Rob Zombie - Educated Horses

Educated horses must be a frightening thing indeed, if they’ve caught the attention of Rob Zombie. A repeated image throughout the album, it’s hard to decide exactly what to think of said horses. What is relatively easy to decide, is that this is a release by mastermind Rob Zombie that neither explodes nor fizzles. The creative powerhouse, whose resume boasts albums, movies, and graphic art, brings us another record of quality. While a little less punchy than other releases, there's an apparent leaning towards the cinematic. Slithering through speakers, this album has a slow start, beginning with "Sawdust in the Blood," which could be the background to any horror movie, and the track "100 Ways," a second instrumental which sounds like it's missing from the Devil’s Rejects soundtrack. (The album does, by the way, feature the track “The Devil’s Rejects,” which doesn't appear on its namesake's record.) Zombie brings his signature sound in tracks like "Foxy Foxy" and "17 Year Locust," songs that would fit in on most any of his previous releases. The artist's crusty, screamed vocals top nearly every track, crying out over chorus and distortion-heavy guitars, creepy interludes, and punchy drums. High points include the track "Death of It All"--a mellow, ballad-like track, which has a nearly Nick Cave feel–-and "Ride," which builds into a rhythmic chant of “this is where the ghosts hide/this is where the truth lies/this is where the dirt flies.” Hurray for creepy. [www.robzombie.com]