Texas Hippie Coalition- The Name Lives On (Album Review)

If you’ve kept up with southern or hard rock over the years chances are good you might have come across Texas Hippie Coalition.  Formed in 2004, the group has built their career on powerful, burly rock that pulls influence from classic southern rock from across the United States as well as some Pantera style groove metal.  Compared to some of their peers, they’ve often found a balance between the high energy, heavier structures and softer ballads that let a little more melody shine through.  For album number seven, The Name Lives On, Texas Hippie Coalition has branched out even further to really capture a little bit of everything rock ‘n roll.  It does have a few lulls, but the sheer amount of diversity and hooks goes a long way in giving this album some real substance.

The Name Lives On comes roaring out of the gate with one of its heaviest and most metal oriented songs.  “Hell Hounds” has that same lumbering groove and burlier tone to it that is sure to instantly grab fans of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity or other Southern tinged metal, and its huge sounding chorus showcases just how well Texas Hippie Coalition is able to balance its hooks with sheer power and weight.  Newcomers might be expecting the group to simply repeat this approach for the remainder of the album, but you’ll quickly be surprised at how diverse of an offering this album is.  “Built For the Road” is the first instance of this, lightening up the tone a bit in favor of good old-fashioned rock ‘n roll/blues rock that has a bit more of an AC/DC swagger to it.  There are dips back into groove metal and heavier riffing, but as you make your way through The Name Lives On you’ll also hear some riffs that recall hard rock of the early to mid-2000s and the title track has a bit more of a country swagger.  Compared to some of Texas Hippie Coalition’s back catalog which would have a song or two that would shake things up while the remainder would stick with a formula, it feels like there’s a lot more variety here and the regular moves between the mellower and harder riffs work well.  But even with many of the tracks providing some great hooks, there are a few that don’t stand out quite as much.  “Scream” goes for a bluesy verse and chorus but doesn’t leave as much of an impact, while the much heavier “Keep My Name Out Of Your Mouth” feels just a bit too generic with its slower grooves.  There’s nothing outright bad, but these lulls did make me skip around a bit on repeat listens.

There may be plenty of riffs that will draw in rock fans, but it’s Big Dad Rich’s singing that will keep them coming back again and again.  On “Hell Hounds” he moves from gruffer singing that is dripping with attitude into a booming pitch that soars over the recording on the chorus.  It’s one of those performances that is so catchy it gets stuck in your head for days, and there are other moments throughout The Name Lives On that have this same earworm quality.  Big Dad Rich demonstrates just how much range he has throughout the album, matching the rest of the band as they mellow out or double down on the intensity.  On “Built For The Road” he heads into some higher registers that have a classic rock vibe, while “I Teach Angels How To Fly” has more of a softer 80s rock singing pitch.  There’s a lot to like about the performance, and even though some of the lyrics are a bit too simple at times they do fit what the band is going for.

A few bumps in the road keep The Name Lives On from being truly memorable from beginning to end, but it comes incredibly close and showcases Texas Hippie Coalition have what it takes to write strong hooks while still shaking up their sound with elements from across the hard and southern rock spectrum.  As they enter their second decade of existence next year it’s clear these guys are still riding high, and I’m excited to see if they can keep the momentum going.  The Name Lives On is available from MNRK Heavy.

-Review by Chris Dahlberg