Robert Bartle Cummings is a man who managed to achieve world fame within the framework of heavy music. He is known to a wide audience of listeners under the pseudonym Rob Zombie, which perfectly characterizes all his work.
Following the example of idols, the musician paid attention not only to music, but also to the stage image, which turned him into one of the most recognizable representatives of the industrial metal scene.
Rob Zombie is a big connoisseur of cinematography, which has greatly influenced his music.
The beginning of the creative path of Rob Zombie
Robert Bartle Cummings was born on January 12, 1965. So his youth was in the heyday of American horror, which has become an integral part of popular culture. Another thing that developed in a parallel direction was music.
Every year, even more genres appeared, distinguished by unprecedented boldness in sound. So the desire to create his own group appeared in Robert at school.
In 1985, he began to implement this undertaking. At that time, Rob worked as an art designer, for whom vocals were just a hobby. But soon music became his main way to earn money.
Enlisting the support of his girlfriend Shona Isault, the young musician went in search of like-minded people. Shona already had experience playing in a local band, where she was the keyboardist. Shona had connections that helped develop the project.
Soon, guitarist Paul Costaby joined the line-up, who had his own music studio. Then the drummer Peter Landau came to the group, after which the musicians began active rehearsals.
And already in October 1985, the first mini-album Gods on Voodoo Moon was released. It was published by an independent label and was limited to 300 copies. Thus began the creative path of the White Zombie group.
Rob Zombie & White Zombie
Bandleader Rob Zombie was a big fan of horror films. This is evidenced even by the name of the group, referring to the classic horror with Bela Lugosi in the title role.
Also, the theme of horror prevailed in the texts of the White Zombie group, dedicated not to personal experiences, but to the heroes of horror films. The fantastic plots described in the songs of the White Zombie group allowed the musicians to stand out.
For several years, the band was looking for their sound, experimenting within the framework of noise rock. Soul-Crusher's first album was a far cry from the kind of music White Zombie espoused in the 1990s.
And only in 1989 the musicians chose the popular alternative metal. With their second full-length album, Make Them Die Slowly, a style began to emerge that would turn White Zombie into international stars.
Gaining fame
The group was noticed by the major label Geffen Records, who saw potential in the team. A contract was signed that contributed to the release of the third full-length album La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One. It received a lot of rave reviews in the press.
The record was created in the genre of industrial groove metal, with which the subsequent work of Rob Zombie was associated.
The musicians gained international recognition, and also went on their first world tour. The concert tour lasted 2,5 years, turning the musicians into real rock stars.
Disagreements and the breakup of the White Zombie band
Despite their success, there were creative differences within the band. Because of this, the composition of the White Zombie group changed several times.
The group managed to record the fourth album Astro Creep: 2000, which appeared on the shelves in 1995. But already in 1998, the White Zombie group ceased to exist.
Solo artist Rob Zombie
The dissolution of the group was a new stage in the career of Rob Zombie, who put together a solo project. The band's debut album, named after him, became the best-selling musician of his career.
The disc was called Hellbilly Deluxe and was released in 1998. Three years later, the second full-length release of The Sinister Urge was released. Ozzy Osbourne, Kerry King and DJ Lethal took part in its recording.
The album was named after the film of the same name by Ed Wood Jr. His work corresponded to the theme of the group. Rob Zombie continued to dedicate lyrics to the horror films he grew up watching. But few would have thought that one day he himself would sit in the director's chair.
Leaving for directing
In 2003, Rob Zombie's career as a director began. After raising a significant amount of money, he made his own film House of 1000 Corpses, which starred many of the horror movie stars of the 1980s. The film became successful, which allowed Rob to continue his creative work in the cinema. The main success of Zombie was the remake of the slasher film "Halloween", which became a hit at the international box office.
In total, Rob Zombie has 6 feature films that caused mixed reviews from "fans". Some admire Rob's activities, while others consider the musician's work mediocre.
Rob Zombie now
At the moment, the 54-year-old musician continues to realize himself within the cinema, creating horror films in the spirit of the classic films of the 1980s.
Despite being busy, Rob Zombie travels around the world with concerts, without leaving musical activity in the background. In between filming, he continued to record new albums, which are very popular with the "fans" of the genre.
Despite considerable experience, Rob does not intend to stop. There is no doubt that he has many ideas, the implementation of which will take place in the near future.
Rob Zombie in 2021
On March 12, 2021, the new album was released. We are talking about the collection The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy. Longpei topped 17 tracks. Recall that this is the first album of musicians in the last 5 years. Rob said that the compositions were ready several years ago, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the release was pushed back another year.
