Album Review: ROB ZOMBIE - The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy

 

01 Expanding the Head of Zed
02. The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)
03. The Ballad of Sleazy Rider
04. Hovering Over the Dull Earth
05. Shadow of the Cemetery Man
06. A Brief Static Hum and Then the Radio Blared
07. 18^th Century Cannibals, Excitable Morlocks and a One-Way Ticket On the Ghost Train
08. The Eternal Struggles of the Howling Man
09. The Much Talked of Metamorphosis
10. The Satanic Rites of Blacula
11. Shower of Stones
12. Shake Your Ass-Smoke Your Grass
13. Boom-Boom-Boom
14. What You Gonna Do with That Gun Mama
15. Get Loose
16. The Serenity of Witches
17. Crow Killer Blues

I do like Rob Zombie, although I feel that all his best work is from his first two solo albums and White Zombie. Everything else has been cool, but just hasn't really grabbed me as forcefully, or in some cases, felt like a rehash of earlier material. I prepared a drinking game for myself when listening to this new record. Every time Rob says "Yeah!", I have to down a shot. My aim was to see if I could get through the first third of the album without having to call an ambulance. 

The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy was a bit of a surprise. Not a total surprise as it ticks all of the boxes you'd expect from a Rob Zombie album, however it has that x-factor. It doesn't have any obvious hit singles like Living Dead Girl or Dragula, but as an overall body of work, I'd say it's possibly his best record yet. 

Despite its sonic familiarity for the most part, a number of tracks have some eclectic interludes, like short funk or hip-hop sections shoved in. They all work though, and make for a fun, interesting listen. There is more depth in the song writing than on previous efforts, making this one of those multi-layered albums where you pick up on new things with repeated listens.  

My favourite track here has to be The Eternal Struggles of the Howling Man, which is simply awesome. I didn't think I'd enjoy this record anything like as much as I did, and have already given it several spins. This is Rob Zombie as his heaviest, most creative, and insane best, and I love how he has put out such an exciting release so far into his career. Superb stuff, indeed!