Metal Underground.com

Sometimes, all it takes a look at an album's cover to know exactly what you're going to get. Such is definitely the case with Texas Hippie Coalition's "Rollin'," which features bandmembers decked out in cowboy hats and biker jackets in a desert landscape. Yup, we're entering Pantera-HellYeah southern-style groove metal territory here. Nope, there's nothing earthshakingly original going on here, but if you like the style, you'll enjoy this 40-minute ride.

Singer Big Dad Ritch delivers vocals on tracks like "Intervention" and "Pissed Off And Mad About It" in a style that's somewhere between Phil Anselmo's hardcore inflections and Black Label Society frontman Zakk Wylde's earlier melodic growl. "Groupie Girl" especially has a Black Label feel, beginning with cleaner acoustic guitars.

Lead guitarist Randy Cooper delivers some impressive solos on "Flawed" and "Rollin'," which are perhaps unsurprisingly reminiscent of Dimebag Darrell. He's ably backed by Crawfish, the rhythm guitarist, and the two create some interesting moments on "Jesus Freak," which is also a bit of a showcase for bassist John Exall.

The band's lyrics are hit-and-miss, with "Pissed Off And Mad About It" and "Saddle Sore" especially misfiring. Then there's the fact that the band simply brings nothing new to the table. Sure, there's plenty of technical skill at work, but at its best, the album still feels like a HellYeah retread.

Still, the band does manage to lay down some good grooves. Fans of Pantera and HellYeah will probably find something to love on Texas Hippie Coalition's "Rollin'" — even if they feel like they've heard it all before.