Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and voice actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes,
and his live shows have been praised for their elaborate
shock rock theatricality. He has sold an estimated 15 million albums worldwide.
Zombie initially rose to fame as a founding member and the frontman of
heavy metal band
White Zombie, with whom he released four albums. His first solo effort, the 1996 song "
Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)", was written and performed with
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
and was nominated for a
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
. His debut solo studio album, ''
Hellbilly Deluxe
''Hellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International'' is the debut solo studio album by American musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie. The album serves as his first release outside of the band White Zombie, wit ...
'', was released in 1998; White Zombie disbanded a month later. ''Hellbilly Deluxe'' sold over 3 million copies worldwide and spawned three singles. Zombie directed the horror film ''
House of 1000 Corpses
''House of 1000 Corpses'' is a 2003 American black comedy horror film written, co-scored, and directed by Rob Zombie in his directorial debut, and the first film in the ''Firefly'' film series. It stars Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon, K ...
'' in 2000, though the controversial project was not released until 2003. His second studio album, ''
The Sinister Urge'', was released in 2001 and became his second platinum album in the U.S.
Zombie directed the ''House of 1000 Corpses'' sequel ''
The Devil's Rejects
''The Devil's Rejects'' is a 2005 black comedy horror film written, produced and directed by Rob Zombie, and is the second film in the ''Firefly'' film series, serving as a sequel to his 2003 film ''House of 1000 Corpses''. The film is center ...
'' (2005), which received a more positive reception than its predecessor. His third studio album, ''
Educated Horses
''Educated Horses'' is the third studio album by American musician Rob Zombie, released on March 28, 2006, by Geffen. A streaming "listening party" was held on MP3.com starting March 22, 2006, which caused advance copies to spread throughout P ...
'' was released in 2006 and marked a departure from his earlier style. It became his third album to enter the top 10 of the
''Billboard'' 200, but saw a decrease in sales compared to his previous releases. Deciding to focus on his filmmaking career, he directed ''
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
'' (2007), a remake of the classic
1978 horror film. The film became his highest-grossing to date, though was generally received negatively by critics. He later directed ''
Halloween II'' (2009), which failed to match the success of its predecessor. He released the animated film ''
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
''The Haunted World of El Superbeasto'' is a 2009 American adult animated superhero film directed, co-written and co-produced by Rob Zombie. The film was written by Zombie and Tom Papa from Zombie's comic book series of the same name. The film wa ...
'' that same year. He returned to music with the release of his fourth studio album, ''
Hellbilly Deluxe 2
''Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool'' is the fourth solo studio album by former White Zombie frontman Rob Zombie. The album is a sequel to his debut album ''Hellbilly Deluxe''. It was ...
'' (2010), which peaked at no. 8 in the U.S.
In 2012, Zombie released the remix album ''
Mondo Sex Head
''Mondo Sex Head'' is the second remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson ( ...
''. In 2013, he directed the horror film ''
The Lords of Salem'' and released his fifth album ''
Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor
''Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor'' is the fifth solo studio album by American musician Rob Zombie. The album was released on April 23, 2013, four days after the release of Zombie's film '' The Lords of Salem''. The tracklisting was confirmed o ...
''. In 2016, he directed the horror film ''
31'' and released his sixth album ''
''. In 2021, he released his seventh studio album ''
The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy
''The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy'' is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal music, heavy metal musician Rob Zombie. The album was released on March 12, 2021, by Nuclear Blast. It received positive reviews upon release. ...
''.
Early life
Zombie was born Robert Bartleh Cummings in
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill ( ) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill is located 35 miles north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about 17 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 67,787 at the 2020 United States Cen ...
,
on January 12, 1965, the oldest son of Louise and Robert Cummings. His younger brother, Michael, uses the stage name
Spider One
Michael David Cummings (born August 25, 1968), better known as Spider One, is an American singer, Producer, and Director. He is the founder and only consistent member of the rock band Powerman 5000. He is the younger sibling of singer and filmm ...
and is the lead singer of
Powerman 5000. Growing up, he had a fascination with
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
s and "always wanted to be
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
,
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...
,
Bela Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...
, and
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
". He has said of his childhood, "I didn't aspire to be anything. I was just a dopey kid. Basically everyone seemed amazing to me as a kid. I grew up in some nowhere town... anybody that even seemed remotely famous just seemed like they were on another planet."
Zombie's parents worked at a carnival. In 1977, when he was 12, his parents chose to leave after a riot broke out at the carnival and tents were set on fire. He said of the experience, "Everybody's pulling out guns, and you could hear guns going off. I remember this one guy we knew, he was telling us where to go, and some guy just ran up to him and hit him in the face with a hammerjust busted his face wide open. My parents packed up real quick, and we took off." He later elaborated, "I think someone just got ripped off for a lot of money on the gambling tents and they came back later and set the tents on fire
ndit turned into this big riot.
..It was super violent and crazy and I think that was when my parents were like, 'You know what? We might be able to find something better to be doing here.' Because me and my brother are in the middle of this. Things are on fire, people beating the crap out of each other."
Cummings graduated from
Haverhill High School
Haverhill High School (HHS) is a public high school in Haverhill, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Haverhill Public Schools district and is open enrollment.
History
At least three buildings have served as Haverhill High School. ...
in 1983. He moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and began attending
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...
, where he met eventual bandmate and girlfriend
Sean Yseult. Before the success of White Zombie, he worked as a production assistant for the children's show ''
Pee-wee's Playhouse
''Pee-wee's Playhouse'' is an American television series starring Paul Reubens as the childlike Pee-wee Herman that ran from 1986 to 1990 on Saturday mornings on CBS, and airing in reruns until July 1991. The show was developed from Reubens's po ...
