The time had come for Rob Zombie to reach out a little bit musically after the phenomenal success of 1998’s Hellbilly Deluxe. This isn’t technically a proper Rob Zombie album. However, it is a remix project of all the main songs from the previous year’s album. This album should, however, be an interesting and noteworthy listen, even if it is not a main Rob Zombie album. Let’s take a listen to this release and hear how it sounds.

Dragula – Si Non Oscillas, Noli Tintinnare Mix begins with some brilliant electronic sounds, choppy breakbeats and other glorious textures that will make your mouth water. This continues for some time with passion and energy, with submerged vocals throughout. Soon enough, the vocals come in properly and this piece sounds marvellous. The guitar riffs throughout infect one’s soul, and this is somewhat like Fear Factory sounding in the intensity of the editing present here. Nonetheless, this is a truly awesome remix that must be heard by any Rob Zombie fan. It is also nearly identical to the remix of Dragula in The Matrix in the nightclub scene early on in the film. This is awesome, intelligent and brilliant, and is the perfect way to surprise your friends and many music lovers out there alike. Very much a great mixture of Rob Zombie with some contemporary Electronic music sensibilities, the repeated vocals towards the end, along with the sustaining of said vocals, are truly awesome. The late 1990s was truly an exciting time for music, and this remix proves that. Clever, quirky and cool, Rob Zombie and crew annihilate the competition. Brilliant. Very fun listening.

Superbeast – Prono Holocaust Mix begins with some 4/4 beats and nicely mixed textures, which sound very Eurodance. Different, all right. Soon enough, the electronic sounds build up, along with the processed sounds from the original, and the vocals from Rob Zombie kick in. A short and different piece of music to hear, this isn’t as good as the original. Still, it is neither dull nor worthless, having said that, it just sounds rather weird. A different and interesting listen that could fit onto a PlayStation video game, this is definitely out there. A cool listen, even if it doesn’t meet the quality of the original. Interesting and cheesy, but anthemic nonetheless. A good and entertaining piece of music.

How To Make A Monster – Kitty’s Purrrrformance Mix begins with some Nine Inch Nails style electronic sounds, before banging cut-up drum beats enter and we are underway. This instantly has an excellent vibe and really does sound sensational. This eventually launches into a performance that is very wonderful and completely different to the original piece of music that was made. A lively, highly Electronic and wonderful reinterpretation of the original song, this sounds really clever, cool, intelligent and nicely pieced together. For what it lacks in heavy metal intensity, it makes up for a more electronic and variable-styled sound. This is just as enjoyable, however. A really excellent listening experience, complete with some pseudo-accordion keyboard sounds, which are weird throughout. A good mixture nonetheless, worth hearing. It ends with repeated looped, distorted vocals. Nice work.

Living Dead Girl – Subliminal Seduction Remix begins with some samples of sounds from the original song, before launching into a wonderful and terrifyingly electronic listen. It does sound very good, and although this isn’t heavy metal territory exclusively, it does work extremely well and efficiently as a textured and interesting piece of music. A really nice listening experience all the same, and it sounds more diverse, better mixed and interesting than the music on the original Hellbilly Deluxe album. There is an awesome breakdown in the middle before more delicious electronic textures emerge in the second half to take you over. A wonderful listen, all the same, there are some nicely mixed sounds and sonic loops towards the end that are really fantastic. Not bad for a remix project. Great listening, it segues straight into the next track.

Spookshow Baby – Black Leather Catsuit Mix begins with some nicely looped drumbeats and textures from the original tune, along with the guitar riffs. A really energetic and supercharged listen, it progresses gradually into a wonderfully and descriptively textured listening experience that is quite unbeatable. It sounds really interesting and quite restrained, just delivering the goods very well. This is a great take on the original song from Hellbilly Deluxe and has some really great Acid-based textures and sounds that are different and imaginative. It launches into the main chorus of the song with eclectic passion and differentiation that is super wonderful here. A really wonderful and listenable tune, this goes interstellar towards the end with some of the spacey sounds. A lively, wonderful and excellent tune, this sounds monumentally awesome and fun. Great work by Rob Zombie and those who worked with him on these songs.

Demonoid Phenomenon – Sin Lives Mix has some looped vocals, more Acid textures and some danceable beats. This returns to a simpler Electronic music-styled-based performance that does not disappoint. This is an excellent, listenable and appreciable piece of interesting music with some world-class sounds and sound effects. A really cool and varied listening experience, this is much like Rob Zombie for those who like to take a few pills to. Nonetheless, this is amazing and enjoyable sounding, and also effectively breaks down some genre barriers. The second half has some intense and electrifying guitar sounds, along with some cleverly placed electronic bleeps and beeps. The whole thing is very wonderfully marvellous, it just sounds really out there and clever. A nice and awesome listen, this deserves your time. Wonderful tune. There are some interesting EDM-styled sounds and treatments right at the end here, good work.

