A dominant theme of rocker-turned-filmmaker Rob Zombie's two feature films, House Of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects, is the irretrievably damned--characters who, despite their campy and imitable humorous turns, are so far gone in their depravity and amorality that, as the latter title suggests, even Hell has no use for them. It is perhaps an intentional irony that Educated Horses, Zombie's third solo studio album, focuses largely upon the falsely damned.
ROB ZOMBIE - EDUCATED HORSES Review
Credits
Produced by Scott Humphrey and Rob Zombie. Vocals - Rob Zombie. Guitars - John Five. Bass - Blasko. Drums - Tommy Clufetos.
After the mournful and percussive instrumental opener "Sawdust In The Blood," the record launches into the (already) fan favorite "American Witch," a grinding and denunciatory declamation against the historic atrocities committed against so-called "witches" in 17th Century Salem. Repeated lines about "twenty innocents" who were accused and summarily hanged are nearly belied by the track's pop-hook refrain. It would be an excellent choice for second single, if only one other track didn't demand the honor.
Hitching into a groove that recalls the best of 1970's glam a la Slade, "The Scorpion Sleeps" is a shuffle-beat romp through the jungles of rock-and-roll not explored in ages. With enough vocal hooks and Ace Frehley-inspired chord changes to run any Top 10 bubblegum act out of town, this is hands-down Zombie's most radio-friendly outing to date, and it still manages to not sound like a sell-out. On that note, even lead-off single "Foxy Foxy," which was off-putting to some fans because of Zombie's more conventional vocal approach, offers a much more cerebral lyric than the slinky, distortion-and-harmonics arrangement would suggest.
The more oblique selections like "Ride" and "17 Year Locust" contain some ambitious Middle Eastern inflections, not unlike Hellbilly Deluxe's "Spookshow Baby." But the second named seems to include some simulated (or is it real?) sitar work, and its lyrical content is expounded upon by a scientific definitional sidebar in the booklet. Similarly, "Death Of It All" begins with some intricate acoustic guitar work in D-minor which launches into a breathtakingly strident march with an eerily tuneful vocal that recalls vintage Alice Cooper. And the record's other instrumental, "100 Ways," which is placed about halfway in the album sequence, is a gothic-sounding short piece which would fit very nicely on The Cure's second or third LP.
Since his 2001 release The Sinister Urge contained the same-titled theme to his then-upcoming House Of 1000 Corpses, it's only fitting here that the auteur include a thrown-on track entitled "The Devil's Rejects." Except it doesn't sound thrown-on; this growlish, hillbilly mock-up has some recognizably Firefly theatrical flair, even taking a vocal pattern that mirrors "Pussy Liquor" from the House soundtrack. If there really were an Otis B. Driftwood or a Captain Spaulding, they'd surely have the 45 single of this and would spin it on their rickety turntable all day long.
No Rob Zombie record would be complete if there weren't a few all-out rockers, and it's a no-brainer that "Let It All Bleed Out" takes the trophy here. A gasoline-tinged 90 MPH monster, this infectious pavement-burner is all turbo. Conversely, and returning to thematic material, endpiece "The Lords Of Salem" is the lyrical counterpoint to "American Witch," a slow-churn and furious stomper, complete with crowd effects which just might emulate the spectators at public "witch" executions, circa 1692. The track concludes with a curiously added campy neo-surf section, perhaps added to remind listeners that this, like the previous two records, is one elaborate show.
Fans looking for another "Superbeast" or "Living Dead Girl" may be put off by Zombie's elevated sights on this outing, but the fact is, an artist doesn't grow by repeating himself over and over. "Dragula" was great the first time around and possibly even improved upon by the like-sounding "Feel So Numb" a few years later. And for those who think Zombie's new sound is a case of "selling out," I have three words for you: "Never Gonna Stop." If that song passes muster for you, then you shouldn't have any problem with anything off Educated Horses.
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Review by Petch Lucas, for Pitofhorror.com
