In the late 1980s, White Zombie fused a rock-and-roll groove with monster-truck metal riffs and a rap style that was reminiscent of a cross between R&B and hip-hop. Lyrics evoke decadence and devil worship, though in a cheekier way than such metal predecessors as Black Sabbath and Dio.
The band formed in New York City in 1985, when Zombie and then girlfriend Sean Yseult signed on drummer Ivan dePrume and a changing line of guitarists. They eventually released their first EP, Psycho-Head Blowout, in 1986.
They then signed to Geffen Records c. 1991, and landed their major label debut, La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1 in 1992, which was produced by Andy Wallace.
Their single "Thunder Kiss '65" was a hit, thanks in part to the MTV cartoon characters Beavis and Butthead plugging it habitually on their show. This helped to push the song into heavy rotation on MTV, boosting their popularity and making them one of the hottest acts of the early 90s.
The track that really cemented their status as a heavy metal powerhouse is the opening track, "Welcome to the Planet Motherfucker," which is a massive, groovy slab of a tune. It’s got a ton of gnarly guitar chugs and the perfect melding of samples (from Night of the Living Dead and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) into its construction. The song also has a cool, sneered chorus that's just fucking rip, and it's an excellent example of how the band embraced more metallic elements on this record.
