Hmmm... it's a bit more like yeah whatever
Here comes the latest metal supergroup enthusiastically titled Hellyeah. It's one part Pantera/Damageplan (drummer Vinnie Paul), two parts Mudvayne (vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett) and two parts Nothingface (guitarist Tom Maxwell and recently departed bassist Jerry Montano). It clearly represents no one of those four metal groups which is a good thing. However it does showcase various traits of all three, although the Pantera/Damageplan split is definitely more towards the latter than the former.
It all kicks off egotistically with the album and band's self titled number, Hell Yeah, which is a strongly Mudvayne-esque chorus driver anthem that will certainly go down well in the live environment for sure. The bridge section reeks of Mudvayne but is strong nonetheless as well. You Wouldn't Know stands out amongst the pack for it's more simple, rock oriented nature and most importantly it's clear of any strong tendencies to lean towards any of the band member's other groups. The angular and at times stop start riffing of Matter Of Time works to it's advantage enough to keep it interesting, but the same cannot be said of the quicker yet forgettable Waging War and the flat out terrible Alcohaulin' Ass, which is let down wholly and solely by Gray's weak attempt at a southern drawl in the vocal department.
The groove infested riffs of Goddamn make up for the weak chorus before the brief instrumental interlude, In The Mood, sort of splits the album up but serves little purpose overall. The last half of the album continues the down the same non-memorable path. The slow, drawn out number, Star, offers very little to get excited about, but at least Rotten To The Core, which is stamped heavily with more angular riffing and rhythms, sees Gray's vocals take on a different sound almost akin to Ministry's Al Jorgensen during the verses. Thank You has radio rock ballad written all over it whilst the five minutes of Nausea isn't too far from the title before the stomping One Thing closes the album in somewhat of a juggernaut type fashion.
There's little doubt that Hellyeah will sell on the names of those involved more so than anything else. It has its moments where you can't help but nod you head in time or whatever, but there's not enough here to make it a standout or memorable album in the grand scheme of things. At best, it's average, which when you look at the names on paper, is disappointing.
(Epic Records/Sony/B.M.G. Music Australia)
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