Rob Zombie

The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy

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Genre: Hard Rock.
Released: 12/03/2021
Via Nuclear Blast

Album Review: Rob Zombie – The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy

The ever wild Rob Zombie is back with his new album ‘The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy’. Yes, you read that right! Rob Zombie has always pushed the norm when it comes to his music and just from the title alone it’s clear to see this album won’t be an exception. so without further adieu here’s what I thought of the new record!

The album starts with ‘Expanding the Head of Zed’ which is a song that set’s the mood of the album very well and serves as a prolonged intro into ‘The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)’. If you’re looking for more of the old school Zombie vibe, this is gonna be a great album for you. Nothing can match his bodacious vocal style and this song shows it off well. A no-nonsense start to the album is exactly what I expected from Rob Zombie and co who swing right into ‘The Ballad of Sleazy Rider’. This song is everything you’d expect from a Zombie song from the infectious chorus to the overpowering riffs and percussion. A real joy to listen too. 

‘Hovering over the Dull Earth’ is once again just a glorified intro for ‘Shadow of the Cemetery Man’. This song just comes across as if it could have been made by a Zombie clone. Nothing comes out to captivate you and it lacks the usual enthusiasm fans of the band have come to expect. A disappointing entry into the album. Once Again ‘A Brief Static Hum and Then the Radio Blared’ may as well have just been the intro for ’18Th Century Cannibals, Excitable Morlocks and a One-Way Ticket on the Ghost Train’. I can’t say the name of the track is going to be very memorable and the same applies to the song itself. A unique take on a more country style jam from Rob Zombie mixed with his own aggressive style on occasion. I feel that the song just doesn’t suit the general esthetic of the band and it really comes out of the left field. I can’t say I was ever excited for this one to come on again. 

Continuing down the album and ‘The Eternal Struggles of the Howling Man’ is definitely an improvement over the last few songs. A heavy-hitting beat carried by the fast pace riffs and an assaulting vocal performance from Rob Zombie gives me everything I want from a zombie song. I would have to say this is probably my favourite track on the album. This is followed by the acoustic stylings of ‘The Much Talked of Metamorphosis’. A great contrast from what the previous songs have had to offer but a welcome break to the action. A nice soothing melodic instrumental helps to find the groove of the album once again.

Suddenly I found myself assaulted by the aggressive nature of ‘The Satanic Rites of Blacula’. The short and uninspired song leaves a lot to be desired and just undoes the work the last few songs had done to put the album back on track. Another song leaving me feeling quite disappointed, unfortunately. ‘Shower of Stones’ is once again another track that serves the purpose of being an intro for ‘Shake Your Ass-Smoke Your Glass’. Thankfully this song had me wanting to listen to it again and again which is a welcome change. A  great example of how Zombie can experiment with different styles and actually pull it off. This song is well worth a listen.

‘Boom-Boom-Boom’ Is a real change in pace however it works really well. The Video game esc synth accompanied by Rob’s harrowing vocal performance allows the song to shine and stand out from the majority of the record. Not to mention that the title of this one is a lot more memorable than the others. Up next is ‘What You Gonna Do with That Gun Mama?’. This song is once again a prolonged intro for ‘Get Loose’. Luckily this song is a return to the Zombie style we all know and love. A song that makes you wanna boogie along with, no matter how “metal” you are. I love the addition of the sitar sections! Once again Zombie can show that he is still capable of creating music that you’d never think of. 

The last two songs are ‘The Serenity of Witches’ which is, You guessed it, A prolonged intro for ‘Crow Killer Blues’. A real beast of a song that absolutely demolishes everything in its path. Thankfully, Rob Zombie how managed to give the album one hell of a final song that will surely become a fan favourite over the next few years. I cannot wait to see this one live as it encapsulates everything you want from the Zombie experience.

Overall I feel that the album unfortunately has left a lot to be desired. The album has some great tracks however there is a lot on here that I felt just didn’t match up to the level of quality we have come to expect for Rob Zombie over the years. With this being his first studio album in 4 years I had my hopes set pretty high for this one. A disappointing release from the legend himself.