In these sounds, Lunar Injection comes off to me like a fresh spin on Hellbilly Deluxe, with Zombie providing a range in tongue-in-cheek horror lyricism as the band delivers rocking metal cuts. It sounded like a great fusion of arena rock with some industrial touches and other fun musical flavors. With Zombie being one of the longest-running artists I’ve been listening to, The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy is one of my favorite records from him.
Rob Zombie – The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy Without further ado, here are my top 10 records of 2021!ġ0. Also, while Haunted Riffs has involved a lot of metal, I’ve also included my favorite non-metal records. It’s also exciting to share my personal top records with you all through Haunted Riffs! This column has been a real joy for me, and in 2022, I look forward to bringing you more features, interviews, and reviews.Ī couple of notes before diving into my top picks: First, these are my top picks, and not an effort to say these are the best records of the year objectively. I love a year where it’s challenging for me to put together a top 10 list I initially start my process with a top 20 and then work my way to those really special records. Listeners will become instantly attached whether they are a longtime Cage faithful or a curious newcomer.This was a killer year for music across the board. Cage the Elephant is an innovative band and truly deserves to be among the top of today’s greats. Despite being a short album, I would give “Melophobia” a nine out of ten stars. The rhythms and bass make the album unique to the catchy sound that is Cage the Elephant. It is a great ending to the album.Ĭomparable to a true alternative rock album, Melophobia has a great combination of powerful guitar riffs and strong vocals. The lyrics “You can drive all night, looking for the answers in the pouring rain” show us that the song sounds depressing but feels upbeat. The clear odd song out, “Cigarette Daydreams,” starts out with a standard acoustic strum that is a good segue into the rest of the song. It is a song you definitely want to blast while driving around annoying the people of Kirkwood. Its distorted singing is well placed and has a good use of brass instruments. It is the shortest record at 2:58 and clearly deserves to be.Īnother favorite of mine, “Black Widow,” has an invigorating opening that could be used in the middle of the action of any James Bond movie.
Simplicity in the lyrics also take away from the meaning of the song. The high pitched screaming does no good and does not live up to the albums expectation. The song “Halo” is my least favorite on the album. It is a well-rounded song and clearly deserves to sit at the top with their most popular songs, “Ain’t no Rest for the Wicked” and “Shake Me Down.” Some of the song sounds dreary and bleak but they add good variation. It begins with a nice buildup to an awesome chorus. Pre-released at the album’s announcement, “Come a Little Closer” is a clear favorite amongst the true Cage the Elephant fandom. You may take my eyes but baby, I’m not blind” reveal a strong and catchy tune that many people can enjoy. The lyrics “Spiders in my head, spiders in my mind. The first song on the album, “Spiderhead,” shows what the band is all about. It is made up of five people including two brothers, lead vocalist Matthew Shultz and Guitarist Brad Shultz, with the accompaniment of guitarist Lincoln Parish, bassist Daniel Tichenor, and drummer Jared Champion. The band was formed in 2006 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The vocals of Matthew Shultz stay true to Cage’s past singing style with random fluctuations of voice and strong assertion. When compared to their other albums, Melophobia shows new sounds with old roots.
It is full of upbeat tempos and a heavy guitar influence. As a whole, the album is fast paced and dramatic with a few exceptions. The compilation of 10 unique songs was released in the U.S on Oct. With the release of their third studio album, the alternative rock group Cage the Elephant has done it again with Melophobia.