With The Sinister Urge, Rob Zombie again wraps his rasp around a thunderous blend of heavy grooves powered by human and electronic drums. Creepy touches of theremin and keyboards add Goth accents, while the clever arrangements adorn melodies that are irresistibly catchy yet plenty aggressive. The lyrics are set firmly in a horror realm; with titles such as "House of 1000 Corpses" and "Scum of the Earth", one wouldn't anticipate tender love songs. Zombie scatters about sound bites from monster movies for good measure--an apt touch, but with the album clocking in at less than 40 minutes, there's a bit too much filler. Still, with highlights such as "Bring Her Down" with its spine-tingling orchestration, the hard-driving "Dead Girl Superstar" (featuring Slayer guitarist Kerry King), and "Feel So Numb" Zombie generates much genuine excitement. --Gail Flug