Hellyeah
Encyclopedia
Hellyeah is an American heavy metal
supergroup
, consisting of Mudvayne
vocalist Chad Gray
and guitarist Greg Tribbett
, Nothingface
guitarist Tom Maxwell
, Damageplan
bassist Bob Zilla, and former Pantera
and Damageplan
drummer Vinnie Paul
. The idea to form a supergroup originated in 2001 on the Tattoo the Earth
tour, although plans were constantly put on hold due to scheduling conflicts. The summer of 2006 allowed the band to take the project seriously and record its first album. During an interview for the January 2009 issue of Revolver magazine, vocalist Chad Gray revealed there may be hint of Hellyeah in the self-titled Mudvayne album, released December 22, 2009.
Recorded at Chasin' Jason studio in Dimebag Darrell
's backyard, a self-titled
album was completed in roughly one month. Released on April 10, 2007, the album entered the Billboard 200
at number 9, selling 45,000 copies. Allmusic reviewer William Ruhlmann stated the album is "a competent example of its genre" awarding the album three and a half stars. A week after the album's release, original bassist Jerry Montano left the band for what was described as "personal reasons on both sides". Ex-Damageplan bassist, Bob Zilla, replaced him, and the band released a DVD titled Below the Belt on November 13, 2007.
, Nothingface
, Slayer
, Slipknot
and Sevendust
. Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell
became friends with Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray
, and they talked about the possibility of forming a supergroup. The following year, Nothingface toured with Mudvayne and talks to form the supergroup continued, although were constantly put on hold due to scheduling conflicts. At this time, Gray and Maxwell had brainstormed five band names.
Mudvayne guitarist Greg Tribbett approached Maxwell "out of the blue" and wanted to join the band. Nothingface drummer Tommy Sickles originally helmed the drum kit for the band's demo, however, things did not work out and the search for a new drummer began. The band knew former Pantera
and Damageplan
drummer Vinnie Paul
, and tried to persuade him to join the band as their drummer. Originally, Paul was not sure if he would return to music after the death of his brother, Dimebag Darrell
and an 18-month hiatus: "It was one of those things that I didn't think I'd be apart of this ever again without him, and after about a year and a half had gone by, these guys called me up, Chad [Gray] and Tom [Maxwell], they were like, "We're thinking about putting this band together, would you be into it?" First couple of times, I told them, "No, I don't think I'm ready to do this yet." And they just were real persistent, they kept calling me. And one night, I had been drinking some red wine and listening to some KISS on 12" vinyl record and I said, "You know what, lets take a shot at this, lets see what happens."
The band's persistence paid off and Paul joined the project. Paul commented about joining the project: "Everybody had their head in the right place and that let's-tear-the-world-a-new-ass attitude".
In their previous bands, there had only been one guitarist, so having two was a new experience for all members. Paul felt two guitarists brought back the "old school Iron Maiden
thing where they play two parts and give you a grinding rhythm part with a badass melody on top". In 2006, Mudvayne did not have any plans to tour and were taking most of the summer and fall off, while Nothingface was preparing to record their next album. The time over the summer allowed the band to pursue the project which had been talked about for years.
Gray flew into Baltimore to Nothingface's home studio to discuss the project further. The song "Waging War" was written in two days, followed by Maxwell tracking it the next day, and Gray completing vocals. During the summer of 2006, schedules were clear, which allowed members to take the time to record a studio album. The album was recorded at Paul's backyard studio, Chasin' Jason in Arlington, Texas
. Filled with photos of his late brother Dimebag, Paul found it tough entering the studio where the last albums by Damageplan and Pantera, and the collaboration Rebel Meets Rebel
were recorded, but felt "the dark cloud that was there went away", due to everyone's positive energy. Maxwell and Tribbett were the primary writers of the album, and Paul was there to "steer them in the right direction", with Gray adding his opinion on musical arrangements.
