Rollin'

Album Review

The Texas Hippie Coalition like to describe their hard-rocking yet melodic work as "red dirt metal." So what is red dirt metal? Essentially, it's alternative metal with a strong Southern rock influence — and even if you haven't heard THC's term, you've likely heard the type of metal that their term refers to. Alabama Thunderpussy, Hammerlock, Brand New Sin, Maylene & the Sons of Disaster, and Backdraft are examples of bands that have also favored the type of bluesy, Southern-fried approach to alt-metal that THC embrace on Rollin'. Like other alt-metal CDs that have looked to Texas and the Deep South for inspiration, Rollin' owes a creative debt to Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Molly Hatchet, and other Southern bands that were popular in the 1970s — and yet, Rollin' will never be mistaken for an album that was actually recorded back then. Rather, the Texas Hippie Coalition (who hail from Denison, TX, not far from the Oklahoma state line) combine their love of old-school Southern rock with direct or indirect influences that include punk, grunge, Pantera, Soundgarden, and Corrosion of Conformity. Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, and Molly Hatchet were never metal — hard rock, yes, but not metal — whereas Rollin' is undeniably metal. This 2010 release doesn't point the Southern school of alt-metal in any new directions, but that doesn't make the material any less appealing. The Texas Hippie Coalition definitely bring the hooks, and they are as infectious on "Jesus Freak," "Groupie Girl," "Flawed," and "Back from Hell" as they are on "Saddle Sore" and the single "P****d Off and Mad About It." Rollin' is an exciting, if derivative, effort that will easily appeal to headbangers who have spent a lot of time listening to bands like Hammerlock, Brand New Sin, and Alabama Thunderpussy.