''. He took the stage name "Rob Zombie" from Bela Lugosi's 1932 horror film ''White Zombie'', from which he also took White Zombie's band name. The name first shows up on White Zombie's 1989 EP ''
God of Thunder
Polytheistic peoples from many cultures have postulated a thunder god, the personification or source of the forces of thunder and lightning; a lightning god does not have a typical depiction, and will vary based on the culture. In Indo-European c ...
''.
He had previously used the name "Rob Straker" on the White Zombie LPs ''
Soul-Crusher
''Soul-Crusher'' is the debut studio album of White Zombie, released independently in November 1987 by Silent Explosion. It was the band's second and final release with Tom "Five" Guay on guitar. Building off the sound established on ''Psycho- ...
'' and ''
Make Them Die Slowly''.
In 1996, he made "Rob Zombie" his legal name.
Career
1985–1998: White Zombie
Cummings and Yseult co-founded the band that would become known as
White Zombie. They broke up after seven years of dating, but continued to work in the band together. The band released three
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. s to little success, with their debut studio album ''
Soul-Crusher
''Soul-Crusher'' is the debut studio album of White Zombie, released independently in November 1987 by Silent Explosion. It was the band's second and final release with Tom "Five" Guay on guitar. Building off the sound established on ''Psycho- ...
'' following in 1987 through the band's own record label, Silent Explosion. They released their second studio album ''
Make Them Die Slowly'' in 1989 to little commercial reaction. Yseult and Zombie ended their relationship in 1991 and Zombie began dating
Sheri Moon
Sheri Moon Zombie (born Sheri Lyn Skurkis; September 26, 1970) is an American actress, model, dancer and fashion designer.
Early life
Moon was born on September 26, 1970, in San Jose, California, the daughter of William "Bill" Skurkis (1947–201 ...
shortly afterwards.
The band caught the attention of
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint.
Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
following the release of their fourth extended play; their third studio album, ''
La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One'', was released through the label in 1992. Although the album did not enter the
''Billboard'' 200 chart until about a year after its release,
it became the band's breakout hit, going on to sell over two million copies in the United States.
Two singles, "
Thunder Kiss '65
"Thunder Kiss '65" is a song by American heavy metal band White Zombie, released in 1992 from the band's third studio album, '' La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One'' (1992). The song was released as a single and was later included on compilati ...
" and "
Black Sunshine
"Black Sunshine" is a song initially featured on the album '' La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One'' by White Zombie which was used as a promo single in 1992 and 1993. The song can also be found on Rob Zombie's '' Past, Present & Future'' and th ...
", were released to promote ''La Sexorcisto''.
White Zombie's fourth and final studio album, ''
Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head'' (1995), became their first and only to enter the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200; it went on to sell over two million copies in the United States.
Cummings directed the music video for the album's single "
More Human than Human
"More Human than Human" is a song by the American heavy metal band White Zombie from their album '' Astro-Creep: 2000'' (1995). It was released as the first official single from the album and is also included on Rob Zombie's '' Past, Present & ...
" (1995) and would go on to direct all subsequent videos for the band. In 1996, Cummings legally changed his name to Rob Zombie. White Zombie released a
remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (''Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 2007 ...
that year, marking their final release before their eventual disbandment. Zombie collaborated with
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
on the song "
Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)" (1996) for ''
Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files''.
The song was nominated in the category of
Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
at the
39th Annual Grammy Awards
The 39th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1997, at Madison Square Garden, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Babyface was the night's biggest winner, with 3 awards. Celine Dion, Toni B ...
, though lost to
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerfor ...
.
White Zombie officially broke up in September 1998, with Zombie stating, "Sometimes a band just breaks up because the band has run its course and the best days are behind them. White Zombie went through a lot together and did tons of great stuff, but it was time to stop. The good times were over and we were all moving in different directions." A box-set for the group was released in 2008 featuring all of their released material.
Since the break up of White Zombie, Zombie has shown no interest in reforming the band and has been quoted as saying, "I have many legit reasons
or not wanting to reform White Zombie Just because you don't know them does not mean they don't exist. Everything is not everybody's business." In a 2011 interview, Zombie stated that he had not spoken to any members of the band "except
John Tempesta
John Tempesta (born September 26, 1964) is an American drummer known for his work in hard rock and heavy metal. He has been a member of the Cult since 2006.
Biography
Previously, Tempesta played with several bands including Exodus, Testament ...
in about 15 years."
1998–2001: Solo debut and commercial success
Work on Zombie's debut solo album first began in 1997, before the band had officially broken up. For the album, Zombie worked with numerous artists, including
Charlie Clouser
Charles Alexander Clouser (born June 28, 1963) is an American keyboardist, composer, record producer, and remixer. He worked with Trent Reznor for Nine Inch Nails from 1994 to 2000, and is a composer for film and television; among his credits a ...
of
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
fame and former
White Zombie bandmate
John Tempesta
John Tempesta (born September 26, 1964) is an American drummer known for his work in hard rock and heavy metal. He has been a member of the Cult since 2006.
Biography
Previously, Tempesta played with several bands including Exodus, Testament ...
. Zombie's solo debut album, ''
Hellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International'', was released on August 25, 1998. The album was a commercial success, debuting at number five on the
''Billboard'' 200 with first week sales of 121,000 copies. The album's first week sales topped that of his prior albums with White Zombie. ''Hellbilly Deluxe'' went on to become Zombie's highest selling album to date, with sales exceeding three million copies in the United States.
The album was influenced by
classic horror films,
with numerous songs on the album containing samples and quotes from some of Zombie's favorite
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
s.
The album spawned three singles, all of which charted on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Numerous songs from the album were used in films and video games, mainly in the horror genre.
The success of the album led to the release of Zombie's first remix album, ''
American Made Music to Strip By
''American Made Music to Strip By'' is the first remix album released by American musician Rob Zombie. The album was released through Geffen Records on October 26, 1999. It is composed entirely of remixes of songs taken from Zombie's debut studio ...
'' (1999).
The album entered the top forty of the ''Billboard'' 200 in its debut week.
Zombie formed his own record label,
Zombie-A-Go-Go Records, in 1998.
