AMG Review of Hellbilly Deluxe, Vol. 2

Jason Lymangrover
All Music Guide

Returning with his first album since 2006’s Educated Horses , Zombie has since gone on to say that the songs on Hellbilly Deluxe 2 were his easiest to write. His trademark “yeah” and monotone hoedown growl are still front and center, the B-horror movie references are still plentiful, and the chugging guitars and dark, sleek beats are still trashy enough to be stripclub staples, but he takes some chances on a few tracks. Still, at this point in his career, his best move is to take these types of risks, and when he does so on the ten-minute closer “The Man Who Laughs,” with its underlying orchestral score by Tyler Bates, the results are compelling and unnerving in a good way.