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Rob Zombie - Educated Horses
"Educated Horses" is the third studio album by industrial metal musician and former White Zombie vocalist Rob Zombie. "Educated Horses" was seen as a disappointment among fans back when it came out, as it was somewhat of a departure from the techno industrial metal of the previous two albums. There's still industrial to be heard, but it's only one sound among others as this is a pretty varied release.
The album opens up in a way that you would not expect from a Rob Zombie album, with 'Sawdust in the Blood' featuring melancholic piano playing over crashing drums before opening into the first full song on the album. More of this new sound is heard on '100 Ways' which is somewhat of an intermission with a very atmospheric sound. The classical guitar work here is dark yet gentle at the same time, and it's a shame it only goes on for a bit under two minutes. More classical guitar is featured in the beginning of the song 'Death of it All' before it gets a sort of blues-y sound. The opener 'American Witch' has an addicting classic heavy metal sound, with a really driving march of a guitar riff. Like I've said before, I'm a sucker for the Phrygian scale, and '17 Year Locust' has an awesome Egyptian-sound throughout the song combined with heavy guitars and a real foot-tapping beat.
For those missing the White Zombie sound, check out the song 'Let it All Bleed Out', which is a really driving thrashing track that is kind of reminiscent of White Zombie. The last three songs on the album are all probably the heaviest songs on the album along with the aforementioned song. 'Ride' begins with dark piano before being assaulted with a crushing guitar riff. 'The Devil's Rejects' has a really dark yet catchy guitar riff and drum beat throughout, and the contrast between the dark heavy guitar and the quieter parts really fit well. The finale 'The Lords of Salem', has an industrial-twinged doom-y riff, and the lyrics wouldn't sound too out of place in a Black Sabbath album.
Overall, I feel like this is a really underrated album, and it's especially great if you're looking for something both relatively short and varied. It's not a long album, but that just keeps it from getting boring. One of my favorite Zombie albums, and I highly recommend it for any fans of Rob Zombie who are open to variation. Hope you found this review helpful.
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