Boasting the roster of ex PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul, MUDVAYNE vocalist Chad Gray, ex-NOTHINGFACE guitarist Tom Maxwell, Mudvayne guitarist Greg Tribbett and ex-DAMAGEPLAN bassist Robert “Bobzilla” Kakaha, HELLYEAH has returned to its heavy metal roots on its third release, Band of Brothers. Hellyeah’s two previous releases of groove/Southern metal left me with a feeling of overwhelming ambivalence. There were a few decent songs on each CD, but nothing extraordinary. On Band of Brothers, the quintet march into familiar territory by executing more of a metal approach than its predecessors. CD opener 'War in Me' explodes out of the gate immediately with power riffs and thunderous drums, a la Pantera. The title track’s chugging groove-based riff, melodically-layered vocal harmonies and a tasty slide guitar lead makes the song shine. Throughout the CD, Gray’s vocals are aggressive in the right spots and melodic in others. Paul doesn’t put on any drum clinics here, but plays standard yet dependable drum beats. The guitar riffs are decent, but for the most part, the music stays in the mid-paced groove territory and never really lets loose that often. Hellyeah certainly aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but it’s comforting to know that the band has rediscovered a more aggressive metal edge. It’s something that I think Pantera fans have been expecting since Hellyeah’s 2006 inception.
