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White Zombie was an American band named after the 1932 film White Zombie, which starred Bela Lugosi.
History
Founded by Rob Zombie (lyrics/ vocals/ art) after coming up with the band idea in 1985 while attending at Parsons in his Junior year. Rob's girlfriend at the time, Sean Yseult, was on bass. Eventually Rob found and hired a drummer, Peter Landau, and a guitarist, Paul Ena Kostabi. Based in New York City, White Zombie was originally a noise rock band in the vein of fellow New York band Sonic Youth; Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and fellow alternative rock icon Kurt Cobain have professed to be fans of their early work. White Zombie's first release was an EP titled Gods on Voodoo Moon and was recorded on October 18, 1985. Only 300 copies were pressed, of which only 100 were sold — Rob still retains possession of the remaining 200. Following disagreements, both Peter and Paul were fired.
In 1986, Rob hired Tim Jeffs as the second guitarist who only appeared on the first pressing of the band's second EP Pig Heaven and played during a few live shows. The guitarist was quickly replaced by Tom Guay later that year who would appear on the second pressing of Pig Heaven, play guitar on the bands third EP Psycho-Head Blowout in 1987, and their first full length 1987 album Soul-Crusher. John Ricci replaced Tom Guay shortly after the release of Soul-Crusher, only to quit in 1989 after the release of their second LP Make Them Die Slowly. Jay Yuenger or "J." then replaced Ricci for the remainder of the band's years, which saw them in a more metal-influenced direction.
After Peter Landau was fired, Ivan DePrume was hired for drums. His time in the band lasted until the ending of the La Sexorcisto tour, when he was fired and replaced by Phil Buerstatte or "Philo". Phil only appeared on various singles the band released between albums and was soon fired due to Rob's dislike for him. He was soon replaced by John Tempesta who had previously played for Exodus and Testament.
The band cut a number of semi-independent recordings in New York in the 1980s, these included the albums Soul-Crusher and Make Them Die Slowly, as well as the EPs Pig Heaven, Psycho-Head Blowout, and God of Thunder. White Zombie's first major-label album, Devil Music, Vol. 1, was released in 1992, followed in 1995 by 2000 - Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head. In 1996, an album of remixes was released under the title Supersexy Swingin' Sounds.
White Zombie was known for combining heavy-metal music with driving lead guitar riffs (as on "Super-Charger Heaven"), overlayed with lyrics heavily influenced by horror films, with often nonsensical imagery. Unlike other metal bands of the 1990s, White Zombie was exclusively a "fantasy" band, one that wrote songs not about real life, but simply about surreal horror fantasies, backed by whimsical live tours.
The group officially disbanded in 1998 shortly after the release of Rob Zombie's solo album Hellbilly Deluxe.
After disbanding
Sean Yseult, after the breakup of White Zombie, co-founded the surf rock band The Famous Monsters, and is currently playing for the horror-themed New Orleans-based band Rock City Morgue.
John Tempesta continued his musical relationship with Rob Zombie after the White Zombie breakup, drumming for Zombie on his first two solo albums, Hellbilly Deluxe and The Sinister Urge. He is no longer with Rob Zombie. Currently he plays for the Rob Zombie-esque band Scum of the Earth with his brother, Powerman 5000 guitarist Mike Tempesta, and ex-Rob Zombie guitarist Riggs, and has recently toured with Testament (as shown on Testament's DVD, Live In London). On February 14, 2006 he was hired as the new drummer for The Cult.
J. produced records for stoner rock gods Fu Manchu and New York City rockers Puny Human, as well as lending his guitar skills to a few other bands after the breakup of White Zombie.
While Rob Zombie has mostly kept the image of his former band, fans of both White Zombie's and Rob Zombie's music have noted significant musical differences between the two, notably the absence of the heavy bass and lead guitar-playing that characterised White Zombie's musical style. Multiple layers and numerous samples are no longer used as often due to legal issues as the band's popularity grew to mainstream recognition.
In July 2006, original members Tom Five and Ivan DePrume reunited to peform with Healer at a concert in San Diego, California for The Vans Warped Tour.
Trivia
- Released in the same year (1992), White Zombie's "La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1" and Poison Idea's "Blank Blackout Vacant" feature songs that have samples from the same Russ Meyer film, Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Furthermore, both bands use a nearly identical sample; specificially, the samples come from the lines "I never TRY anything. I just DO it. Like I don't beat clocks, just people. Wanna try me?" that were spoken by the character Varla in the film. White Zombie's song ("Thunder Kiss '65") uses just the first two lines and the last one, whereas the Poison Idea song ("Punish Me") uses the entire sequence.
Discography
Studio Albums
EPs
- Gods on Voodoo Moon (1985)
- Pig Heaven (1986)
- Psycho-Head Blowout (1987)
- God of Thunder (1989)
- Supersexy Swingin' Sounds (1996)
Compilations/Live Releases/VHS
- Thrilling Chilling World of White Zombie (VHS) (1997) - Never Released!
- Past, Present & Future (2003) (Rob Zombie's Greatest Hits)
Single Chart Positions
Music Videos
- "Thunder Kiss '65
- "Welcome to Planet MF"
- "Black Sunshine"
- "More Human Than Human"
- "Electric Head Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)"
- "Super-Charger Heaven"
- "I'm Your Boogieman"
- "Feed the Gods"
- "The One"
External links
- Tim Jeff's Early White Zombie Bio - Best information for White Zombie's beginning years.
- Voyage To The Voodoo Moon - Arguably the best source for all White Zombie information pre-1992.
- Psychoholic World of White Zombie
- White+Rob Zombie Zombieland II
White Zombie | Rob Zombie | American musical groups | American heavy metal musical groups | Heavy metal musical groups | 1980s music groups | 1990s music groups
White Zombie | White Zombie | White Zombie | White Zombie | White Zombie
"White Zombie (band)"