Rob Zombie has returned to the world of music after his hiatus with the long-awaited, Educated Horses. This, more experimental effort works on some levels, while on others it falls a bit short. Fans who expect the characteristic heaviness and strong, punchy dance beat will hear it–just not as often. The album loses a little power with Zombie branching out, although his try at more melodic sounds is not entirely without merit. Those tracks sound “nice” but somewhat out of place.
Coming in around 40 minutes, the album is on the short side. And within that concise collection, none of the songs standout in the same way that Rob Zombie’s work usually does. Some of it has the heavy guitar and snarling vocals you’d expect – you’ll see less “soundbites” and more music – but ultimately little that makes an impression. Missing most often are the guitar hooks that pull you in and that beats you know. Longtime fans might be disappointed, but the audience appeal just may widen a bit with this effort due to the variety. Time will tell.