The Ballad Of Resurrection Joe – Ilsa She-Wolf Of Hollywood Mix is the centrepiece tune here. It begins with some apocalyptic sounds and textures, before launching into a moody and melancholy musical effort. This is completely different to all else out there on the album, it just sounds rather weird. Anyway, regardless, it is a good effort. Soon into it, some singing by Rob Zombie enters, but this isn’t a really comfortable nor enjoyable listen. The chorus climax isn’t really a good one, and again, this feels like a disappointment. It’s listenable, just neither interesting nor fantastic for a remix. The second half is an improvement with some nicely mixed beats and textures, but still, one cannot help but feel miserable and dreary emotionally listening to this one. There is some nice scratching towards the end that sounds really groovy before the main track resumes. A really amazing and listenable tune towards the end at least, the mixture of guitar harmonics and textures does do justice. A shame that the most part of the song isn’t that good.

What Lurks On Channel X? – XXX Mix begins with a scream, before the ghostly instrumentation from the original builds up. Soon enough, this launches into a classy and lounge-sounding EDM groove that sounds really cool. A danceable and interesting tune, this does sound really enjoyable and very listenable. More like Breakbeat or Drum and Bass than Rob Zombie, this still does leave a decent impression on the listener. A cool tune which is about what young people are often (arguably) indecently exposed to, this sounds marvellous all the same. The breakbeats in the second half are fantastic and very imaginative indeed. There is a brief break before the whole thing resumes and sounds fantastic. A fine and awesome tune, this does sound lively and excellent. The dynamics present in this tune are wonderful, another thrilling listen here.

Meet The Creeper – Pink Pussy Remix begins with some cut-up vocals and instrumentation to match, before launching into a top EDM/Breakbeat groove. This is very much like Rob Zombie meets your top DJ sets, but still, it sounds terrific. The cut-up and treated vocals present are fantastic, and the whole tune is a marvellous and wonderful rework. Truly, this is an impressive album and tracks such as these are merely proof of that. A very powerful and lively tune, this sounds quite psychedelic and amazing, in a highly EDM way. Both Rob Zombie and EDM fans could appreciate this, and it is an unforgettable listen throughout. A great mash-up of sounds, styles and influences, Rob Zombie shows his excellence here. Great tunes are present, and the whole thing sounds like a fine mix of music. Towards the end, this piece becomes quite minimal but is still appreciable nonetheless, with some distorted vocal harmonies. It ends with spacey EDM sounds, nice work.

Return Of The Phantom Stranger – Tuesday Night At The Chop Shop Mix begins with some kick beats and textures very similar to Industrial Music, before proceeding into an unusual piece of music by Rob Zombie present. This, once again, sounds very eclectic and amazing, although this is quite clearly Electronic based music on this song. Very lively nonetheless, Rob Zombie and co. make an excellent impression with this vocally led tune. A wonderful and impressive listening experience, this does sound really great and awesome. A shorter piece with a hint of melodramatic nature about it, this is also worth your time. A nice tune, although a little too minimal, to be fair. It is still good though.

Superbeast – Girl On A Motorcycle Mix goes straight into a compressed and different-sounding remix of the original classic song by Rob Zombie. Again, this is good and although this is indeed a remix album, it does sound energetic and refreshing throughout. This one is closer to the material on Hellbilly Deluxe for sure but sounds amazing all the same. Some nicely interpreted sounds and textures are present in this tune, although it is super compressed and quiet. A really weird-sounding tune, but listenable all the same, this is very far out. The mixing of vocals present is amazing, but the rest of the track is not as good as it could be. Interesting for what it is, this is a strange and different mixture of music. A good idea that could have been bettered, for a remix tune. It segues into the last track.

Meet The Creeper – Brute Man And Wonder Girl Mix is the final track here. It begins with some interesting beats and textures that sound really awesome, amazing and interesting. This is another excellent remix project that just simply works well, it sounds really fine and out there. This is a short and sweet tune that has more Electronic trickery on it, and although the album has hammered this a lot by this point, this is an excellent tune. A really dynamic and different listening experience, the sounds and mixing here are nothing but excellent. A good piece to conclude this remix album with, this does sound different and full of twists and turns. It ends with some nice science fiction-style noises, before concluding with some awesome beats and textures. It fades out quickly and sharply.

Overall, this is a very interesting album that although is simply a remix project of sorts, does very brilliantly well and in some places, is better than the material on Hellbilly Deluxe. The best thing to do would be to listen to Hellbilly Deluxe a few times before grabbing this one though, the originals are just as important to be fair. Nonetheless, a strong effort for a remix album and Rob Zombie was well on his way to becoming a musical superstar after the release of this interesting and varied listen.

Different, yet excellent.

8/10