The Sinister Urge

The Sinister Urge is the second solo studio album from former White Zombie frontman Rob Zombie. The album is the follow up to his highly successful debut album Hellbilly Deluxe, released in 1998. The album was released by Geffen Records on November 13, 2001, more than three years after the release of his first album. The album's title is named after the 1961 crime drama film The Sinister Urge, directed and written by Ed Wood. Much like his previous effort, The Sinister Urge features elements of horror film and suspense in both its lyrical content and its music. Other elements such as heavy metal and alternative metal can be found on the album. Zombie also features a change of sound in several songs on the album when compared to Hellbilly, with songs such as "Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy)" featuring a more dance influenced beat.
The album only spawned one single, "Demon Speeding", which was released in June 2002. The song was a hit on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States, becoming Zombie's third Top 20 hit on the chart. Several songs from the album were released as promotional singles both before and after the album's release. The song "Scum of the Earth" was featured on the Mission: Impossible II soundtrack, while "Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy)", "Feel So Numb", and "Dead Girl Superstar" were released as promotional singles throughout 2001 and 2002. The album itself was a commercial success, becoming Zombie's second consecutive studio album to enter inside the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. The album went on to receive a Platinum certification from the RIAA, for shipments exceeding one million copies.
The Sinister Urge received mixed to positive critical reviews, but has become a fan favorite. Songs from the album were used in numerous television series and films, similar to the success of Zombie's previous album. Songs from the album have been covered by numerous artists, with some of these covers appearing on the 2002 tribute album The Electro-Industrial Tribute to Rob Zombie. To date, The Sinister Urge has sold nearly two million copies worldwide, and was his second RIAA-certified album. The Sinister Urge is one of three Rob Zombie albums to reach Platinum status, along with Hellbilly Deluxe and the 2003 compilation album Past, Present & Future. It is the final album to include guitarist, Mike Riggs and drummer, John Tempesta, who had been part of the Rob Zombie band line-up since 1998.