Hellbilly Deluxe - Release & Artwork

Release & Artwork

The album was released through Geffen Records, the same label that had released White Zombie's previous albums. Hellbilly Deluxe was released on August 25, 1998 via the label. The album's cover art features symbols such as a pentagram, and has been compared to artist such as Alice Cooper. Hellbilly's album booklet is 24 pages long, and features lyrics, comics, and images. When asked about the large booklet, Zombie responded "It’s a welcome relief from the less-is-more school of thought I grew up in the heyday of cool record packaging. I would stare at the record for hours. Now, you open a record and you get nothing. I always feel cheated." Gene Colan and Dan Brereton from Marvel Comics contributed to drawings found in the booklet. The robot found on the back of the album is a replica of the one featured in the 1939 film The Phantom Creeps, and was created by Wayne Toth for Zombie. Toth would later go on to do the special effects for Zombie's directorial debut House of 1000 Corpses. The back cover, unlike the front, is in black and white, and features Zombie posing with the robot. The album's cover came under controversy, and had to be altered in order for Wal Mart to sell the product. Though resistant at first, Zombie later stated "for some of these kids, it was the only place they can buy records. At the end of the day, it's these kids who are getting f----ed." He had to remove the pentagram from the image, as well as the "X" engraved on his forehead. Images of "scantily clad women" were removed from the album's booklet as well.