Rob Zombie Blames Record Labels for Current Music Scene

Rob Zombie isn't a man to mince words. The odd body part or two perhaps -- we're talking on celluloid, of course -- but not words. The horror rocker and movie director returns to the musical forum this fall with 'Hellbilly Deluxe 2.' His U.S. fall tour was preceded by several shows in Japan, which, apparently, were quite enlightening. "What's great over there is they still have record stores and the fans are still into rock music," Zombie tells Noisecreep. "I get so jaded being here: There's no record stores; there's no music scene. It's like a second thought here. It's nice to go over there and be reenergized by it."

The Japanese shows were Zombie's first performances there since his old band, White Zombie, split up. "The Japanese fans are great," says the Los Angeles-based Massachusetts native. Zombie doesn't blame American fans, though. He's perplexed by culture in his homeland as a whole.

"I don't know what's going on over here. The U.S. has become very much a disposable culture; it's all about what's the new thing? What's the thing of the minute? The new iPhone; the new application. In Japan, they don't feel any shame in loving things that are 20 years old. Here it's what's new? It's actually not even what's new. It's what's next?"

When it comes to rock, he blames the people at the top -- the record label executives. "I know the record labels did it to themselves. They stopped supporting bands with any longevity and just went for the hit song of the moment. Then you don't create any artists, just a bunch of one-hit wonders."

So, it's all about disposable culture and mindless consumerism, then? "Not even that, whatever's the quickest way to make a buck is what it's all about."