Rob Zombie returns with more shock rock

Alice Cooper laughed when asked about co-headlining with Rob Zombie during “The Gruesome Twosome Tour” a decade ago.

“I had the greatest time out with Rob,” Cooper said during a chat in February. “He’s one of the most fun guys you can tour with – Rob gets it, and his songs are amazing. And he’s keeping theatrics in rock going.”

That’s an issue in the world of music since larger-than-life performance is going the way of the dinosaur. “We need to keep that alive, and Rob is doing just that,” Cooper said.

Zombie, 56, remains tight with the godfather of shock rock and was weaned on his music while growing up in Massachusetts – and he in turn impacted Cooper’s approach to entertainment.

“I grew up on Alice Cooper and KISS, and I loved what they did live when I was a kid just as much as I love their songs,” Zombie said during a 2019 interview. “That was a big influence on me.

“What I experienced as a kid definitely impacted the live show I present. But I love it. There’s nothing like a big rock show.”

While big rock shows are on ice for quite a while, recording artists are still making music. Zombie recently released his seventh album, “The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy.”

His latest batch of alt-metal is as bizarre and twisted at times as the head-scratching album title. It’s a familiar visceral blast of heavy tunes filled with big riffs, trippy psychedelia and raunch. Melody often rears its head during Zombie’s tunes, even at its most searing.

There are a number of highlights such as the sludgy blues of “The Ballad of Sleazy Rider.” Zombie excels with the Southern fried rock of “Shadow of a Cemetery Man.” There are welcome surprises, such as the use of a sitar during the catchy “Get Loose.”

Zombie gets wonderfully weird and experimental music, and that couldn’t be more welcome. The metal innovator could have played it safe like many of his peers.

It would have been easy to ride the wave of his popular band, White Zombie, which had a couple of hard rock hits such as “More Human Than Human” and “Thunder Kiss ‘65” during the 1990s.

Zombie could have lived off the fat of the land with the visually arresting and sonically appealing metal band, which sold millions of albums. However, White Zombie disbanded in 1998.

“I wanted to challenge myself,” Zombie said. “That’s the way I’ve always been, and that’s the way I remain.”

Zombie stands out in the world of metal. The former “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” production assistant has reinvented himself on a number of occasions. The larger-than-life figure has enjoyed a successful solo career.

“Dragula” and “Living Dead Girl” are some of his muscular rock hits. Zombie has been making solo albums since 1998’s “Hellbilly Deluxe” dropped. His solo projects are filled with menacing, hedonistic and irreverent rock. It’s a blitz of style and substance.

“I think rock has always been about both of those things,” Zombie said. “It wouldn’t have been the same if Jimi Hendrix was fat and bald. There has always been a visual side of rock, and it connects with me since film is obviously visual. But you also need solid songs. It can’t just be about a look.”

But Zombie knows how to make aesthetically pleasing visuals. When he began directing films, such as a remake of the horror classic “Halloween” and “Werewolf Women of the SS,” no one was taken aback.

“I don’t think it should have come as a shock that I tried making films since I directed so many White Zombie videos,” Zombie said. “I love making movies and music.” Zombie film “3 From Hell,” a follow-up to his 2003 film “House of 1,000 Corpses” and its 2005 sequel “The Devil’s Rejects,” is entertaining.

Zombie had been co-headlining with Marilyn Manson. The dramatic provocateurs impressed while on 2018’s “Twins of Evil: The Second Coming” tour. Zombie and Manson have a common denominator. Guitarist John 5, aka John Lowery, is Zombie’s lead guitarist and was formerly part of Marilyn Manson.

“I learned a lot from each of them,” Lowery said. “They’re so different and have made their mark in history. There is no one like either of them. They each have songs, and they put on a show. I love performing with Rob. I’ve been a big fan of his since the White Zombie days.

“I knew all of his music before I joined the band. I love his songs since they rock hard, and they have such great melodies, and his lyrics are so cool, as well. And then there is the show. It’s always entertaining. It’s been a blast working with Rob since it’s obvious that he loves this.”