• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

April 2024

• Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
• Praying Mantis: Defiance
• King Zebra: Between The Shadows
• About Us: Take A Piece
• Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

March 2024

• Cruzh: The Jungle Revolution
• Whom Gods Destroy: Insanium
• The Prog Collective: Dark Encounters
• Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity
• Lipz: Changing The Melody
• The End Machine: The Quantum Phase
• Stargate: Escaping The Illusion
• Turbulence: Binary Dream
• Sonata Arctica: Clear Cold Beyond
• D'Luna: Monster
• Big Big Train: The Likes Of Us
• Benjamin Croft: We Are Here To Help

February 2024

• Traveler: Prequel To Madness
• Lionheart: The Grace Of A Dragonfly
• Honeymoon Suite: Alive
• Durbin: Screaming Steel
• Smoking Snakes: Danger Zone
• Revolution Saints: Against The Winds
• Striker: Ultrapower
• Show N Tell: The Ritual Has Begun
• Robert Hart: Circus Life

January 2024

• Corvus: Immortals
• Caligula's Horse: Charcoal Grace
• Grand: Second To None
• Neal Morse: The Restoration - Joseph - Part Two
• The Rods: Rattle The Cage
• Gotus: Gotus
• Metalite: Expedition One
• Cobrakill: Serpent's Kiss
• Jack Russell & Tracii Guns: Medusa
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 1
• The Grandmaster: Black Sun

[ More Music Reviews ]

Texas Hippie Coalition: Ride On

Modern Heavy Rock/Metal

3.5/5.0

Website Facebook Twitter YouTube
Carved Records
Words: Craig Hartranft  Added: 02.10.2014

I've followed the career of Texas Hippie Coalition with some interest over the last eight years and now four albums. From crafting their own niche of 'red dirt metal,' affirming their Texas roots, to Big Dad Rich's overwhelming presence and melodic rasp, the band has created a presence as large as the state they represent.

Texas Hippie Coalition: red dirt devils.

With Ride On, the heavy swagger of their Southern metal groove continues. Rich has often described their sound as Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top having a child raised by Pantera, and that's still on target, with more of the latter's thickness and edge. But THC has the upper hand when it comes to rock groove which they sneak in with a much stealth as West Texas dust storm.

And the best songs for the Texas hippies has always been those where the groove grabs you, catches your ears, and gets your toes tapping. This time around they come with the ZZ Top-ish El Diablo Rojo, the thick Monster In Me, the stompin' Rock Ain't Dead (and dig those drums), and the huge groove monster Rubbins Racin, likely my favorite song. Another song like I Am The End can be straightforward take no prisoner thumper where the riffs and heaviness trump most every other element. But there is room for a striking lead from new guitarist Cord Pool. Alternatively, where the Coalition can stumble a bit, there's the title cut which seems only to rumble along from to start to finish, unwavering it's heavy progression. Yet, even this observation gave me pause. Texas Hippie Coalition seems at that point in their career where nothing really changes anymore. That's not to say they're stagnant, only that their sound is their own now, and will likely never vary in the near future. I'm not sure if that's good news or not.

Texas Hippie Coalition - Monster In Me (Lyric Video)

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

With Texas Hippie Coalition's Ride On, the heavy swagger of their Southern metal groove continues.

Alphabetical Index

Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]