“All hail Jesus Frankenstein” wails Rob Zombie on the opening track of his long-awaited HELLBILLY DELUXE 2: NOBLE JACKALS, PENNY DREADFULS, AND THE SYSTEMATIC DEHUMANIZATION OF COOL, the fourth studio album from the musician-turned-filmmaker, and his first for Roadrunner’s Loud & Proud imprint.
Unless your name is Meatloaf, sequels to albums rarely work, and unfortunately HELLBILLY DELUXE 2 is no exception.
Officially a follow-up to Zombie’s 1998 solo debut HELLBILLY DELUXE, Part 2 feels nothing like a sequel, and if anything feels like a collection of b-sides and studio outtakes. If you caught Rob on his recent Fall Tour, chances are you’ve already experienced the best that this album has to offer, with only a handful of songs (“What?”, “Sick Bubblegum”, “Werewolf Women of the SS”) making it into a set consisting largely of “greatest hits” from Zombie’s past work. Said tracks along with the ROCK BAND-released “Burn” stand out as highlights on HBD2, with “What?” undoubtedly being the most infectious song on the album despite the simplicity of it’s construction.
The rest of the album is average at best, though if you’re a die-hard Zombie fan or completist like myself you’ll definitely want to add this to your archives.
Sadly, the “Frankenstein” reference in the opening track couldn’t have been a more fitting analogy for an album seemingly pieced together and lacking soul.
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