Paul built the members a cabana
style house on his pool deck with air conditioning, a TV, and beds so the members felt comfortable while recording. Paul produced the record and Gray felt Paul "facilitated the whole thing". The album was completed in roughly a month, with three recording sessions. The band worked on the record for eight days and returned home for a break. A 14 day session, followed the break and then another 10 days in the studio. Gray asserts the breaks in between recording sessions were to "re charge the batteries", and "get a fresh head". As the line-up was complete, the band started to brainstorm names. When a member thought of a name they would write it on a piece of paper and put it in an amp box outside the studio. Someone wrote "Hellyeah", and the band thought it was a perfect choice. Paul says it's "very affirmative and full of attitude. When your buddy asks if you want to get a beer tonight, you don't just say 'yes,' you say, "Hell yeah!". Gray attributes the name to "late teens, keg
gers and chicks and AC/DC
and Metallica
".
was one of the first print publications to feature the band in March 2007. The self-titled track, "Hellyeah", started gaining satellite radio
airplay in February 2007, and the first single "You Wouldn't Know" hit American radio airwaves the same month. "You Wouldn't Know" peaked at number 5 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, and 35 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks. The album's second single, "Alcohaulin' Ass" peaked at number 7 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. The band's self-titled album, Hellyeah
was released on April 10, 2007 via Epic Records
. The album debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200
album charts, with sales of just under 45,000. The album peaked on the Top Hard Rock albums at number 15, and number 3 on the Top Rock Albums. As of October 18, 2007, the album has sold 204,000 copies.
Hellyeah received generally positive reviews. William Ruhlmann of Allmusic awarded the album three and a half stars out of five, commenting; "Their album is a competent example of its genre, in which Tribbett and Maxwell combine to create crushing riffs over the pummeling rhythm section of Paul, while Gray howls typically enraged, expletive-littered lyrics to songs". However, Ruhlmann believes Hellyeah is not a notable variation from members' previous bands. Blabbermouth.net
reviewer Don Kaye awarded the album 7 out of 10, praising the track "Matter of Time" for its slashing main riff, and "One Thing" as it "marches to the finish line with a rumbling, crunching wall of guitars worthy of Dimebag himself". Kaye thought that Hellyeah's first studio effort was not equal to any of its members' main output. KNAC
contributor Andrew Depedro stated "it's a set of good songs recorded by 5 accomplished musicians from diverse backgrounds not letting their pasts define them and those songs in one form or another speak to you in different ways".
Bassist Montano left Hellyeah a week after the album's release. The band's publicist stated his departure was due to "personal reasons on both sides" The band considered Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla
as Paul thought; "It was kind hard to go ahead and commit to this band without Bob being part of it". Zilla was invited to audition and got the gig immediately.
Hellyeah embarked on their first tour on May 2007 titled Fire it Up, made an appearance at the Download Festival
, and underwent Australian tour in July 2007. The Family Values Tour
with Korn
and Evanescence
, saw the band start touring in late July, which also consisted playing with Alter Bridge
in San Antonio before passing through thirty cities before ending in Washington, D.C. A DVD titled Below the Belt was released on November 13, 2007, and featured a documentary, music videos, performance footage from the making of the album, first studio sessions, coverage of the band's world tour, and personal interviews. It was produced by members of the band and Ryan Ziemba.
, Five Finger Death Punch
, Drowning Pool
, and Lacuna Coil
. The first date is May 11, 2010 in Madison, WI. They have also been confirmed to play the main stage at Download Festival 2010. "Cowboy Way" was released for free download via the band's website on April 21, 2010.
The album was called Stampede and was released on July 13, 2010.
The group has recently been confirmed to be playing the Rock Star Energy Drink Uproar Festival
along with other headliners Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold
, Stone Sour
and Halestorm
.
reviewer Done Kaye commented "with little of the complexity of Mudvayne or angularity of Nothingface and much more of the full-on, pedal-to-the-metal style of Vinnie Paul's previous work". However, Kaye said the songs "Star" and "Thank You" border on musical cliché. Andrew Depedro of KNAC.com stated ""Alcohaulin' Ass
" showcases Gray's hidden talent as an outlaw country and western-type crooner in the intro", although he thought the band's lyrics were repetitive.
