Hellyeah: Blood For Blood review

Formed off the heels of Mudvayne, Pantera and Damageplan, southern metallers Hellyeah have always had an extra level of expectations cast upon them from critics and fans alike. For the most part they’ve lived up to those expectations but with their latest, Blood for Blood, they not only surpass them but they blow those expectations to smithereens. The vast majority of their releases- whether it be the self-titled debut, Stampede or Band of Brothers, there’s always been a smidgen of southern flavor added when it comes to Hellyeah but with Blood for Blood they take the metal to another level, crank it up a notch and show us exactly what they can do when they throw caution to the wind and set out to blow your brains out. From the opening track and lead single “Sangre Por Sangre” to the closer “Feast or Famine,” Hellyeah give us by far their heaviest offering to date, which is the closest thing to their previous bands as you can get without them actually reforming. For a band that features members of some of the most iconic and prolific metal bands of our time, Blood for Blood is exactly what fans of each respective band member have been chomping at the bit for since the band’s inception in the mid-2000’s and will satisfy not only fans of Hellyeah but Mudvayne, Damageplan and Pantera fans as well and epitomizes the abilities of each member’s musical arsenal. This is almost a statement album for Hellyeah and is their strongest record yet and is destined to be the record that breaks them into headline status, no doubt about it. Rating: 9/10 -Reggie Edwards