Hellyeah Stampede Epic Records When Hellyeah first hit the scene, I think people were a little dumbfounded by how little it had in common with the members main bands (namely Pantera and Mudvayne, but certainly including Nothingface and Damageplan). The second time around though, fans are a little more ready for what Hellyeah has to offer in my opinion. The band did a lot of hard work to establish themselves as their own entity and, for the most part, that pays off on Stampede. Stampede is very similar to the band’s debut, it’s just done a whole lot better. The Southern vibe is even more prominent, the Lynyrd Skynyrd mixing style shines a little brighter, and the band sounds way more cohesive- as if they have decided that Hellyeah is here for the long haul. “Cowboy Way,” “Cold as Stone,” and “It’s On” lead the hard n’ heavy side of the album, showing a little more cock and plenty more Rock than what we heard on the debut. On the flipside the big n’ ballsy ballad “Better Man” steals the show here, much to my surprise. It’s just a great song that reminds me of some of the darker acoustic things, like “Don’t Cry,” that Guns N’ Roses did on the Use Your Illusions albums. Overall, Stampede is a very solid album. It’s easily ten times better than the debut album. Everything from the production to the songwriting is better. That said, it is a little long toothed for my tastes. The whole Southern feel starts to wear thin dynamically towards the end of the album but that’s a pretty minor complaint. My only other sticking point is Chad Gray’s vocals- I like his vocals a lot, he just fails to convince me of his inner cowboy. Bottom Line: If you are looking for a good album to put on at your stripper BBQ then Hellyeah’s Stampede is just the ticket. Key Tracks: Better Man, Cowboy Way Reviewed by: Mark Fisher <<Back To Reviews