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The Sinister Urge

 
Album Review: The Sinister Urge

  • Artist: Rob Zombie
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: November 13, 2001
  • Type: Contains explicit content, Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Hard rock's brightest shock rocker avoids the sophomore slump on the fun and energetic The Sinister Urge. Zombie's trademark growl is still in fine form, roaring over the 11 tracks with his unique blend of acid-throated venom. But most interesting are the directions he tries to bring to his familiar sound, which he has been cultivating since the hardcore punk days of White Zombie. "Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy)" is the most apparent example of this, a song that borders on pop with its groovy handclaps and acoustic guitars. But not to be worried, the chorus kicks back into classic Zombie, complete with sampled crowd chants and his trademark "yeah." "Going to California" has a similar vibe, albeit darker and with a Welcome to My Nightmare-era Alice Cooper showbiz quality to it. But when it comes time to rock out, Zombie is more than ready. "Dead Girl Superstar" is probably the best of the bunch, raging along at lightning speed and featuring an awesome guest appearance by Slayer guitarist Kerry King. "Iron Head" is also quite good, matching Zombie's bark with guest singer Ozzy Osbourne's trademark banshee wail over a swaggering beat and chugging riff. And finally there is "House of 1000 Corpses," the theme from the film Zombie directed that apparently offended Universal Studios so much that they refused to release it. The song is a nice departure for him, like a Leonard Cohen song filtered through Violator-era Depeche Mode. It is the slow burn of this last track that shows the most promise; after years of making good heavy metal, he finally expands the boundaries of his own sound. Few metal musicians kept their sound fresh for as long as Zombie, and this album is no exception. This may not win any new fans, but anyone who enjoyed his old material will probably find this to be a welcome addition to their collection. Listen for the bonus track, "Unholy Three," about a minute after the last track ends. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Sinners Inc. (Lyrics) Rob Zombie, Scott Humphrey Rob Zombie (1:17)
Demon Speeding (Lyrics) Scott Humphrey, Rob Zombie Rob Zombie (3:44)
Dead Girl Superstar (Lyrics) Scott Humphrey, Rob Zombie Rob Zombie (2:28)
Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy) Rob Zombie, Scott Humphrey Rob Zombie (3:09)
Iron Head (Lyrics) Rob Zombie, Scott Humphrey Rob Zombie (4:11)
(Go to) California Scott Humphrey, Rob Zombie Rob Zombie (3:24)
Feel So Numb (Lyrics) Scott Humphrey, Rob Zombie Rob Zombie (3:53)
Transylvanian Transmissions, Pt. 1 Rob Zombie, Scott Humphrey Rob Zombie (1:09)
Bring Her Down (To Crippletown) Rob Zombie, Scott Humphrey Rob Zombie (3:59)
Scum of the Earth (Lyrics) Rob Zombie, Scott Humphrey Rob Zombie (2:55)
House of 1000 Corpses (Lyrics) Scott Humphrey, Rob Zombie Rob Zombie (9:26)

Credits

Rob Zombie (Package Design), Josh Freese (Drums), Frank Gryner (Engineer), Jerry Hey (Horn), Rob Zombie (Art Direction), Emm Gryner (Vocals), Frank Gryner (Mixing), Dan Burns (Assistant), Frank Gryner (Guitar), Scott Humphrey (Producer), Nika (Art Direction), Scott Humphrey (Guitar), Ozzy Osbourne (Vocals), Marina Chavez (Photography), Kerry King (Guitar), Chris Chaney (Bass), Bill Reichenbach Jr. (Horn), Gary Grant (Horn), Scott Humphrey (Mixing), Danny Lohner (Guitar), Scott Humphrey (Programming), Phil X. (Guitar), Rob Zombie (Producer), Tommy Lee (Drums), Gary Novak (Drums), Rob Zombie (Photography)
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Wikipedia: The Sinister Urge (album)
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For the 1961 exploitation film of the same name, see The Sinister Urge (film).
The Sinister Urge
Studio album by Rob Zombie
Released November 13, 2001
Recorded Chop Shop
Hollywood, California
Genre Heavy metal,
Alternative metal,
Shock metal
Length 36:48
Label Geffen
Producer Rob Zombie,
Scott Humphrey
Professional reviews
Rob Zombie chronology
American Made Music to Strip By
(1999)
The Sinister Urge
(2001)
Past, Present & Future
(2003)

The Sinister Urge is the second solo studio album (excluding the remix album American Made Music to Strip By) by the former White Zombie singer Rob Zombie, released in 2001. The album was named after the 1961 Ed Wood film The Sinister Urge.

Contents

Production

The album features a more experimental air than Zombie's intense debut, Hellbilly Deluxe. While it didn't take Zombie in a completely different direction, it incorporated various elements not previously used in his music, such as the horns on "(Go to) California" and turntables used on almost half the album. Various songs, such as the aforementioned track, favor calmer melodies over the brutal guitars heard on his previous album, although they are still evident in songs like "Feel So Numb" and "Scum of the Earth." This experimental trend would continue on Zombie's 2006 follow-up, Educated Horses.

Guest appearances

"Iron Head" features a guest vocal from Ozzy Osbourne; "Dead Girl Superstar" contains an additional guitar solo played by Kerry King of the metal band Slayer.

Track listing

All songs written by Rob Zombie and Scott Humphrey.

# Title Length
1. "Sinners, Inc."   1:17
2. "Demon Speeding"   3:44
3. "Dead Girl Superstar"   2:28
4. "Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy)"   3:09
5. "Iron Head"   4:10
6. "(Go to) California"   3:25
7. "Feel So Numb"   3:53
8. "Transylvanian Transmissions, Pt. 1"   1:09
9. "Bring Her Down (To Crippletown)"   3:59
10. "Scum of the Earth"   2:55
11. "House of 1000 Corpses" (Contains bonus song "Unholy Three") 9:26
36:48

Credits

  • Tom Baker - Mastering
  • Evelyne Bennu - Female Vocals
  • Blasko - Bass
  • Dan Burns - Assistant Engineer
  • Chris Chaney - Additional Bass
  • Marina Chavez - Photos
  • Josh Freese - Additional Drums
  • Gary Grant - Horns
  • Emm Gryner - Female Vocals
  • Frank Gryner - Engineering, Mixing, Additional Guitar
  • Jerry Hey - Horns
  • Scott Humphrey - Producer, Programming, Mixing, Additional Guitar
  • Kerry King - Additional Guitar ("Dead Girl Superstar")
  • Tommy Lee - Additional Drums
  • DJ Lethal - Turntables
  • Danny Lohner - Additional Guitar
  • Mix Master Mike - Turntables
  • Gary Novak - Additional Drums
  • Ozzy Osbourne - Additional Vocals ("Iron Head")
  • Bill Reichenbach - Horns
  • Riggs - Guitar
  • Bennett Salvay - String Arrangements
  • Tempesta - Drums
  • Daniel Wiggins - Horns
  • Phil X - Additional Guitar
  • Rob Zombie - Vocals, Lyricist, Producer, Art Direction, Photos, Package Design

Miscellanea

Chart positions

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
2001 The Billboard 200 8

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
2000 "Dead Girl Superstar" Mainstream Rock Tracks 25
2001 "Feel So Numb" Mainstream Rock Tracks 10
2001 "Feel So Numb" Modern Rock Tracks 18
2002 "Demon Speeding" Mainstream Rock Tracks 13
2002 "Never Gonna Stop" Mainstream Rock Tracks 11
2002 "Never Gonna Stop" Modern Rock Tracks 23

 
 

 

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "The Sinister Urge (album)" Read more

 

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