Former
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
, consisting of Mudvayne
Mudvayne
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
vocalist Chad Gray
Chad Gray
Chad Gray , is the lead vocalist for the American heavy metal bands Mudvayne and Hellyeah.-Personal life:Gray is the son of Dan and Mitzi Gray of Edgewater, Florida...
and guitarist Greg Tribbett
Greg Tribbett
Greg Tribbett is the guitarist and backing vocalist for American band Mudvayne, and supergroup Hellyeah. He has been with Mudvayne since their inception in 1996. He has named Randy Rhoads as the guitarist who most influenced him. He plays Gibson V's, Gibson Les Pauls, Ibanez S-series, Ibanez...
, Nothingface
Nothingface
Nothingface was a four-piece metal band from Washington, D.C. noted for having graphic lyrics and occasionally using political themes in their later works, as well as polyrhythmic songs.-First Run:...
guitarist Tom Maxwell
Tom Maxwell
Tom Maxwell is a modern metal/rock guitarist in the bands Knives Out! and Hellyeah. Previous bands include Nothingface in which he was a founding member and main song-writer with Bill Gaal. After Nothingface he was involved in a band with Skrape vocalist Billy Keeton. In the 1980s he was in thrash...
, Damageplan
Damageplan
Damageplan was an American heavy metal supergroup from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and later...
bassist Bob Zilla, and former Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
and Damageplan
Damageplan
Damageplan was an American heavy metal supergroup from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and later...
drummer Vinnie Paul
Vinnie Paul
Vincent Paul Abbott, also known as "Vinnie Paul" is a heavy metal drummer and producer who is currently a member of supergroup Hellyeah, but is best known for being a member, and co-founder, of the heavy metal band Pantera...
. The idea to form a supergroup originated in 2001 on the Tattoo the Earth
Tattoo the Earth
Tattoo the Earth was a concert tour from 2000 to 2002 in the United States. The tour, with part of it taking place during the summer, posed a challenge to Slipknot in particular. The band performed onstage in masks, and even under the best circumstances, they found them uncomfortable. The band's...
tour, although plans were constantly put on hold due to scheduling conflicts. The summer of 2006 allowed the band to take the project seriously and record its first album. During an interview for the January 2009 issue of Revolver magazine, vocalist Chad Gray revealed there may be hint of Hellyeah in the self-titled Mudvayne album, released December 22, 2009.
Recorded at Chasin' Jason studio in Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
's backyard, a self-titled
Hellyeah (album)
"You Wouldn't Know" is about the difficulty of maintaining one's integrity in the profit-obsessed music industry. "Thank You" is a tribute to all of the band's recently departed family members: Vinnie Paul's brother Dimebag Darrell, Tom Maxwell's mother, and Chad Gray's grandmother.The album...
album was completed in roughly one month. Released on April 10, 2007, the album entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number 9, selling 45,000 copies. Allmusic reviewer William Ruhlmann stated the album is "a competent example of its genre" awarding the album three and a half stars. A week after the album's release, original bassist Jerry Montano left the band for what was described as "personal reasons on both sides". Ex-Damageplan bassist, Bob Zilla, replaced him, and the band released a DVD titled Below the Belt on November 13, 2007.
Formation and early days
Hellyeah's beginnings can be traced back to 2000 on the Tattoo the Earth tour featuring MudvayneMudvayne
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
, Nothingface
Nothingface
Nothingface was a four-piece metal band from Washington, D.C. noted for having graphic lyrics and occasionally using political themes in their later works, as well as polyrhythmic songs.-First Run:...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
and Sevendust
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...
. Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell
Tom Maxwell
Tom Maxwell is a modern metal/rock guitarist in the bands Knives Out! and Hellyeah. Previous bands include Nothingface in which he was a founding member and main song-writer with Bill Gaal. After Nothingface he was involved in a band with Skrape vocalist Billy Keeton. In the 1980s he was in thrash...
became friends with Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray
Chad Gray
Chad Gray , is the lead vocalist for the American heavy metal bands Mudvayne and Hellyeah.-Personal life:Gray is the son of Dan and Mitzi Gray of Edgewater, Florida...
, and they talked about the possibility of forming a supergroup. The following year, Nothingface toured with Mudvayne and talks to form the supergroup continued, although were constantly put on hold due to scheduling conflicts. At this time, Gray and Maxwell had brainstormed five band names.
Mudvayne guitarist Greg Tribbett approached Maxwell "out of the blue" and wanted to join the band. Nothingface drummer Tommy Sickles originally helmed the drum kit for the band's demo, however, things did not work out and the search for a new drummer began. The band knew former Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
and Damageplan
Damageplan
Damageplan was an American heavy metal supergroup from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and later...
drummer Vinnie Paul
Vinnie Paul
Vincent Paul Abbott, also known as "Vinnie Paul" is a heavy metal drummer and producer who is currently a member of supergroup Hellyeah, but is best known for being a member, and co-founder, of the heavy metal band Pantera...
, and tried to persuade him to join the band as their drummer. Originally, Paul was not sure if he would return to music after the death of his brother, Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
and an 18-month hiatus: "It was one of those things that I didn't think I'd be apart of this ever again without him, and after about a year and a half had gone by, these guys called me up, Chad [Gray] and Tom [Maxwell], they were like, "We're thinking about putting this band together, would you be into it?" First couple of times, I told them, "No, I don't think I'm ready to do this yet." And they just were real persistent, they kept calling me. And one night, I had been drinking some red wine and listening to some KISS on 12" vinyl record and I said, "You know what, lets take a shot at this, lets see what happens."
The band's persistence paid off and Paul joined the project. Paul commented about joining the project: "Everybody had their head in the right place and that let's-tear-the-world-a-new-ass attitude".
In their previous bands, there had only been one guitarist, so having two was a new experience for all members. Paul felt two guitarists brought back the "old school Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
thing where they play two parts and give you a grinding rhythm part with a badass melody on top". In 2006, Mudvayne did not have any plans to tour and were taking most of the summer and fall off, while Nothingface was preparing to record their next album. The time over the summer allowed the band to pursue the project which had been talked about for years.
Gray flew into Baltimore to Nothingface's home studio to discuss the project further. The song "Waging War" was written in two days, followed by Maxwell tracking it the next day, and Gray completing vocals. During the summer of 2006, schedules were clear, which allowed members to take the time to record a studio album. The album was recorded at Paul's backyard studio, Chasin' Jason in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
. Filled with photos of his late brother Dimebag, Paul found it tough entering the studio where the last albums by Damageplan and Pantera, and the collaboration Rebel Meets Rebel
Rebel Meets Rebel
Rebel Meets Rebel is a country metal album by David Allan Coe and Pantera members Dimebag Darrell, Rex Brown, and Vinnie Paul. The music was written and recorded by the band when the musicians had time aside from their other projects, including Pantera's world tour supporting Reinventing the...
were recorded, but felt "the dark cloud that was there went away", due to everyone's positive energy. Maxwell and Tribbett were the primary writers of the album, and Paul was there to "steer them in the right direction", with Gray adding his opinion on musical arrangements.
