo.
The digital version of the album, available on iTunes, has 15 tracks; four of which are mixes of existing songs from the album.
The CD has 11 tracks and artwork designed by a variety of artists.
"Hellbilly Deluxe 2" is an average hard rock album, decently made and worth listening to but definitely not groundbreaking enough to draw much attention to its front man.
It was hardly worth the wait.
Though it was recorded in 2008, the release was delayed due to a lack of publicity and Zombie's focus on other projects.
Finally on Feb. 2 the album was released through Roadrunner Records.
"Hellbilly Deluxe 2" is full of catchy rhythms from beginning to end but it doesn't say much.
The first single of the album, "What?," is the song that best exemplifies Zombie's potential but it doesn't go much further than that.
Tracks like "Werewolf, Baby" and "Mars Needs Women" sound as if they were recorded during the original "Hellbilly Deluxe" session in 1998, with the same predictable sounds and very little innovation.
However throughout the album Zombie creates a movie-like ambience. Songs like "Sick Bubble-Gum" and "Cease to Exist" include some bold sound effects, something he is known for and has gained him a lot of acclaim.
"Jesus Frankenstein" is another of the few songs that shows a flash of new sounds and Zombie's aggressive, hard rock style; however the song soon becomes repetitive.
In any case, the last track of the physical album, "The Man Who Laughs," brings together all the album's good qualities, joining them in a cohesive way and elegantly drawing it to a close with a four-minute drum solo.
The digital version of the album, available on iTunes, has 15 tracks; four of which are mixes of existing songs from the album.
The CD has 11 tracks and artwork designed by a variety of artists.
"Hellbilly Deluxe 2" is an average hard rock album, decently made and worth listening to but definitely not groundbreaking enough to draw much attention to its front man.
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