"Hellbilly Deluxe" received a generally positive reception from music critics upon its initial release. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, writing "For most listeners, it doesn't matter if "Hellbilly Deluxe" is technically a White Zombie or Rob Zombie album, since it delivers the goods, arguably even better than "". To outsiders, the entire schlock enterprise may seem ridiculous or sound monotonous, but even the weak cuts here hit hard and give fans exactly what they want." "Billboard" described the album as having a "horror carnival" theme, adding "A hard rock marathon with industrial, techno, and Gothic influences, "Hellbilly Deluxe" is also a showcase for visual artists." They closed the review by calling the album a "lo-tech, high-impact multimedia experience." The "Los Angeles Times" positively compared "Hellbilly Deluxe" to the works of White Zombie, claiming that "the overall sound is leaner, and the tracks are infused with the campiest elements of Zombie's B-movie obsessions." "Rolling Stone" praised the album, commenting "The music on "Hellbilly", as usual with Zombie, is a force to be reckoned with – pulverizing hard-rock riffs propelled by drums and electronic percussion, a sonic assault that, under all the bombast, is as meticulously arranged as any Whitney Houston track."