The label released the final album from American instrumental band
The Bomboras The Bomboras are an American all-instrumental surf band from Los Angeles, California, United States. The band was formed in the summer of 1994, sharing a love of 1960s surf and garage music such as The Ventures, Booker T, and The Sonics.
Donning D ...
, as well as the debut album from the
Ghastly Ones
The Ghastly Ones are a surf–garage rock band from Van Nuys, California with a late-night monster movie theme.
History
The Ghastly Ones were formed by two Special FX make up/movie monster makers, Garrett Immel aka Dr. Lehos and Norman Cabrera ak ...
.
Both albums were released on June 2, 1998, though received little critical or commercial success. The label next released the compilation album ''Halloween Hootenanny'' (1998), featuring appearances from artists such as
Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician James C. Heath (born 1959) as well as the name of his Dallas, Texas-based psychobilly trio. Heath is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. A ''Prick'' magazine reviewer called Heath ...
and
Rocket From the Crypt. Zombie himself contributed the song "Halloween (She Get So Mean)" to the soundtrack, which had previously appeared on promotional releases of "Dragula" (1998). Zombie released the album ''Rob Zombie Presents The Words & The Music Of Frankenstein'' on October 12, 1999, through Zombie-A-Go-Go Records.
The album, considered a soundtrack, features the original score and some dialogue from the original ''
Frankenstein
''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...
'' (1931).
Zombie was set to make his directorial debut with the film ''The Crow: 2037'', and even wrote the film's script. The film was set to take place in the future, though it was never released. It was decided that the film was not suited for the franchise, but would instead serve as a standalone project. He composed the original score for the video game ''
Twisted Metal III'', released in 1998.
Zombie designed a haunted attraction for
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
in 1999, which was later deemed instrumental in reviving the Halloween Horror Nights annual attraction.
It was during this time that Zombie began working with the studio on his directorial debut, a film titled ''
House of 1000 Corpses
''House of 1000 Corpses'' is a 2003 American black comedy horror film written, co-scored, and directed by Rob Zombie in his directorial debut, and the first film in the ''Firefly'' film series. It stars Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon, K ...
''. The project began filming in May 2000 with a scheduled release date of the following year, though the studio ultimately cancelled its release due to the violent themes present throughout the film. Zombie's song "Superbeast", taken from ''Hellbilly Deluxe'', received a nomination for Best Metal Performance at the
42nd Annual Grammy Awards. Zombie contributed the song "
Scum of the Earth" (2000) to the ''
Mission: Impossible 2'' soundtrack.
Zombie's second studio album, ''
The Sinister Urge'', was released on November 13, 2001. The album expands on the horror and shock rock elements seen in his debut album, and features collaborations with artists such as
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
.
The album became his second to enter the top ten in the United States, with its first week sales topping that of his previous album. The album went on to sell over one million copies in the United States, his second to accomplish this feat.
The album was preceded by the single "
Feel So Numb
"Feel So Numb" is a song recorded by American musician and film director Rob Zombie for his second studio album, '' The Sinister Urge'' (2001). The song was released through Geffen Records on October 14, 2001 as the lead single from the album. The ...
", with a second single being released the following year. Despite the album's success, it was noted as a decline in sales when compared to his first studio album. ''The Sinister Urge'' and its subsequent singles were met with a positive critical reception, with
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
writing "It is the slow burn of
he album's
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
last track that shows the most promise; after years of making good heavy metal, he finally expands the boundaries of his own sound. Few metal musicians kept their sound fresh for as long as Zombie, and this album is no exception."
''The Sinister Urge'' was voted as the fans' favorite album on Zombie's official website. The album is the final project to feature guitarist
Mike Riggs
Mike Riggs (born April 23, 1971) is an American heavy metal guitarist. The highlights of his career include his work for Rob Zombie's solo albums (''Hellbilly Deluxe'', '' The Sinister Urge'', ''American Made Music To Strip By'', ''Hellbilly S ...
and drummer
John Tempesta
John Tempesta (born September 26, 1964) is an American drummer known for his work in hard rock and heavy metal. He has been a member of the Cult since 2006.
Biography
Previously, Tempesta played with several bands including Exodus, Testament ...
, who had been with Zombie since the start of his solo career.
2002–2006: Marriage, directorial debut, and continued musical success
![Rob Zombie (2005)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Rob_Zombie_%282005%29.jpg)
Following years of struggling to find a distributor and various re-shoots, Zombie confirmed that his film ''House of 1000 Corpses'' would finally be released through
Lions Gate Entertainment. The film was released theatrically on April 11, 2003. The film received a generally negative reception from critics, though grossed over $16 million worldwide. The film was criticized for being too "grotesque" and "violent", but has since garnered a
cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
. Despite vastly negative reviews, the film garnered a warmer reception in later years, and is frequently listed as one of the "best horror films ever made". Zombie worked with
Scott Humphrey
Scott Humphrey is a Canadian record producer and mix engineer. He began his music career as a keyboard player and programmer. He is best known for his work with multiplatinum recording artist Rob Zombie and has co-written, co-produced and mixed ...
on the majority of the film's soundtrack, which was released on March 25, 2003.
The release features original songs from Zombie such as "Pussy Liquor" and "Little Piggy", as well as Zombie's own rendition of the
Commodores
Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...
hit single "
Brick House" (1977), re-titled "Brick House 2003". The soundtrack peaked at number fifty-three on the
''Billboard'' 200, and number four on the
Top Soundtracks
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
chart.
Zombie released his first compilation album, titled ''
Past, Present & Future'', on September 23, 2003. The release featured a collection of songs taken from Zombie's solo albums as well as his releases with White Zombie; new material is also present on the album. The album debuted at number eleven on the ''Billboard'' 200, and would go on to become Zombie's third release to sell over one million copies in the country.
Zombie guest starred on episodes of both ''
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series'' and ''
Justice League Unlimited
''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and ...
'' that year, in a voice only role for both.
In November 2003, Zombie launched his ''Spookshow International'' comic book series. His second series, ''The Nail'', spawned four issues between June and October 2004, while his ''Bigfoot'' series lasted from February to May 2005, featuring four issues. Zombie's second film, ''
The Devil's Rejects
''The Devil's Rejects'' is a 2005 black comedy horror film written, produced and directed by Rob Zombie, and is the second film in the ''Firefly'' film series, serving as a sequel to his 2003 film ''House of 1000 Corpses''. The film is center ...
'', serves as a direct sequel to ''House of 1000 Corpses'', and was released on July 22, 2005. The film featured a more "violent
Western film
The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...
" theme as opposed to the horror aspects of its predecessor. The film received a much more positive reception than its predecessor, though was still criticized for its violence and material. The film has been described as "one giant loogie that comes straight from the heart", filled with moments of nihilism and cunning wit. Much like the first film, ''The Devil's Rejects'' went on to gain a cult following after its release. The film has a 53 out of 100 rating on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, meaning mixed to positive reviews. Zombie released a number of ''The Devil's Rejects'' comics throughout 2005 to coincide with the film.
Zombie began working on his third studio album in 2005, whilst finishing work on ''The Devil's Rejects''; the album was influenced by
glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...
artists like
Slade
Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles ...
,
T. Rex, and
Gary Glitter. The release was described as "experimental" by Zombie, who claimed the project featured numerous acoustic-led songs. The album, ''
Educated Horses
''Educated Horses'' is the third studio album by American musician Rob Zombie, released on March 28, 2006, by Geffen. A streaming "listening party" was held on MP3.com starting March 22, 2006, which caused advance copies to spread throughout P ...
'', was released on March 28, 2006. It sold 107,000 copies in its first week, becoming Zombie's third album to enter the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album received mixed critical reviews, with ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' writing "A handful of cuts are too long on sludgy instrumental grooves, but whether Zombie is out-Trent Reznoring
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, wh ...
on the
sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...
-laden grindfest '17 Year Locust' or spitting fire amid the apocalyptic blues riffs of 'The Devil's Rejects', he sounds like a gifted schlockmeister that
Strokes
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop funct ...
fans can enjoy. Or at least tolerate."
The song "
The Lords of Salem" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the
51st Annual Grammy Awards. ''Educated Horses'' saw a further decline in sales for Zombie, selling just over 500,000 copies in the United States. The album became his first studio album as a solo artist to not receive a certification from the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA).
It served as Zombie's final studio album to be released through Geffen Records. Zombie had a cameo appearance in a voice only role for the film ''
Slither'' (2006).
Zombie released his first official
greatest hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
album, ''The Best of Rob Zombie'', on October 10, 2006. The album was re-released only months later under the title ''The Best of Rob Zombie: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection''.
The project debuted at number 166 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and went on to receive a gold certification from the RIAA.
The album featured no new material, and was released with little promotion on Zombie's behalf. It remains his final album to receive an RIAA certification to date.
2007–2009: Focus on film work
![Robzombiegfdl](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Robzombiegfdl.PNG)
Zombie opted to focus on his career as a director in 2007, following the release of his third studio album a year prior. It was confirmed in 2006 that Zombie had signed on to write and direct a remake of the horror classic ''
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
'' (1978). Zombie later referred to the film as a "re-imagining" of the original
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...
film. Zombie's
version of the film was officially released on August 31, 2007.
Thanks to its opening weekend of $30.5 million, the film broke the box-office record for the Labor Day weekend, surpassing the record set in 2005 by ''
Transporter 2
''Transporter 2'' (French: ''Le Transporteur 2'') is an English-language French 2005 action-thriller film directed by Louis Leterrier. Written by Robert Mark Kamen and co-producer Luc Besson, it is the sequel to '' The Transporter'' (2002), as w ...
'' with $20.1 million. It currently resided as the top Labor Day weekend grosser for fourteen years until
Marvel
Marvel may refer to:
Business
* Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company
** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment
** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe
** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics
* ...
’s
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
''Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'' is a 2021 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Shang-Chi. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 25th film ...
in 2021. The film went on to become Zombie's highest grossing release to date. Despite these achievements, the film was generally panned by critics upon its release. Based on 109 reviews collected by
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, ''Halloween'' received an average 25% overall approval rating based on 110 reviews, with the consensus "Rob Zombie doesn't bring many new ideas to the table in ''Halloween'', making it another bloody disappointment for fans of the franchise." Zombie directed a fictitious trailer for a film ''Werewolf Women of the SS'', which was featured in the film ''
Grindhouse
A grindhouse or action house is an American term for a theatre that mainly shows low-budget horror, splatter and exploitation films for adults. According to historian David Church, this theater type was named after the "grind policy", a fil ...
'' (2007).
That same year, Zombie released his first live album, ''
Zombie Live
''Zombie Live'' is the first live album from Heavy metal music, heavy metal artist Rob Zombie. The CD was recorded over several nights during the band's ''Educated Horses'' tour and was said to include a 36-page super-deluxe book of never-before-s ...
''.
Zombie announced work on a new film, ''Tyrannosaurus Rex'', which was slated for release in 2009; the film was ultimately scrapped. Despite previous comments made by Zombie that he would not do a sequel to ''Halloween'', it was later announced he would both write and direct the series' next film, tentatively titled ''H2''. ''H2'' was ultimately the reason for the postponement and eventual cancellation of ''Tyrannosaurus Rex''. ''
Halloween II'' was released on August 28, 2009.
The film received a worse critical reception than Zombie's original remake and failed to achieve the commercial success of the remake, but was a box office success nevertheless.
Unlike the original ''
Halloween II'' (1981), Zombie's version of the film focused on the prior film's survivor and the effects that the film's events had on her mentality. Following the completion of the film, Zombie confirmed he would not make another sequel. ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' Magazine announced the weekend before the release of ''
Halloween II'' that Zombie would be directing a remake of the 1950s film ''
The Blob
''The Blob'' is a 1958 American science fiction horror film directed by Irvin Yeaworth, and written by Kay Linaker and Theodore Simonson. It stars Steve McQueen (in his first feature film leading role) and Aneta Corsaut and co-stars Earl Rowe ...
''. Zombie later chose to back out of the film as he "didn't want to do another remake".
The day that ''Halloween II'' was released, Zombie and
Jesse Dayton released the album ''Rob Zombie Presents Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures'', based on the band featured in the film's party scene. The album was released through Zombie's own Zombie-A-Go-Go Records, the first album released through the label in almost ten years. There were initial reports of a film centering around Captain Clegg, though the project never materialized.
Dayton later toured in character as the band as the opening act for Zombie throughout 2009 and 2010.
The release of ''Rob Zombie Presents Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures'' marks the final release from Zombie-A-Go-Go Records, before Zombie formed his new Zodiac Swan label in 2013. Zombie was the executive producer of the animated film ''
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
''The Haunted World of El Superbeasto'' is a 2009 American adult animated superhero film directed, co-written and co-produced by Rob Zombie. The film was written by Zombie and Tom Papa from Zombie's comic book series of the same name. The film wa ...
'', based upon his comic book series ''The Adventures of El Superbeasto''.
The series previously appeared in his ''Spookshow International'' comic book. The film was released in limited showings at selected theaters on September 12, 2009, and to DVD on September 22, 2009. It features the voices of
Tom Papa
Thomas Papa Jr. (born November 10, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and radio host. He hosts the Sirius XM Satellite Radio show ''Come to Papa'' and, in July 2019, he and Fortune Feimster started hosting the Sirius XM show ''What a Joke wit ...
,
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (; born June 6, 1967) is an American actor and film producer. He first garnered attention for his breakout role in '' Private Parts'' as Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton, leading to supporting roles in ''Saving Private R ...
, Zombie's wife
Sheri Moon Zombie
Sheri Moon Zombie (born Sheri Lyn Skurkis; September 26, 1970) is an American actress, model, dancer and fashion designer.
Early life
Moon was born on September 26, 1970, in San Jose, California, the daughter of William "Bill" Skurkis (1947–201 ...
, and
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in the 1995 independent drama ''Kids''. Her subsequent film roles include '' He Got Game'' (1998), ''Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), ''Men in Bl ...
. The film received a generally mixed reaction upon its release.
2010–2015: New label and return to music
It was announced in 2009 that Zombie had begun working on his fourth studio album, the follow-up to his 2006 album ''
Educated Horses
''Educated Horses'' is the third studio album by American musician Rob Zombie, released on March 28, 2006, by Geffen. A streaming "listening party" was held on MP3.com starting March 22, 2006, which caused advance copies to spread throughout P ...
''. The album was originally scheduled to be released on November 17, 2009, but was delayed following Zombie's departure from longtime label Geffen Records on October 29, 2009, after which he penned a new deal with
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City.
History
The label was launched in 1980 in t ...
. Zombie later claimed that Geffen had "morphed into a different label" and that being signed didn't "work for
imanymore." The album was confirmed to be titled ''
Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool'', with Zombie describing it as a sequel to his 1998 debut as they sounded similar in both "vibe" and "attitude". ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'' was released on February 2, 2010.
The album sold 49,000 copies in its first week of release, becoming his fourth top ten album in the United States. The album received a mixed to positive critical reception upon its release. Zombie released a special edition of the album on September 28, 2010, featuring three new songs. Zombie promoted the release through his
Hellbilly Deluxe 2 World Tour
The Hellbilly Deluxe 2 World Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock music, rock band Rob Zombie that began in October 2009 in support of his fourth studio album ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2''. The tour consisted of 12 legs spanning across Jap ...
, which served as his first international tour since beginning his solo career. The tour featured 150 dates, spanning over a two-year time span. Zombie released the ''Icon'' greatest hits album on October 5, 2010, through Roadrunner Records.
![Rob Zombie Rock am Ring 2014 (42)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Rob_Zombie_Rock_am_Ring_2014_%2842%29.JPG)
Zombie launched his seventh and final comic book series, ''Whatever Happened to Baron Von Shock?'', in 2010; the series spanned four issues. Zombie had another voice-only role in the 2010 film ''
Super'', portraying God.
In 2011, Zombie directed a horror-themed commercial for
Woolite
Woolite is an American brand of laundry detergent and cleaning products owned by the British multinational company Reckitt. The company acquired the Woolite brand when it bought Boyle-Midway from American Home Products / Wyeth in 1990. The comp ...
. Zombie announced work on the horror film ''
The Lords of Salem'' in 2011.
The film, whose name is derived from the Rob Zombie song of the same name, is about a coven of witches in modern-day
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...
.
In an interview Zombie said that the film would be his cinematically biggest film and described it as "if
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...
directed ''
The Shining''". ''The Lords of Salem'' premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
on September 10, 2012, with a limited theatrical release following in April 2013.
''The Lords of Salem'' became the last film of veteran actor
Richard Lynch
Richard Lynch (February 12, 1940 – June 19, 2012) was an American actor best known for portraying villains in films and television.
His film credits included ''The Sword and the Sorcerer'', '' Invasion USA'', ''The Seven-Ups'', ''Scarecr ...
, who died in 2012.
Zombie later stated that ''Tyrannosaurus Rex'' would be his next released film after ''The Lords of Salem'', though the project has since been put on hold for a second time. In 2012, it was confirmed that Zombie would be writing and directing a film titled ''The Broad Street Bullies'', which would be based on the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...
hockey team. The film will be Zombie's first non-horror film. He has since stated that the film was in the "research stages", and a release date is unknown. Much like ''Tyrannosaurus Rex'', the film, along with Rock Bottom Creek, has been put on hold indefinitely. Zombie released a second remix album, titled ''
Mondo Sex Head
''Mondo Sex Head'' is the second remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson ( ...
'', on August 6, 2012.
The album featured remixed material from Zombie's first four studio albums, as well as his releases with White Zombie. The album was released through Geffen Records, despite Zombie having left the label.
Zombie embarked on the
Twins of Evil Tour
The Twins of Evil Tour was the first double bill concert tour co-headlined by American rock bands Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson. Launched in support of each band's respective full-length studio LPs, 2010's ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'' and 2012's '' ...
with American rock band
Marilyn Manson
Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...
beginning on September 28, 2012. The tour concluded following a publicized feud between the artists while on tour, with the two groups often feuding while on stage.
The tour officially concluded on December 12, 2012.
Recording for Zombie's fifth studio album began in June 2012, with Zombie announcing the then-untitled project in July 2012. On the record, Zombie claimed "We just want to make a dark, heavy, weird record and stick to that idea
..If something comes up that isn't, we won't finish it. We'll stick to the plan." Zombie parted ways with Roadrunner Records, instead releasing the album through his new record label Zodiac Swan through
Universal Music Enterprises
Universal Music Enterprises (UME, stylized as UMe) is the catalogue division of Universal Music Group. It includes Hip-O Records, Universal Chronicles, and UM3 or UMC (which is the international division of the company). Under various divisions, ...
and T-Boy Records. On January 30, 2013, Zombie announced that the album was titled ''
Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor
''Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor'' is the fifth solo studio album by American musician Rob Zombie. The album was released on April 23, 2013, four days after the release of Zombie's film '' The Lords of Salem''. The tracklisting was confirmed o ...
''.
The album was released on April 23, 2013.
''Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor'' became Zombie's fifth consecutive studio album to debut inside the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200, though it boasted his lowest first week sales of his career. The album has since become Zombie's lowest selling album to date.
Zombie designed and launched the Great American Nightmare haunted attraction in 2013. The attraction, based in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, featured references to Zombie's films and other significant horror events in pop culture. He designed the attractions "Lords of Salem Total Black Out", "The Haunted World of El Superbeasto 3D", and "House of 1000 Corpses", which were combined with a music festival from artists in hard rock, alternative, EDM, and more in 2013. In 2014, Zombie had the voice-only role of Ravager Navigator in the superhero film ''
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
It may more specifically refer to:
Comic book teams
* Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...
''.
He released his first video album, ''
The Zombie Horror Picture Show'', on May 19, 2014. He released his second live album, ''Spookshow International: Live'', on February 24, 2015.
2016–present: More albums and upcoming films
Zombie announced work on his sixth studio album as early as April 2014, having begun working on the project that January.
On January 11, 2016, Zombie confirmed the title of the record to be ''
'', along with the album's cover art and track listing. The album was released on April 29, 2016. Zombie described it as "seriously
heir
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Officiall ...
heaviest most fucked up musical monster to date."
Zombie began working on a new horror film, ''
31'', in 2014. Zombie described the film as "old-school", and raised money for the film through
crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by crow ...
. The film follows a group of individuals attempting to survive a night in a carnival filled with murderous clowns.
Zombie has stated that he wanted to have a "very nasty, gritty, guerilla-style approach to the filmmaking" for ''31'', as it "fits the story and the vibe of the movie".
''31'' premiered at the 2016
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
on January 23, 2016. It has been announced that Zombie signed on to direct the film ''Raised Eyebrows'', a movie about the life of comedian and actor
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx. The film has yet to receive a release date. Zombie launched his "Spookshow International" pinball machine in February 2016. The limited edition item features ten of Zombie's classic songs, as well as voice contributions from Zombie, Sheri Moon, and
Sid Haig
Sidney Eddie Mosesian (July 14, 1939 – September 21, 2019), known professionally as Sid Haig, was an American actor, film producer, and musician. He was known for his roles in several of Jack Hill's blaxploitation films from the 1970s, as well ...
. On May 22, 2017, Zombie posted a short snippet of audio to his Instagram account of a live recording of the White Zombie song "Electric Head Part 2" stating he was in the process of mixing the ''Astro Creep 2000'' live set from the Chicago date of the 2016 Riot Fest.
In July 2018, Zombie embarked on the
Twins of Evil: The Second Coming Tour in the US with co-headliner
Marilyn Manson
Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...
and special guest
Deadly Apples
Deadly Apples is a Canadian rock / industrial metal band based in Montreal, Quebec. The band consists of frontman / lyricist Alex Martel (vocals) and main composer Antoine Lamothe (drums), with live musicians joining them on stage.
An early ve ...
. Zombie released a trailer to his third instalment of the
''Firefly'' trilogy in June 2019. The film—titled ''
3 from Hell''—was released on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
and
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
on October 15, 2019, following a three-day theatrical release held by
Fathom Events
Fathom Events is an entertainment content provider that broadcasts entertainment events in movie theaters throughout the United States including Metropolitan Opera Live in HD, the performing arts, major sporting events, and music concerts.
Th ...
from September 16–18, 2019.
On August 1, 2017, Zombie announced on his Instagram page that he had begun working on his seventh studio album. Guitarist
John 5
John 5 is the fifth chapter of the Gospel of John of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It relates Jesus' healing and teaching in Jerusalem, and begins to evidence the hostility shown him by the Jewish authorities.Plummer, A. (1902)Cambri ...
described the album as "his ''
Sgt. Pepper''", and called it "the best Zombie record that he's ever done." Zombie's first song in four years, "The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)", was released on October 30, 2020. Deemed a "ferocious blast of big guitar metal", it serves as the first single from his seventh album ''
The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy
''The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy'' is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal music, heavy metal musician Rob Zombie. The album was released on March 12, 2021, by Nuclear Blast. It received positive reviews upon release. ...
'', released on March 12, 2021. The album was produced by
Zeuss
Christopher Harris (born April 1, 1972), known professionally as Zeuss, is an American record producer, mixer, guitarist, composer, and songwriter.
Biography
Zeuss is best known in the worlds of hard rock, heavy metal music, hardcore punk, and ...
, who also produced ''The Electric Warlock''. Zombie had focused primarily on filming in the years prior.
In May 2021, it was announced that Rob Zombie,
John 5
John 5 is the fifth chapter of the Gospel of John of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It relates Jesus' healing and teaching in Jerusalem, and begins to evidence the hostility shown him by the Jewish authorities.Plummer, A. (1902)Cambri ...
,
Nikki Sixx
Nikki Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna Jr.; December 11, 1958) is an American musician, best known as the co-founder, bassist, and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. Prior to forming Mötley Crüe, Sixx was a me ...
and
Tommy Clufetos
Tommy Clufetos (born December 30, 1979) is an American session drummer most noted for his work with Black Sabbath during their Black Sabbath Reunion Tour, which highlighted their new album '' 13''. He also toured with them on their final tour. ...
formed a
supergroup called
L.A. Rats
L.A. Rats is an American heavy metal supergroup formed in 2021.
History
The band was formed in early 2021 at the invitation of record company executive Scott Borchetta, who had been placed in charge of the soundtrack for the then-upcoming a ...
.
Their debut track, a cover of "
I've Been Everywhere
"I've Been Everywhere" is a song written by Australian country singer Geoff Mack in 1959, and popularised by Lucky Starr and Hank Snow in 1962.
The song as originally written listed Australian towns. It was later adapted by Australian singe ...
", is from the soundtrack to the
Liam Neeson
William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...
film ''
The Ice Road
''The Ice Road'' is a 2021 American action thriller film written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh. The film stars Liam Neeson as a brooding Mike McCann, and Laurence Fishburne as a wiley Jim Goldenrod with Benjamin Walker, Amber Midthunder, ...
''.
In June 2021, Zombie confirmed that he would direct a
film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of the television series ''
The Munsters
''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monsterEpisodes referring to the fact that Herman is Frankenstein's monster include #55, "Just Anoth ...
'', which was released on digital, DVD, Blu-Ray, and Netflix on September 27, 2022.
Artistry
Musical style
![20140615-132-Nova Rock 2014-Rob Zombie-Rob Zombie](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/20140615-132-Nova_Rock_2014-Rob_Zombie-Rob_Zombie.JPG)
Zombie's music has been noted for its use of
horror and suspense elements, which is inspired by Zombie's love of horror films. Zombie's music also contains elements commonly found in
heavy metal music
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a ...
. Zombie's music has been described as "melding metal with industrial, hypnotic rhythms and haunting sounds" and having a "complicated beat, distinctive vocals and a killer story line". Zombie's songs have also been known to feature quotes and samples from classic horror films. Numerous songs on his debut album, ''
Hellbilly Deluxe
''Hellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International'' is the debut solo studio album by American musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie. The album serves as his first release outside of the band White Zombie, wit ...
'', feature quotes from classic horror films that Zombie grew up with.
Zombie has classified himself as a
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
musician, and stated "It felt like hard rock and heavy metal had really been struggling you know, like top of the charts – it felt like they were being kicked to the curb for a long time. It was almost like you were doing something but you feel like nobody cares anymore so now you're just chuggin' along doing what you do and it's like the world had forgotten. However it's felt like in the last few years that's kind of changed and you feel it coming back."
In their review of ''Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor'' (2013), Music Enthusiast commented on Zombie's musical style "If you are a fan of Rob Zombie's, or even if you aren't, you can definitely recognize his style of music- that is to say, if Alice Cooper wrote songs for strip clubs. Rob Zombie albums have always had bombastic, almost danceable grooves, over the top guitar effects
..and loads of B-movie sci-fi/horror lyrics."
He is also noted for using "spoken word lyrics" in numerous songs, a style he began while with White Zombie.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
compared the musical themes of ''Hellbilly Deluxe'' to a White Zombie record, stating it was "complete with thunderous industrial rhythms, drilling
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
guitars, and
B-movie
A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...
obsessions."
''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' spoke about the album's horror film qualities, stating it had "concocted a veritable blood feast of hair-raising guitars, spine-tingling drum loops, and a cast of ghoulish characters who could be refugees from an old William Castle horror flick."
Legends Magazine wrote that "the songs follow the same formula of anger, sex, death, monster, demon, zombie, satanic, drug abuse kinda raw drive a tractor over your neighbor's skull kinda hate the world so I'll burn it all down music."
AllMusic wrote in their review of ''American Made Music to Strip By'' that ''Hellbilly Deluxe'' had a "sexy, sleazy, horror-movie vibe".
While ''The Sinister Urge'' continues the themes of horror and suspense, it is noted as featuring more dance-oriented beats in songs such as "
Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy)
"Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy)" is a promotional single taken from Rob Zombie's second album '' The Sinister Urge''. The song can also be found on Zombie's '' Past, Present & Future'' and ''The Best of Rob Zombie''. It was nominated for ...
". Zombie claimed that whereas ''Hellbilly Deluxe'' featured electronics, ''The Sinister Urge'' was recorded with a live band as to emphasize the instrumentals.
With the ''Educated Horses'' album, Zombie further distanced himself from the sound of his first two albums. Zombie described the album as experimental, and explored a number of acoustic productions with
John 5
John 5 is the fifth chapter of the Gospel of John of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It relates Jesus' healing and teaching in Jerusalem, and begins to evidence the hostility shown him by the Jewish authorities.Plummer, A. (1902)Cambri ...
. Despite a shift in sound, many of the album's lyrics feature horror elements found on his prior releases.
''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'', Zombie's fourth studio album, saw a return to the heavy metal sound of his early releases. The album was considered a direct sequel to his debut studio album, with which it shares a name. ''Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor'' continued these themes, and features "bass-heavy" beats.
The record was deemed a throwback to his debut album due to similar lyrical and sonic themes.
Influences
Both Zombie's music and film work draws influence from classic horror and suspense films, with Zombie citing the 1970s as the "last great time where films were being made for the sake of the film and not for the sake of the money." Zombie has cited artists such as
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
,
Kiss
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
,
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
, and
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
as influences during his childhood. Zombie claimed that the first record he ever bought was an Alice Cooper album.
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
,
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...
,
Slayer,
Ministry
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian ...
,
Pantera
Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...
,
Sepultura
Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
,
Black Flag and
Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister was an American heavy metal band originally from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York. Their best-known songs include " We're Not Gonna Take It" and " I Wanna Rock", both of which were associated with ...
were also cited as influences by Zombie. Zombie claimed his mother would not allow him to watch horror films, namely ''
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' is a 1974 American horror film produced and directed by Tobe Hooper from a story and screenplay by Hooper and Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, w ...
'' (1974), which later served as an influence on Zombie's films ''House of 1000 Corpses'' and ''The Devil's Rejects''. Zombie has directed the majority of his music videos as a solo artist, with numerous releases being influenced or referencing horror films. The music video for his single "
Living Dead Girl" is based upon the silent horror film ''
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), while his video for "Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy)" was heavily inspired by ''
A Clockwork Orange
''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to:
* ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess
** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel
*** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
'' (1971). His film ''The Lords of Salem'' was inspired by the horror classic ''
The Shining'' (1980).
Personal life
![Rob Zombie Comiccon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Rob_Zombie_Comiccon.JPG)
Zombie dated his
White Zombie bandmate
Sean Yseult from 1984 until 1991, though they continued to work in the band together after their breakup.
Zombie began dating actress
Sheri Moon
Sheri Moon Zombie (born Sheri Lyn Skurkis; September 26, 1970) is an American actress, model, dancer and fashion designer.
Early life
Moon was born on September 26, 1970, in San Jose, California, the daughter of William "Bill" Skurkis (1947–201 ...
in 1993,
and they were married at
Graceland Wedding Chapel
Graceland Wedding Chapel is a wedding chapel located in Las Vegas, Nevada that has been the site of many celebrity weddings. It is one of the oldest wedding chapels in Las Vegas and claims to be the first chapel ever to conduct weddings performe ...
in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
on October 31, 2002. They originally set their wedding date for November 9, but eloped 10 days before. They split their time between a home in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and a farm in
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
.
Zombie's public image has often been denoted by his long hair, large beard,
industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems
* Industrial city, a city dominate ...
fashion sense, and horror-themed makeup. A self-described
ethical vegan, he and his wife use their Connecticut property to house rescued farm animals. He originally became a
vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter.
Vegetarianism m ...
in 1982 after viewing footage of a slaughterhouse. He is a supporter of
PETA
Peta or PETA may refer to:
Acronym
* Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943
* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization
* People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...
and was thanked by the organization for his realistic portrayal of the
link between childhood animal abuse and psychopathy in his remake of ''Halloween''.
Zombie generally refrains from sharing his political and religious beliefs with the public, though he has mentioned that his mother once contemplated becoming a nun.
In the same interview, he said that he
avoids all alcohol and drugs because he "certainly didn't achieve anything by being wasted and fucked up".
In a separate interview, he said that he does not believe in an
afterlife
The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...
and called the concept of
Heaven
Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
"insane".
He also said that he does not believe in concepts such as
UFOs
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
, extraterrestrial life, aliens, or Bigfoot, and believes that "this life is all you get".
He criticized the initial cancellation of the 2020 horror film ''The Hunt (2020 film), The Hunt'' following an outcry from U.S. President Donald Trump and Trumpism, his supporters, stating, "As far as [canceling] ''The Hunt'', that's just a bullshit sacrificial lamb that solves nothing in society, but they always do that. If it wasn't that movie it would have been a video game or sometimes it was somebody's rock album."
Solo band members
;Current
*Rob Zombie – lead vocals
*Piggy D. – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Ginger Fish – drums, percussion
*
Mike Riggs
Mike Riggs (born April 23, 1971) is an American heavy metal guitarist. The highlights of his career include his work for Rob Zombie's solo albums (''Hellbilly Deluxe'', '' The Sinister Urge'', ''American Made Music To Strip By'', ''Hellbilly S ...
– guitar, backing vocals
Discography
;Studio albums
*''
Hellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International'' (1998)
*''
The Sinister Urge'' (2001)
*''
Educated Horses
''Educated Horses'' is the third studio album by American musician Rob Zombie, released on March 28, 2006, by Geffen. A streaming "listening party" was held on MP3.com starting March 22, 2006, which caused advance copies to spread throughout P ...
'' (2006)
*''
Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool'' (2010)
*''
Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor
''Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor'' is the fifth solo studio album by American musician Rob Zombie. The album was released on April 23, 2013, four days after the release of Zombie's film '' The Lords of Salem''. The tracklisting was confirmed o ...
'' (2013)
*''
'' (2016)
*''
The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy
''The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy'' is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal music, heavy metal musician Rob Zombie. The album was released on March 12, 2021, by Nuclear Blast. It received positive reviews upon release. ...
'' (2021)
Filmography
Film
Cameos
Television
References
External links
*
*
*
Rob Zombie's Great American NightmareDiscovering "The Haunted World of El Superbeasto" With Rob Zombie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zombie, Rob
Rob Zombie,
1965 births
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American singers
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American singers
Alternative metal musicians
American heavy metal singers
American industrial musicians
American male singer-songwriters
American music video directors
American rock songwriters
American male voice actors
Film directors from Massachusetts
Geffen Records artists
Horror film directors
Horror hosts
Industrial metal musicians
Living people
Musicians from Haverhill, Massachusetts
Nu metal singers
Parsons School of Design alumni
Pratt Institute alumni
Roadrunner Records artists
Singer-songwriters from Massachusetts
White Zombie (band) members