British author Joel McIver, who’s penned books on Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Motörhead (to name but a few), has now written the unauthorized story of Robert Bartleh Cummings – known to the world as Rob Zombie. This 274 page hardcover features a foreword by Jeremy Wagner of Broken Hope, and as you would expect, begins with Zombie’s childhood. After graduating high school in Haver Hill, Massachusetts, Zombie moved to New York City and on his first day in The Big Apple, witnessed a murder. A lot is learned about the White Zombie frontman in these early pages. In fact, Zombie recalls, “When I got to NYC, I lived so far below the poverty line, because I didn’t give in and get a job at 7-Eleven.” He further adds, “You have to have almost psychotic drive, because you’re going to have years of failure.”
 
It did indeed take years for White Zombie to make their mark, but Rob’s band received a Grammy nomination in 1993; three years later and the group was essentially over. During these chapters, the author unfortunately goes off on tangents such as Elvis Presley, and the PMRC Hearings – which Zombie had no part of; then tries to relate it to the subject matter at hand. Discussing Zombie’s first solo album, Hellbilly Deluxe, McIver allocates a mere paragraph to the contributions of Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee – that’s a topic which should have been deeply explored. The same can be said about the guest appearances by Ozzy Osbourne and Slayer guitarist Kerry King on The Sinister Urge – both are quickly glossed over.
 
As movie-making enters Zombie’s realm, beginning with his 2003 horror flick House Of 1,000 Corpses, which was quickly followed by The Devil’s Rejects, McIver analyzes the rocker’s directorial efforts and camera angles. When it comes to the pair of Halloween films, the author unnecessarily recounts the storyline pretty much scene for scene. Comparing music to movies, Zombie admits, “It really is like two different halves of my brain,” later going on to say, “You have to keep challenging yourself to try and do different things.” Ultimately, McIver paints Rob Zombie as a man of serious dedication and discipline, who functions in his own bubble most of the time. Devoid of dirt, scandal, and gossip, this worthwhile book – complete with 16 pages of photos – celebrates Zombie as an everyman – a creative person who can, and does, do it all.