Perhaps co-defining the future of
heavy metal
,
White Zombie
's major-label debut nearly equals fellow classics
Guns N' Roses
'
Appetite for Destruction
the Cult
's
Electric
, and
Soundgarden
Badmotorfinger
in significance. With a funky
rap-metal
undercurrent, these
metal
monsters combine
Black Sabbath
's riff sludge and
Metallica
's rhythmic intensity, a combination that would again resurface in the late '90s. On
La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1
Zombie
and co. take listeners on a hokey carnival ride capable of inducing vomit yet provide an exhilarating, heart-throbbing
experience. Tactless and continuously shocking, lyricist
Rob Zombie
reveals blatant tales of muscle cars, sleazy encounters, and
Fangoria
-mustered fantasy, clearly paying homage to vintage trash culture. Complemented by
Russ Meyer
film soundbites and demonic aura,
ridicules middle American
Leave It to Beaver
values and insolently challenges the politically correct. Diabolical manifestos such as the barbaric
"Soul-Crusher,"
macabre
"Spiderbaby (Yeah-Yeah-Yeah),"
and sexually indiscreet
"Thrust!"
will intrigue those yearning for lewd explicitness but may offend traditional
hard rock
enthusiasts.
"Thunder Kiss '65,"
an ode to
's 1965 B-movies
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
and
Mudhoney
, remains this album's most listenable and enduring highlight. Along with perverted lyrics,
's vocal snarls and the band's muscular
thunder produce the furious concoction that secures
's place in
history. Weak appetites for raunchy, tongue-in-cheek decadence need not apply. ~ Jacob N. Lunders