With now over forty years in the alternative music space, Rob Zombie has been long established as an icon. With his initial breakthrough success with White Zombie, to his genre defining debut solo album Hellbilly Deluxe, collaborating and touring with various rock & metal legends to leaving his mark on horror cinema with his 2004 opus The Devil’s Rejects; there is little left for Zombie to conquer outside of his love to continue to create outsider art. Reuniting with guitarist Mike Riggs and bassist Rob ‘Blasko’ Nicholson, most well known for their contributions to Zombie’s highly lauded debut and follow up The Sinister Urge, new album The Great Satan is presented as step back to his roots.
From the first moments of opening track ‘F.T.W. 84’, it’s clear The Great Satan is a return to Zombie’s original formula; getting the album off to a fiery, barn-burning start and getting the blood pumping. The singles are perfect indicators of this directional shift; ‘(I’m a) Rock “N” Roller’ introducing itself with an eerie synth sound font that sounds ripped straight from the 90’s TV adaption of IT and sinister stomps as the band join for and electrified anthem teetering on a frenetic edge. ‘Heathen Days’ bursts forth with a bull-headed riff that feels like it could’ve been pulled straight from uncovered B-Sides from the Hellbilly Deluxe sessions with a high tempo fury. Finally ‘Punks and Demons’ with Zombie screaming “SATAN” from the tracks opening moments and features plenty of his esoteric lyricism over choppy and driving metal riffage. Its a welcome return to a style most thought Zombie had long abandoned.
“...The Great Satan delivers plenty of off-kilter fury”
Even the album title is indicative of a more straightforward approach, shifting away from the freak show hard rock boogie experimentation of previous efforts The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser (2016) and The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (2021). Some fans may argue that this shift back in a more ‘serious’ (if you can ever call Rob Zombie serious at any point) direction may lose some of his recent psychedelic, Americana-infused extravagance and laid back charm, but The Great Satan delivers plenty of off-kilter fury that is sure to satiate a wide variety of Zombie maniacs.
Despite getting off to a great start, there are a few eyebrow raisers dotted along the way, namely ‘Sir Lord Acid Wolfman’. Some may love the sleazy hard-rock stomper that channels pirate rhythms and eerie sample breaks (with plenty of yo-ho’s thrown into the lyrics) and disparate howls to be called Sir Lord Acid Wolfman himself, but it is more reminiscent of that one funny uncle who’d run around the living room wasted and shirtless at 1am pretending to ride a Harley. Another moment of contention is within The Great Satan’s final moments. Closing track proper ‘Unclean Animals’ feels rather deflating and plodding as a grand finale to what has mostly been a frenetic ride, followed by an interlude epilogue of sorts ‘Grave Discontent’ that feels less bang and more whimper.
“continuing to reinvent and push his musical style in fresh territories, always looking forward and never directly back, despite some occasional glances.”
However, there is plenty more throughout the album to love; tracks like ‘Black Rat Coffin’ bring the sing-along sleaze in spades, ‘The Devilman’ oozes chugging satanic worship and infectious lead melodies, the powerful down-tuned tones of ‘Out of Sight’ paired with driving basslines and ‘Revolution Motherfuckers’ delivering a defiant and fist-pumping anthem that is sure to rile up a live crowd. One of the album’s biggest highlights comes in the form of the blistering ‘The Black Scorpion’, a 90 second barrage of what can only be described as spookshow thrash and marks the most directly ‘metal’ track Rob Zombie has ever put his name to.
Despite some minor wobbles, this is easily Rob Zombie’s most exciting work in a long time, feeling renewed with a more defined and direct sense of purpose. Long time worshippers of the dead man will welcome The Great Satan with open arms and likely have a ball. It is impressive that even in his 60’s Rob Zombie still refuses to rest on his laurels and phone it in, continuing to reinvent and push his musical style in fresh territories, always looking forward and never directly back, despite some occasional glances.