Rob Zombie: “The Hellbilly is Back”

In today’s music scene, rarely do you see a band or an artist anymore that can maintain any type of longevity. With groups always coming and going, the recording artist capable of releasing more than say three albums is becoming all the more of the anomaly. But then there are those select few who somehow find a way to hold it all together and stay relevant, artists like Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam and Rob Zombie. Believe it or not, 2010 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Rob being in the music business. And if you think that means retirement for Rob think again with the pending release of his fourth solo album and a massive summer tour with Korn on the way.

There are very few artists who you could say are as busy and committed to their work as Rob Zombie. Aside from his very successful career in music, Rob has in recent years ventured into the film making business with four feature films now under his belt, the most recent being Halloween II released in August, 2009. As a result of his film making commitments, Rob’s solo career has in a way taken a back seat the last few years. In nearly the last decade he has only been able to release two proper albums, 2001’s The Sinister Urge and 2006’s Educated Horses.

Fortunately, Rob has recently found some time to get reacquainted with his music and the result is his first new record in four years, Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool. If you find the title familiar it’s because the album is a companion piece to go along with Rob’s 1998 debut solo record Hellbilly Deluxe. The new album was actually nearing completion at the end of 2008, but due to his commitment to Halloween II, the release was delayed until November, 2009. Unfortunately, the release was delayed again thanks to Rob leaving his record label of eighteen years Geffen Records for Roadrunner Records.

Now finally, after over a year of delays, the new record is now in stores. Released on February 2nd, Hellbilly Deluxe 2 features eleven new tracks all produced by Rob himself, including the first single “What?.” The album is most significant for the way in which it was written and recorded. Forever meticulous with how his product is developed and released, Rob has always written and recorded almost all of his solo work on his own or with a rotating set of musicians. Hellbilly Deluxe 2 marks the first Rob Zombie album to be written and recorded as a collective effort with the rest of his band. The three other members of the group, which includes guitar playing great John 5, had a large hand in developing the sound of the new album. So even though it still carries his name as the album’s artist, Rob Zombie for perhaps the first time could be considered a full-fledged four piece rock band.

To help promote the record, Rob and his bandmates have a long year of touring ahead of them, including the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival tour with Korn, Lamb of God and Five Finger Death Punch. The tour will run throughout July and August which should be followed by some more fall tour dates with Rob on his own, followed by who knows what. Artists such as Rob Zombie come about only once in a long while. The only thing you can really expect from Rob is the unexpected.