Paul built the members a cabana
Cabana
A cabana or cabaña may mean:Structures:*a small hut built with a thatched roof, most commonly built in tropical climates near bodies of water, or...
style house on his pool deck with air conditioning, a TV, and beds so the members felt comfortable while recording. Paul produced the record and Gray felt Paul "facilitated the whole thing". The album was completed in roughly a month, with three recording sessions. The band worked on the record for eight days and returned home for a break. A 14 day session, followed the break and then another 10 days in the studio. Gray asserts the breaks in between recording sessions were to "re charge the batteries", and "get a fresh head". As the line-up was complete, the band started to brainstorm names. When a member thought of a name they would write it on a piece of paper and put it in an amp box outside the studio. Someone wrote "Hellyeah", and the band thought it was a perfect choice. Paul says it's "very affirmative and full of attitude. When your buddy asks if you want to get a beer tonight, you don't just say 'yes,' you say, "Hell yeah!". Gray attributes the name to "late teens, keg
Keg
A keg is a small barrel.Traditionally, a wooden keg is made by a cooper used to transport items such as nails, gunpowder., and a variety of liquids....
gers and chicks and AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
".
Hellyeah (2007–2008)
Revolver MagazineRevolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
was one of the first print publications to feature the band in March 2007. The self-titled track, "Hellyeah", started gaining satellite radio
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
airplay in February 2007, and the first single "You Wouldn't Know" hit American radio airwaves the same month. "You Wouldn't Know" peaked at number 5 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, and 35 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks. The album's second single, "Alcohaulin' Ass" peaked at number 7 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. The band's self-titled album, Hellyeah
Hellyeah (album)
"You Wouldn't Know" is about the difficulty of maintaining one's integrity in the profit-obsessed music industry. "Thank You" is a tribute to all of the band's recently departed family members: Vinnie Paul's brother Dimebag Darrell, Tom Maxwell's mother, and Chad Gray's grandmother.The album...
was released on April 10, 2007 via Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. The album debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album charts, with sales of just under 45,000. The album peaked on the Top Hard Rock albums at number 15, and number 3 on the Top Rock Albums. As of October 18, 2007, the album has sold 204,000 copies.
Hellyeah received generally positive reviews. William Ruhlmann of Allmusic awarded the album three and a half stars out of five, commenting; "Their album is a competent example of its genre, in which Tribbett and Maxwell combine to create crushing riffs over the pummeling rhythm section of Paul, while Gray howls typically enraged, expletive-littered lyrics to songs". However, Ruhlmann believes Hellyeah is not a notable variation from members' previous bands. Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
reviewer Don Kaye awarded the album 7 out of 10, praising the track "Matter of Time" for its slashing main riff, and "One Thing" as it "marches to the finish line with a rumbling, crunching wall of guitars worthy of Dimebag himself". Kaye thought that Hellyeah's first studio effort was not equal to any of its members' main output. KNAC
KNAC
KNAC is an internet based heavy metal music radio station. It was previously a Los Angeles, California area FM radio station.-KNAC at 105.5 FM:...
contributor Andrew Depedro stated "it's a set of good songs recorded by 5 accomplished musicians from diverse backgrounds not letting their pasts define them and those songs in one form or another speak to you in different ways".
Bassist Montano left Hellyeah a week after the album's release. The band's publicist stated his departure was due to "personal reasons on both sides" The band considered Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla
Bob Kakaha
Robert 'Bob' Kakaha, also known as Bobzilla is an American bassist best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Damageplan and is currently a member of heavy metal supergroup Hellyeah.-Life and career:...
as Paul thought; "It was kind hard to go ahead and commit to this band without Bob being part of it". Zilla was invited to audition and got the gig immediately.
Hellyeah embarked on their first tour on May 2007 titled Fire it Up, made an appearance at the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
, and underwent Australian tour in July 2007. The Family Values Tour
Family Values Tour 2007
The Family Values Tour is a rock tour headlined by Korn. Korn founded the Family Values tour in 1998 and headlined the first edition. The next two lineups, in 1999 and 2001, were topped by Limp Bizkit and Stone Temple Pilots, respectively. In 2006 they revived the tour after a 5 year hiatus...
with Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
and Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
, saw the band start touring in late July, which also consisted playing with Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge is an American rock band that was formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four and the frontman...
in San Antonio before passing through thirty cities before ending in Washington, D.C. A DVD titled Below the Belt was released on November 13, 2007, and featured a documentary, music videos, performance footage from the making of the album, first studio sessions, coverage of the band's world tour, and personal interviews. It was produced by members of the band and Ryan Ziemba.
