By
Larry Petro,
News Monkey
Wednesday, April 2, 2014 @ 4:17 PM
New Album Out June 10th Via Eleven Seven Music
- advertisement -
- advertisement -
After roughly eight years, three albums, countless tours as headliners and as participants on "can't miss" festival bills and hundreds of thousands of albums sold, HELLYEAH is making their biggest and boldest statement yet with Blood For Blood. They are going for the jugular and every song on the album clamps down and doesn't let go. They've exchanged some of the party-centric, good time sounds of past efforts for pure metallic fury and emotional introspection. The album sounds like a re-charged HELLYEAH, taken up many notches.
Blood For Blood is easily their most metallic album. It leaves a mark, thanks to songs like the angular, vengeful "DMF". There's also "Demons In The Dirt", a beast of a song birthed by the sort of anger that can't be faked; it will leave you wondering who pissed these guys off. "Gift" is dirty, rowdy rock with equal parts groove and swagger, but also possessed of the sort of punk rock energy that would make MOTÖRHEAD fans turns their heads. Then there is moodier, more contemplative fare like "Moth To The Flame" or "Hush", which connect on an emotional, cellular level, proving that you can be incredibly heavy in ways other than loud and fast.
"We still have a love affair with this band and have a lot we want to say," explained guitarist Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE). He relished taking on a larger songwriting role and serving as the lead guitarist, which you can hear in the album's overall sound and in every note of his playing. "That magic is there for us, still. This is the record I've always wanted to make in this band, which has so many creative forces." Gray also shared that changes made the members closer. "We leaned on each other for support and inspiration," he said. As a result, the album is tight and the foundation is firm. Fans will be pleased.
The band opted to work with an outside producer for the first time ever, recruiting Las Vegas-based Canadian producer Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, IN THIS MOMENT) for the job. "To move forward, you have to make changes," said drummer Vinnie Paul (PANTERA), who wrote the music in Texas with Maxwell before heading to Hideout Recording Studio in Sin City to put it to tape.
"I am used to being a producer or co-producer and I wanted to see what would happen if I backed up and let someone take the reigns, leaving me to just be a drummer," said Paul, while admitting that vocals were the one area of production to which he couldn't do proper justice. The band was happy to allow Churko to provide a fresh perspective. They knew he was the man who could pull the best performance possible out of Gray. The singer himself praised Churko, saying he had a unique way of extracting what he wanted, "You can be a drill sergeant and rule through intimidation or be laid back and cool, but get it done without pressure. He rules through cool."
Blood For Blood Tracklisting:
"Sangre Por Sangre (Blood For Blood)"
"Demons In The Dirt"
"Soul Killer"
"Moth"
"Cross To Bier (Cradle Of Bones)"
"DMF"
"Gift"
"Hush"
"Say When"
"Black December"
Catch HELLYEAH on tour:
4.5 - Abilene, TX - Lucky Mule Saloon
4.12 - Dawson Creek, BC - EnCana Events Centre
4.13 - Prince George, BC - CN Centre
4.16 - Moose Jaw, SK - Mosaic Place
4.17 - Edmonton, AB - Shaw Conference Centre
4.19 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Center
4.21 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
4.23 - Huntsville, AL - Von Braun Center
4.26 - Jacksonville, FL - Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville
Blood For Blood Tracklisting: