The Ghastly Ones: A Haunting We Will Go-Go

You may associate White Zombie's Rob Zombie with many things: ass-stomping metal, movie-monster theatrics, conspiracy-theory sci-fi lyrics that teeter between goofy and really goofy. But fun While that trait may not often shine through in White Zombie's music, it does on the first two releases from Zombie's new label, Zombie A Go-Go. Zombie's primary goal as a label head is to put out records by bands he likes, and unlike other artist-run labels—Trent Reznor's Nothing Records springs to mind—this does not exclude acts which don't duplicate his band's approach. Both The Bomboras and The Ghastly Ones dip into the primordial sounds of '50s and '60s rebellious youth, sharing a love of the instrumental. The Bomboras' Head Shrinkin' Fun—besides bearing the distinction of coming from one of the nation's homeliest bands—emphasizes surf music more akin to '90s instrumentalists like Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet than Dick Dale. The group easily shifts into go-go or garage music, however, when the urge strikes. The last and catchiest song on Head Shrinkin' Fun is one of its only vocal tracks, "(You've Got To) Get In Line," a garage anthem dedicated to shaking free of that special, clingy someone. It's as mean and danceable as a song can be, and it's great. The members of The Ghastly Ones share Zombie's predilection for horror movies, particularly sub-standard '50s fare. In a skit that pops up intermittently on A Haunting We Will Go-Go, the band members stumble across the castle lair of Doctor Diablo (on the Pacific "Ghost" Highway, no less), and decide to stop in because they hear he's got go-go ghouls. Funny. Musically, A Haunting We Will Go-Go stays mainly in the surf vein, blending it with horror music and effects, including occasional screams and thunder-crash drums. On some tracks, like "Ghastly Stomp," guitarist The Doctor uses his instrument to vaguely mimic a theremin in order to achieve that UFO-flight effect. It's campy, guilt-free fun. Go, go Rob Zombie.