Rob Zombie returns with The Sinister Urge, the follow up to his first solo album Hellbilly Deluxe. As with his previous band, White Zombie, Rob's musical focus relies heavily on grove-oriented heavy rock packaged in old B-movie monster flick paraphernalia and easily recognizable vocal stylings that punch holes in your ears. When White Zombie broke up, Hellbilly Deluxe showed that Rob could really keep things going in the right direction. Unfortunately, his sophomore offering seems to have stalled.

The Sinister Urge comes across as a de-fanged version of previous White Zombie/Rob Zombie records. The music is nice and written well, but it just doesn't have the soulful groove of La Sexorcisto or raw power of Astro Creep. While Hellbilly Deluxe showed us where Rob wanted to push his music, Sinister just seems to have moved the act into a complacent, MTV-friendly package that will disenfranchise a large portion of his dedicated fanbase.

That's not to say that there isn't some good tracks here. Both Bring Her Down and Dead Girl Superstar are a good listen, but both feel like musical speedbumps in this casual ride. I'll be honest - I'm disappointed in what feels like an album that lacks the power and charm of what Rob has already given us before. Maybe he should spend less time directing videos and movies and more time getting back to his roots. Fans of Rob Zombie will probably want to pick this album up, but others who are interested in Rob's music should just get Hellbilly Deluxe or one of the White Zombie albums.

- - Vane