Rob Zombie – Hellbilly Deluxe 2 (2010)
I have always considered myself a casual Rob Zombie fan. I have enjoyed many (but not all) of his songs in the past. With that being said, I am having a lot of trouble getting into the newest CD, Hellbilly Deluxe 2. After spinning this CD a few times, I found moments of brilliance, incredible guitar work, and a catchy song or two. On the other hand, I found Rob’s over industrialized vocals to be rather bland and noisy.
I have no problem with profanity in rock, but the repeated chorus of “Rock Motherfucker” in the song “Sick Bubblegum” does not work for this rock fan. I guess I am in a place in my life where I don’t need to hear the profanities over and over again. I am sure the angst filled teenagers will love it. I don’t care for it.
I must admit that I found the song “What?” extremely catchy, and I have grown to like this one a lot.
The musicianship on this CD is stellar,and I get a kick out of Rob’s horror filled lyrics. For whatever reason, Rob Zombie’s vocals grate on my nerves on this CD. People who like Rob’s vocals may find more to like with Hellbilly Deluxe 2, as John 5, and Piggy D do a great job here.
I have tried repeatedly to listen to this CD, and I have struggled with it ever time. For this listener, Hellbilly Deluxe 2 is a macabre mess of distorted mayhem. The Zombieheads out there will probably love this. I found it to be above average at best.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Jesus Frankenstein
2. Sick Bubble-Gum
3. What?
4. Mars Needs Women
5. Werewolf, Baby!
6. Virgin Witch
7. Death and Destiny Inside the Dream Factory
8. Burn
9. Cease to Exist
10.Werewolf Women of the SS
11.The Man Who Laughs
Rob Zombie – Vocals & Lyrics
John 5 – Guitars
Piggy D. – Bass
Tommy Clufetos – Drums
Tyler Bates – String Arrangements
Chris Baseford – Keyboards and Programming
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Looks like a lot of people feel the same way about this..sadly disappointed is the way i feel. Ihave a feeling that maybe this was an album that he “had” to do, as in studio contract. I’t just too formulaic and tired. sorry rob. Love you other stuff, even horses.
I guess I’m a Zombiehead… as Tom Keifer of Cinderella has sung… “Somebody Save Me”!
Stone
I had the same issue with the CD. I love the first version of Hellbilly Deluxe so I was really hoping for a triumphant return to some familiar territory for Zombie since his last outing, Educated Horses, was as bad as the actual name of that CD. Since I pre-ordered the iTunes exclusive with the bonus remixes, I was ready to go on release day. Since that day, I have barely listened to it as Hb Dlx II was nothing like the original.
There were nothing really catchy about any of the tracks. And while technically the music was competent, the unique spirit of the first volume was not there. Ideally, this would have been an okay release on its own but with the Hellbilly name attached to it, Hellbilly Deluxe 2 is nothing short of a disappointment. After this mess, I will have to serious rethink the next Rob Zombie offering when/if he produces another one. That is unless he has Rick Rubin helm the production board.
I completely agree with you and share your experience… I took it on a road trip and just couldn’t find the groove. The best thing about this cd was the artwork it came with at Hot Topic. Zombie said it had the same vibe as the original Hellbilly albume—the hell it does! No “Superbeast”, “Dragula” or “Living Dead Girl” cut on this thing at all. Stick to movies, Rob!