Hollywood Undead's New Empire: Volume 2 is another chance to bedroom mosh

The seventh album from ever-masked LA rap-rockers successfully brings the bombast

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Hollywood Undead: New Empire: Volume 2
(Image: © BMG)

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Revolving around Johnny 3 Tears, J-Dog, Funny Man, Charlie Scene and homeboys since PG-demolishing beginnings in 2005, Hollywood Undead’s mask gimmick takes unforeseen relevance as the LA rap-rockers follow this year’s New Empire with a second salvo of widescreen, rock-infused bedroom-moshing bellowing.

Already huge with the Linkin Park massive thanks to previous ejaculations like American Tragedy and Day Of The Dead, Undead plumb Bieber-style adolescent edge by buffing the bombastic assaults of Idol, Monsters and Heart Of A Champion with densely high-tech production, and suitably antsy guests including Tech9ne, Killstation, Ice Nine Kills and Papa Roach. 

Their crossover is compounded by going all boy-band on Coming Home’s stab at an arms-in-theair lockdown anthem.

Kris Needs
Kris Needs

Kris Needs is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. Previously secretary of the Mott The Hoople fan club, he became editor of ZigZag in 1977 and has written biographies of stars including Primal Scream, Joe Strummer and Keith Richards. He's also written for MOJO, Record Collector, Classic Rock, Prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Shindig!