Whether you were around during the White Zombie days or are more familiar with Rob Zombie’s solo work because it was the soundtrack to so many video games and movies around the turn of the millennium, there’s no denying the lasting impact he has had. I can’t think of too many other musicians that have made the crossover to film directing and left such a mark either, and while there was a period of time where it seemed like that was stealing most of his focus these days fans get a little of both. One of the biggest changes for this year’s The Great Satan is the return of guitarist Mike Riggs following the departure of John 5, and given Riggs’ early involvement it may not be surprising that the album brings back a lot of that industrial metal heaviness. It does have a few lulls, but much like Marilyn Manson’s more recent efforts Rob Zombie has recaptured some of that late 90s/early 2000s fire without merely rehashing the past.
The industrial metal elements and heavier grooves never fully disappeared from Rob Zombie’s discography, but it often felt like some of the albums skewed a bit more rock and threw in some quirkier instrumental elements. As a result even when Zombie and company attempted a full-blown sequel (2010’s Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool) the sound didn’t quite match up to what long-time fans may have been expecting. The return of Mike Riggs likely isn’t the sole element that makes The Great Satan feel like a callback to the original Hellbilly Deluxe, but it does play a factor and there’s some of the grittiness that made that album so appealing. Tracks like “Tarantula” and “Black Rat Coffin” have that same energy and driving rhythm as “Dragula” but add in some unique details that keep them from feeling like a repeat of the past. But there are some outliers that deviate from the formula, whether it’s the slower psychedelic haze of “Sir Lord Acid Wolfman”, the crossover thrash sounding “The Black Scorpion”, or the more mainstream slant of “Revolution Motherfuckers”. Rob Zombie’s also broken up the samples a bit more this time around, opting to break some of them out into shorter interludes rather than making them a main focus on a lot of the other songs, and this does help the overall flow and concise nature of the material. Some moments do start to run together over repeat listens and the combo of “Unclean Animals” and “Grave Discontent” does finish things off a bit mellower than I would have preferred, but I did find myself returning to this one often.
Rob Zombie has one of those instantly recognizable voices and vocal cadences, and time has not dulled it in the slightest. What I’ve always appreciated is the consistent grittiness that ramps up over time, and early numbers like “Tarantula” and “(I’m A) Rock ‘N’ Roller” are perfect examples as they start off with gruffer singing and only get more distorted as they progress. The latter actually reminds me of the more self-referential approach Dave Mustaine took on the final Megadeth album, as it seems to be looking back at Zombie’s career to a degree. Compared to some of the others in this style of industrial rock/metal, Zombie has stripped things down and emphasized repetition with choruses and other repeated passages that get stuck in your head. Whether his material stands out or not is often dependent on whether what he’s repeating is catchy or annoying, and for the most part The Great Satan leans towards the former though there are a few moments that overstay their welcome.
At this stage Rob Zombie isn’t drastically reinventing anything sound wise, but it’s great to hear a similar fire and energy as his first two albums alongside some genuinely strong vocal hooks and grooves. There’s a compactness to this effort that works to its advantage, and if you felt like some of the more recent Zombie albums didn’t go heavy enough the material here may just pull you back in. It’s definitely interesting to not only see Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson on the same label but also find them releasing material that recaptures the vibe of their earlier work. The Great Satan is available from Nuclear Blast Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg