ROB ZOMBIE - THE LUNAR INSERTION KOOL AID ECLIPSE CONSPIRACY VINYL

Extending a late-era creative resurgence, Rob Zombie resurrects the spook show for album number seven, The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy. Inscrutably titled and strange as ever, the veteran rock icon sticks close to his established aesthetic: a sexed-up, sci-fi, psychedelic gore-fest packed with ghoulish cult-horror schlock, breakneck riffs, and pummeling delivery. This time around, Zombie stretches his reach even further, incorporating refreshing ideas that help break the monotony of his typical high-octane "hellbilly" antics. Southern-fried rock bombast buffers the strutting "Shadow of a Cemetery Man," while smoky, blues-rock sludge covers "The Ballad of Sleazy Rider." As a playful harmonica and banjo combination teases a hillbilly hoedown on "18th Century Cannibals, Excitable Morlocks and a One-Way Ticket on the Ghost Train," the track explodes in a torrent of corrosive riffage that extends into the hard-charging thriller "The Eternal Struggles of the Howling Man," which is not the only time Conspiracy treads into Clutch territory (down to the vocal delivery and breakdown). There's record scratching ("What You Gonna Do with That Gun Mama?"), creeping synths ("Boom-Boom-Boom"), sitar ("Get Loose"), and even a surprising moment of beauty courtesy of guitarist John 5 on the stirring acoustic interlude "The Much Talked Of Metamorphosis." At this stage in his career, it's a different kind of shock than Zombie is known for, one that surprises with melody, a fearless experimental drive to try new things, and a trust that his fans will stick around. Fun, wild, and addictive, The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy builds upon 2016's already-impressive Electric Warlock and winds up being one of Zombie's best.

Neil Z. Yeung