Review Summary: The best Rob Zombie album in a long while
Right off the bat, the biggest point of interest with Rob Zombie’s eight album is it featuring guitarist Riggs and bassist Blasko back in the band after over two decades away. Between this and another tour playing White Zombie’s Astro-Creep in its entirety, one can imagine their eye being on some sort of comeback. While I’ve been burned enough to be skeptical, the lacking sense of direction that has defined Zombie’s recent output is enough to entertain the idea of shaking things up.
For what it’s worth, it’s been about as long since the actual music felt this heavy. John 5 may undeniably be the better guitarist with a more dynamic presence, but something about Riggs’ blunter riff patterns and chunky tone just feels natural when paired with the horror samples and warped textures. It rubs off on the other members with the drums hitting similar aggression and the vocals are less vulnerable amidst the distorted layers.
But with the album featuring fifteen tracks across thirty-eight minutes, it’s a relief that the songwritng isn’t as underdeveloped as their last couple efforts. Fitting for single choices, “(I’m A) Rock ‘N’ Roller,” “Heathen Days” and “Punks And Demons” are the sort of industrial metal bursts driven by propulsive beats, thick chugs in line with Ministry, and catchy shouts just shy of true pop appeal. The outliers are welcome even if they are similarly brisk; “Sir Lord Acid Wolfman” injects its campy Tom Waits shanty beat with bombastic fuzz, “The Devilman” boasts a mid-tempo stride and crowd chants (how did it take this long to use that title?), and “Unclean Animals” crawls into a slinky darkness.
The Great Satan won’t be among Rob Zombie’s most iconic efforts, but it’s a pleasant surprise for being his best album in at least fifteen years. While it still has remnants of the slapdash execution from his last couple outings, the approach is rejuvenated thanks to a tight focus on the heavy industrial style at hand. The musicians stand on a united front and the quirky segments feel less out of place here in comparison. As much as I would love to still see some of that old pop sensibility make a return, this is a step in the right direction.
