I was already into the first two albums from these guys as it has a dirty sludgy Stooges feel but was dark like Alice Cooper. When I bought this album in 1992 my first thought was "they sound like Metallica now" this change took a couple listens to grow on me. The grooving grind of their chugs has a more drugged out feel that thrash bands. "Thunder Kiss'65" became their calling card to the masses. But any rock bar I went into for the next 10 years would find this playing on the juke box, so it got played out but is a pretty well-crafted anthem when heard with fresh ears. I always loved how this band used samples. I like Iggy Pop's narration on "Black Sunshine" and how the riff holds a flowing tension.
This album has an overabundance of killer riffs. There is a cool creeping feel to the riff of "Soul Crusher". Rob Zombie might not be a great singer, but he does write great lyrics as they are an abstract collage of pulp sci-fi movies. The mood this album captures is like a grind house horror movie. Groove gets even more grinding on "Cosmic Monsters". This album is really well produced, everything sits right where it needs to. Things do not begin to take on a uniform feel in terms of the throbbing grooves until "Spider Baby" which finds the riffs a little doomier. Zombie's vocals are pretty much a one trick pony. He is not rapping he is not growling, nor is he really singing actual notes. He is more commanding on "I Am Legend" which makes the song stand out. "Thrust! " Speeds things up a little. They vocals coast nicely over the riffs.
By the time we get to "Grindhouse Ago-go" the uniform dynamics of what they do are finding most songs beginning to blend in, the smart drumming of this song is what keeps it above the others in the album's third act. "Starface"kinda feels like filler though all the moving parts work in harmony. They slow things down on "Warp Asylum" and it recalls more of their earlier work. I will give this album a 9.5, there are strong songs, but his voice and the single minded focused of their sound creates a uniform sound at points.
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