Stampede (2009–present)
According to an online Rock music site, Hellyeah will be headlining a tour in the spring of 2010 with: SeetherSeether
Seether is a post-grunge/alternative metal band from Pretoria, South Africa, formed in 1999. The band is currently signed to Wind-up Records...
, Five Finger Death Punch
Five Finger Death Punch
Five Finger Death Punch is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2005, the group's name is derived from classic oriental martial arts cinema. The band originally consisted of vocalist Ivan Moody, guitarist Zoltan Bathory, guitarist Caleb Bingham, bassist Matt Snell,...
, Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool is a four-piece alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas.-Early days :Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner was certified platinum within six weeks...
, and Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...
. The first date is May 11, 2010 in Madison, WI. They have also been confirmed to play the main stage at Download Festival 2010. "Cowboy Way" was released for free download via the band's website on April 21, 2010.
The album was called Stampede and was released on July 13, 2010.
The group has recently been confirmed to be playing the Rock Star Energy Drink Uproar Festival
Uproar Festival
The Uproar Festival, also called the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, is an annual hard rock/heavy metal tour inaugurated in 2010 by John Reese and sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drink. The tour was also created by John Oakes, Darryl Eaton and Ryan Harlacher from the Creative Artists Agency,...
along with other headliners Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
, Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
and Halestorm
Halestorm
Halestorm is an American rock band from Red Lion, Pennsylvania. The group's self-titled debut album was released on April 28, 2009 through Atlantic Records.-History:...
.
Style
Paul described the band's sound as "a familiar groove, with a new sound". Blabbermouth.netBlabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
reviewer Done Kaye commented "with little of the complexity of Mudvayne or angularity of Nothingface and much more of the full-on, pedal-to-the-metal style of Vinnie Paul's previous work". However, Kaye said the songs "Star" and "Thank You" border on musical cliché. Andrew Depedro of KNAC.com stated ""Alcohaulin' Ass
Alcohaulin' Ass
"Alcohaulin' Ass" is the second single from the heavy metal band Hellyeah on the album of the same name. The name is a combination of the word alcohol and the phrase "haulin' ass". As the song opens, Gray sings in a country-type croon, and acoustic guitars are heard in the background with typical...
" showcases Gray's hidden talent as an outlaw country and western-type crooner in the intro", although he thought the band's lyrics were repetitive.
Tours
- 2012 Soundwave (Australia)
- 2011 Soundwave Revolution (Australia)(cancelled)
- 2011 Jagermeister Music Tour
- Fire It Up! Tour
- 2007 Tour
- Family Values Tour 2007Family Values Tour 2007The Family Values Tour is a rock tour headlined by Korn. Korn founded the Family Values tour in 1998 and headlined the first edition. The next two lineups, in 1999 and 2001, were topped by Limp Bizkit and Stone Temple Pilots, respectively. In 2006 they revived the tour after a 5 year hiatus...
- Bitch We Have a Problem TourBitch We Have a Problem Tour-Tour dates:On August 29, 2007, the complete list of cities for the first leg of the tour were released on Korn.com.-First Leg: United States and Canada:* 93X Fest is not actual part of tour...
- 2007 Tour
- Balls, Volume & Strength Tour
- More Balls, More Volume & More Strength Tour
- Rockstar UPROAR Festival 2010Uproar FestivalThe Uproar Festival, also called the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, is an annual hard rock/heavy metal tour inaugurated in 2010 by John Reese and sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drink. The tour was also created by John Oakes, Darryl Eaton and Ryan Harlacher from the Creative Artists Agency,...
- Avenged SevenfoldAvenged SevenfoldAvenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
& Stone SourStone SourStone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
European Tour
Members
Current- Chad GrayChad GrayChad Gray , is the lead vocalist for the American heavy metal bands Mudvayne and Hellyeah.-Personal life:Gray is the son of Dan and Mitzi Gray of Edgewater, Florida...
