New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Roadrunner Records) - Rob Zombie's much-anticipated new album Hellbilly
Deluxe 2 is finally out today, and has been receiving high praise upon it's release. In their 3-out-of-4-star review of the record, USA Today writes: "The supremely weird filmmaker/screenwriter/director/graphic artist/metal-rocker returns - from where? Electroshock therapy?
A failed spiritual retreat?
A Dumpster behind a B-movie backlot? - with a sequel to his 1998 platinum-seller, and it's an entertaining slab of sly, stupid posturing. Horror/sci-fi freaks will lap up the packaging, production and themes; head-bangers and dance-floor demons can pummel each other silly to the masterfully crafted bombast; and literary types can glom on to such haikus as "Bouncing pom-poms, bouncing pom-poms, rave on with me.""
Shockhound gave the album 4 stars, raving: "Zombie's always possessed a pronounced tongue-in-cheek charm, and that panache happily remains intact.
The pulpy monster movie freaks that populated the landscape of the first installment - "Living Dead Girl," "Resurrection
Joe and
Rosa Whore," etc. - have been replaced by some new creeps, namely "Jesus Frankenstein," "Virgin Witch" and "Werewolf Women of the SS." Zombie clearly has a blast creating and exploring this sonic sideshow, and listeners will too."
Meanwhile, Ultimate Guitar, who gave the album an 8.3/10 writes: "While Hellbilly Deluxe 2 doesn't ignore or obliterate what came in between it and the original, which is two albums, it does feel like the next logical step from that particular album and does pick up where the original Hellbilly left off. It's not like Zombie is cashing in on his past; he's always had a signature sound and this album feels like the chronological companion piece to the mega-selling version that came out over a decade ago! Go ahead and take a listen to 'Sick Bubblegum' and try not to sing along or hum the chorus. Zombie remains as deft as ever with making a melody stick to your ribs and your brain! 'Jesus Frankenstein' and 'Mars Need Women' are also fun, plugged in romps!"
And Noisecreep weighs in that, "'Hellbilly, Version 2.0' finds Mr. Zombie singing about B-grade horror movies and other kitschy things, over crunchy, industrial-aggro riffery. 'Sick Bubblegum' will make you feel like it's the late '90s all over again."
