Rob Zombie needs no introduction. If you don’t know who he is, then you’re new here. He’s a legendary rockstar, and legendary horror filmmaker. He’s also releasing his latest album at the end of February, The Great Satan. He revives his Hellbilly roots in this album.
It’s been 4 years since his last album came out, The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse, but this one feels like a capstone album, one that really answers “Who is Rob Zombie?”
The album cover features his picture front and center, and a collage of exactly how I picture Rob Zombie’s head to look like with images of Nosferatu, the Twighlight Zone spiral, skulls, classic horrors and so on. Each track also seems to show a little bit of his identity.
Track 5 is a short monologue that sounds like it’s a clip from an old movie, layered with some weird, alien-like tones and it asks “Who am I?” The rest of the album, answers that.
I personally like “(I’m a) Rock ‘N’ Roller.” It has that same monologue clipping, and has the growly guitar. It has some sci-fi effects that give such a Twilight Zone feeling to the song, especially in the chorus “I’m an alligator, I’m a space invader, I’m a Rock ‘N’ Roller!”
“Heathen Days” begins with a faster pace than Rock N Roller does, giving a greater energy, and making it the best soundtrack to be a heathen to.
“Black Scorpion” is another favorite track of mine as it starts with breakneck fast drums, and maintains that energy throughout the track. It has Zombie’s classic gravelly vocals, and I can already picture this song on stage with his tassels spinning around! It also includes a subtle organ throughout, a nod to the Munsters, I’m sure.
The album as a whole is the best tribute to Rob Zombie as an artist. I can tell that he’s attacked the album as a storyteller and as a filmmaker. It has brief 30-second “songs” that act as a narrator to give natural transitions to 3 acts of the albums. Even in the song titles, you can see how they tell a story. The rhythm and syncopation of the songs give slight style shifts throughout the album, and nod to different times in the artist’s career.
Stating the obvious, any fan of Rob Zombie needs this album. Mark your calendars for February 27, and pre-save, pre-download and pre-add the song to your library. Also, support your favorite artists with physical media and ticket sales! You can find all of those at robzombie.com, and follow Side Stage Magazine for more news and releases.
Tracklist:
FTW 84
Tarantula
I’m a Rock ‘N’Roller
Heathen Days
Who Am I
Black Rat Coffin
Sir Lord Acid Wolfman
Punks and Demons
The Devilman
Out Of Sight
Revolution Motherfuckers
Welcome to the Electric Age
The Black Scorpion
Unclean Animals
Grave Discount
