So why is White Zombie’s La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1 on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
Looking back from the perspective of the 2020s, I’m not all excited by White Zombie’s homages to horror and exploitation flicks, or their provocations against the buttoned-up culture (I guess?) of the George H. W. Bush era.
For me, the excitement of La Sexorcisto is turning up “Thunder Kiss ‘65” or “Soul-Crusher” and feeling an undeniable hurricane of thrashy, trashy, dirty, funky metal that gets under your skin like very few albums can. And on repeat listens, what gets really interesting is the versatility White Zombie puts on display, pulling in the best of slow gloom metal from the likes of Black Sabbath with speed metal that the likes of Metallica or Pantera would surely admire.
But the beauty is that this album is really in a weirdo metal category all its own, and that absolutely deserves celebration.
In terms of the album’s influences, they include Black Sabbath, Metallica, Pantera, and Mudhoney. Might also throw Primus, Corrosion of Conformity, and Faith No More in there for good measure.
“Thunder Kiss ‘65” is an all-time metal classic, and I appreciate how the music video is equal parts funny, exciting, and effective at driving its “ode to Russ Meyer‘s 1965 busty B-movies Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Mudhoney.”
“Soul-Crusher” meanwhile is virtuoso speed metal, Rob Zombie’s howling vocals matching up perfectly.
“Black Sunshine” is a really fun (by White Zombie standards!) speed metal blaster, with outstanding metal riffs interspersed with chugging, sludgy chords. Iggy Pop is also credited on this one.
Pop culture stuff that’s somehow related to White Zombie’s La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1
Some purists might think me bonkers (and maybe they’d be right!) but I hear a little “Soul-Crusher” influence on one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite all-time local bands. That’d be Brother Meat’s “House,” a band (from Ithaca, New York) and a song that you’ll be reading more about, my friends.
Some stats & info about White Zombie – La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Metal, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Industrial Metal, Hard Rock, Funky Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, Rock Music
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4.5 out of 5 stars
- When was La Sexorcisto released? 1992
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #916 out of 1,000
White Zombie’s La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1 on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from White Zombie’s La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1 that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
1965 yeah.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective take on what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.