HellYeah
Stampede
Spinefarm

Hellyeah’s debut saw the return of Vinnie Paul to music and although it didn’t match up to anything he, or indeed any of the other members had releases in their other bands, it was a fun filled heavy metal album, that did pretty much what it said on the tin. Three years after that debut and the band are back with the follow up ‘Stampede’ and even after the first listen it’s clear that it’s better than the debut.

‘Cowboy Way’ kicks off the album, and although it’s a little cliché, it works, and kinder sets the tone for the rest of the album. You couldn’t say that anything that Hellyeah are doing on this album is new, original or indeed technical, but none the less what they do they do rather well. That being of course riff based groove metal and it is never more evident than on the debut single ‘Hell Of A Time’ and the title track Add in to the mix ‘Pole Rider’ and in those three tracks you’d have a pretty clear idea as to what Hellyeah and ‘Stampede’ are all about. Hellyeah still have a way to go to reach the levels the members have obtained with their other bands but ‘Stampede’ is a huge step in the right direction, it is after all a more than decent album.

It’s certainly not the best album that you’ll hear this year, but none the less it’s a thoroughly enjoyable one. It’s the kind of album you put on for a quick heavy metal fix, and for that it’s perfect and we should be thanking Hellyeah for that.

Buy this album from AMAZON

Review by Simon Douglass