Release Date: 27 February 2026
Song Count: 15
Duration: 38 minutes, 40 seconds
Rating: 8.9/10
Description:
A legendary figure in the industrial metal scene has arisen once again, as Rob Zombie, whose older work under his band I've covered on the page almost four months ago (jeez, time flies), has returned with an eight studio album under his solo career - The Great Satan. Described officially as a stylistic return to form to the classic Hillbilly-era sound of "punk-infused rock/metal", the album expresses a strong and striking attitude of rebellion, uprising against societal systems, and a tinge of darkness, Satanism and horror elements, as is expected from the man himself, and judging by the way it sounds, those returning influences from the late 90's that kickstarted Rob Zombie's one-man journey are in full force and stronger than they've ever been.
Alternating between groove-filled rhythms and more gliding flows, The Great Satan very much manages to capture the same energy that the debut album from 28 years ago did with its tracks, as its pays homage to the style of many of the most well-known songs from back then and practically acts as a long-awaited sequel. Also similarly to that record, the highlights of this one are ones that instantly stick in one's mind as phenomenal pieces of industrial metal, whether it be for their intense riffs, unique ideas and samplings, sheer musical weight enough to crush one's eardrums, or a combination of all three factors. This raw aggression and power within the songs fits in perfectly with the subject matters of violence, apocalypse, and standing up against a messed up dystopia of a modern world, with several references to Orwell's 1984 in multiple tracks.
Though just short of the full quality and essence of the original inspiration behind it - even if, admittedly, that is an extremely high bar to clear - , this newest addition to the discography of a long-standing artist I consider to be amongst my all-time favourites is a very solid one that kept me engaged and enjoying the throwback-turned fresh music throughout. Even if not every song was as up on the quality ceiling, with a few of them falling into more generic tropes, those that did reach the top more than made up for them, leading to a balanced and consistently impressive album all around. Zombie has truly outdone himself with this one, and is very likely getting a whirl from me for many months, if not even years, to come in the future for sure. Absolute legend, this man is.