– vocals (2006–present) - Greg TribbettGreg TribbettGreg Tribbett is the guitarist and backing vocalist for American band Mudvayne, and supergroup Hellyeah. He has been with Mudvayne since their inception in 1996. He has named Randy Rhoads as the guitarist who most influenced him. He plays Gibson V's, Gibson Les Pauls, Ibanez S-series, Ibanez...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2006–present) - Tom MaxwellTom MaxwellTom Maxwell is a modern metal/rock guitarist in the bands Knives Out! and Hellyeah. Previous bands include Nothingface in which he was a founding member and main song-writer with Bill Gaal. After Nothingface he was involved in a band with Skrape vocalist Billy Keeton. In the 1980s he was in thrash...
– guitar (2006–present) - Vinnie PaulVinnie PaulVincent Paul Abbott, also known as "Vinnie Paul" is a heavy metal drummer and producer who is currently a member of supergroup Hellyeah, but is best known for being a member, and co-founder, of the heavy metal band Pantera...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2006–present) - Bob ZillaBob KakahaRobert 'Bob' Kakaha, also known as Bobzilla is an American bassist best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Damageplan and is currently a member of heavy metal supergroup Hellyeah.-Life and career:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals (2007–present)
Former
- Jerry Montano – bass (2006–2007)
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Hard Rock |
US Rock |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
CAN Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
GRC IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
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| 2007 | Hellyeah Hellyeah (album) "You Wouldn't Know" is about the difficulty of maintaining one's integrity in the profit-obsessed music industry. "Thank You" is a tribute to all of the band's recently departed family members: Vinnie Paul's brother Dimebag Darrell, Tom Maxwell's mother, and Chad Gray's grandmother.The album...
|
9 | 15 | 3 | 49 | — | — |
| 2010 | Stampede Stampede (Hellyeah album) -Track listing:-Charts:- Personnel:*Chad Gray – vocals*Greg Tribbett – guitars*Tom Maxwell – guitars*Bob Zilla – bass*Vinnie Paul – drums... |
8 | 2 | 3 | 42 | 24 | 8 |
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Alt. |
US Main. |
US Rock Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
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| 2007 | "You Wouldn't Know You Wouldn't Know "You Wouldn't Know" is the first single from heavy metal supergroup Hellyeah from their debut album Hellyeah. This song is featured in the video games Madden NFL 08 and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008.... " |
35 | 5 | — | Hellyeah |
| "Alcohaulin' Ass Alcohaulin' Ass "Alcohaulin' Ass" is the second single from the heavy metal band Hellyeah on the album of the same name. The name is a combination of the word alcohol and the phrase "haulin' ass". As the song opens, Gray sings in a country-type croon, and acoustic guitars are heard in the background with typical... " |
— | 7 | — | ||
| 2008 | "Thank You Thank You (Hellyeah song) "Thank You" is the third single by heavy metal band Hellyeah from their debut album Hellyeah. The song is a tribute to all of the band's recently departed family members: Vinnie Paul's brother Dimebag Darrell, Tom Maxwell's mother, and Chad Gray's grandmother... " |
— | 37 | — | |
| 2010 | "Hell of a Time Hell of a Time "Hell of a Time" is the first single from Hellyeah's second album Stampede. The single was released on June 1, 2010. The music video for the song premiered on June 16, 2010.... " |
37 | 5 | 20 | Stampede |
| "Better Man Better Man (Hellyeah song) "Better Man" is the second single by American groove metal band Hellyeah, from their second studio album Stampede. The song was released to radio on November 9, 2010.-Music video:... " |
— | 26 | — | ||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||
Video albums
| Year | Video details |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Below the Belt
|
Music videos
| Year | Song | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "You Wouldn't Know" | Nathan Cox |
| "Alcohaulin' Ass" | Videobob Moseley | |
| 2008 | "Thank You" | |
| 2010 | "Cowboy Way" | |
| "Hell of a Time" | Frankie Nasso | |
| "Better Man" |