More Human Than.... Not

In another glance at the Soundwave lineup I beg you to remember. Cast your mind back to a time before global warming, before the GFC, before Michael Jackson was overly weird/dead - I'm talking about the late 80's/early 90's.

It was a good time to be a New York rocker with long hair, noisy music and somewhat teen/early 20's angst attitude, keeping in mind that this was at a time where punk was nothing like it is today. Mr Robert Cummings (no relation to Bart) established a band with some friends that, while not producing too much of worth, was to set this man up for a decades-long career in the obscure.


The band was White Zombie and whilst primarily considered a 1 hit wonder, they weren't half bad. It all came to an end though when Mr Cummings left and started a solo project, evidently choosing to chance his name by deed poll to the one he now goes by - Rob Zombie.

His departure from White Zombie coincided with the release of his first solo album - Hellbilly Deluxe - in 1998. The use of B-grade horror movie samples, slightly twisted lyrics, the pounding drive of industrial (and god I love industrial) and makeup and hair that puts Tom Hanks 'Castaway' to shame. You truly believe this man may have been dead a little while. Needless to say the album was fantastic, and chances are you've heard a song or 2 from it without even realising, given the various background appearances in movies like the Matrix and much of the appalling 'horror' crap that came out of the states at that time, which alot of us saw, and is still alot better than the shit they churn out these days.



Unfortunately no one is immune from the gradual slide that meets an artist when they try to expand their fanbase, and to many others (and myself) the followup album - The Sinister Urge - didnt quite pick up where the previous had left off. Sure the samples were still there, the chunk was still chunky but someone had picked it up and started polishing it. You dont do that with Zombies. Can you imagine? Unhygenic. Aaanyway. The songs themselves were good and he hadn't lost much credibility. Until wrestlers started using his songs as intro music. If you ask me thats asking for trouble.

Also a purist and supporter of the Horror film genre, Mr Zombie then did a bit of a reverse Lindsay Lohan and went from making music to films. House of 1000 Corpses and The Devils Rejects, as well as redoing Halloween all showed that there is more to him than the music. But the films are pretty much the same. I remember going to see House of 1000 Corpses when it came out at the movies, because Rob Zombie had directed it and I was interested. Obviously other people were too, about 25 of us in the theater at the start. By the end of the film there were two people left in the cinema - Myself and fellow wbdf blogger Dean. And there was no hole in the bottom of my popcorn, if you catch my drift. I didnt find it particualrly scary OR offputting. But thats cos Im tough....


Since the heady days of his early albums and his foray into the movie world things had been relatively quiet for Mr Zombie. Until this year that is - with the release of Hellbilly Deluxe 2. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a follow-up to the first, solid album with the original title, but yeah. Every review I have read of it has stated that its well sub-par. Now that I've... obtained.. a copy Im inclined to agree. The samples are still there but the riffs have almost become pop. Still good hooks, but personally not why I obtain a Rob Zombie CD for myself. All this being said I still consider myself a fan.

And yes, he'll be here for Soundwave in what I'm almost certain is his first appearance in Australia, at least since leaving White Zombie back at the start. Will I be seeing him live? For sure, just to see what he delivers. I think he'd still put on a good show. But I'm willing to be disappointed, I just wanna see. Would I go to a sideshow? Probably not. Would I advise you to buy his new album? Probably not. Go and get the old ones, learn to love the original and then make up your own minds.. I mean.. sorry.. BRAINS.

Nächsten Zeit - Javid