Rob Zombie is a rock ‘n’ roll renaissance man.
He’s a heavy metal icon, whose discography includes such platinum platters as 1998’s “Hellbilly Deluxe” and 2001’s “The Sinister Urge.” He’s also an acclaimed director, who has crafted such modern horror masterpieces as 2003’s “House of 1000 Corpses” and 2005’s “The Devil’s Rejects” as well as 2007’s daring “Halloween” reboot.
More recently, the 49-year-old Massachusetts native has expanded his entertainment empire into the lucrative haunted house business. He hosted his inaugural Great American Nightmare in 2013 in Southern California, offering thousands of fright fans the chance to enter multiple haunted houses modeled after Zombie’s movies. He’s doubling up on the Nightmare for this upcoming Halloween season, with locations in Arizona and the Chicago area.
Zombie still finds time to tour and performs Tuesday at the City National Civic in San Jose. (Show time is 8 p.m., tickets are $45 at www.ticketmaster.com.) The trek supports Zombie’s fifth solo studio album, the memorably titled “Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor,” which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 in 2013.
Recently, I spoke with Zombie about his many endeavors.
Q: You split much of your time between music and movies. What do you get from making music that you don’t get from making films? And vice versa?
A: They are both similar, because they are both a creative thing. Music is a much smaller venture. Music is you and the band and maybe, like, one other guy — like a producer turning the knobs. And that’s it. That’s all it takes — and you have your record, and then you’re out playing.
But a movie is so different. A movie is such a long, involved process, with so many people involved. I love making movies — I love shooting them, I love editing them. But there is so much other stuff around them that is not much fun at all — so much preparation, just trying to gather the funds and financing to make these films. That’s kind of a drag, actually. But you have to put up with the crappy stuff to get to the good stuff, I guess.
Q: You must have really enjoyed the experience of making “Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor,” since I hear you have already returned to the studio to work on another record. What can you tell us about the next album?
A: I really think this is the best record yet, truthfully. I don’t know if everybody says that — maybe they do. But I really feel that way. I’m not sure when we’ll put it out — probably beginning of next year, maybe — but it’s pretty much done.
Q: Meanwhile, fans have the chance to see you in concert.
A: This will be our last tour for a while, actually. Because when this tour is done, I’m starting on a movie. It will be an awesome tour. The tours we have done in the last few years have been our best tours ever.
Q: It’s amazing that you find the energy for all your different projects. It seems like you must be busy all the time.
A: That’s just the way it goes. It seems like it is impossible to have any down time. I think time just moves faster than it used to.
Q: Do you multitask? I mean, are you also working on music while you’re making a movie?
A: The film is the film. You can’t do anything else. Nothing about music crosses my mind when I am making a movie. I don’t even think about it.
Q: I was sorry to miss your Great American Nightmare last year in SoCal. You’re doing it again this year in Arizona and the Chicago area. Can you set the scene for me?
A: It’s just giant haunted houses and freak shows and attractions. It’s a gigantic, demented Halloween carnival.
Q: I have always wanted to thank you for that final “Free Bird” scene at the end of “The Devil’s Rejects.” I think it’s one of the best moments in cinema history — like the horror movie equivalent of the famed “Odessa steps” scene in “Battleship Potemkin.” What’s it like for you to watch “Devil’s Rejects” now?
A: I love that movie. Just last week, I got together with the cast and we did a screening of the movie. That was the best time I ever had making a movie. Sometimes you have a movie where it seems everything goes wrong. And sometimes you have a movie where it seems everything goes right. That was one of the everything-goes-right movies.
Q: You mentioned that you’re going to start working on a new movie after this tour wraps up. I need to know more about that, for sure.
A: The next movie is called “31.” Right now I’m in the process of wrapping up the (funding) campaign that we started for the film. Hopefully, we’ll start shooting in February. That’s the goal.
Q: Can you give me a plot synopsis?
A: The basic idea is that, in the five days leading up to Halloween, five random people are kidnapped and are taken to a secluded location and forced to fight for their lives through the night of Halloween. And whoever survives by Nov. 1 is let free.
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