ROB ZOMBIE WITH JOEY JORDISON SOUNDS AN AWFUL LOT LIKE ROB ZOMBIE WITHOUT JOEY JORDISON

Rob Zombie’s Hellbilly Deluxe 2 just came out in February, but daddy needs a new cowboy hat, so Roadrunner is doing a super-duper-special edition re-release of the album on September 28. It’s not even an eight month turnaround; I don’t know if that’s a record or it just feels even faster than usual.

As is pretty much standard with these re-releases, there will be new songs included; not standard, though, is that those new songs will be interspersed throughout the old ones — as opposed to just putting them all after whatever the last song used to be, or on their own disc, or whatever — which makes HB2 George Lucas Style almost a new album, creatively if not actually. By which I mean, I’ve met bands that are ridiculously perfectionistic when it comes to figuring out their sequencing — sequencing means something, and a lot of thought goes into the flow of the record. Adding new material will, presumably, alter that flow in some regard.

Either that, or I just spent more time thinking about the sequencing of Hellbilly Deluxe 2 than Rob Zombie did.

ANYWAY, these flow-altering tracks will feature drums by Joey Jordison, who is part of Zombie’s current touring line-up. And you might be hoping that Zombie allowed Jordison to bring some of his own personality and style to the proceedings, but you’d do well to remember that this is the guy who employs John 5 to play songs that are well beneath his skill level. I mean, I’m glad that John 5 has a steady paycheck, which presumably allows him to then go off and make his terrific solo albums, but holy crap, would Rob Zombie fans really turn ugly if John 5 and Jordison were allowed to rock out a little more? If feel like if they stuck with you through Halloween II, they’ll put with pretty much anything, y’know?

Or maybe the familiarity of Zombie’s music — which, as much fun as it can be, really hasn’t evolved much over the years — is the whole appeal. Maybe these are the same people who sleep better at night knowing that no matter where they go, a Big Mac will always taste like a Big Mac. I can be that way about Slayer, so I can’t really criticize; on the other hand, Tom Araya never cut his band mates’ balls off, y’know?

You can listen to one of these new songs, “Everything is Boring,” here. The irony of the title is not lost on me.

-AR