Alternative metal supergroup
Hellyeah featured members of
Mudvayne,
Nothingface, and
Pantera/
Damageplan. Formed by
Mudvayne lead singer
Chad Gray and
Nothingface bassist
Tom Maxwell amidst the 2001 metal package tour Tattoo the Earth,
Hellyeah were completed upon the arrival of former
Pantera drummer
Vinnie Paul, marking
Paul's first band since the murder of his brother and former
Pantera guitarist
Dimebag Darrell (the two had formed
Damageplan after the demise of
Pantera). In a slight departure from the members' respective bands,
Hellyeah played old-school good-times thrash and power metal that recalled the music of their youth, with just a touch of the Southern rebel yell thrown in for good measure. Sadly,
Paul died in 2018, but his parts were used for 2019's
Welcome Home.
Hellyeah formed in 2006 in Dallas, Texas around the talents of
Mudvayne's
Chad Gray (vocals) and
Greg Tribbett (guitar),
Nothingface's
Tom Maxwell (guitar), and
Jerry Montano (bass) -- the latter also played with
Danzig -- and
Pantera/
Damageplan drummer
Vinnie Paul. The group's self-titled debut was released in April 2007 on Epic Records. Shortly after the album was released,
Montano left the band and was replaced by
Damageplan bassist
Bob Zilla. With a new bassist in place,
Hellyeah began to work on new material, and in 2010 released their sophomore album,
Stampede. Released in 2012, the Eleven Seven Music-issued
Band of Brothers found success on the strength of the singles "War in Me" and the propulsive title cut, and 2014's
Blood for Blood saw the band part ways with Tribett and
Zilla, the latter of whom was replaced by
Bloodsimple bass player
Kyle Sanders. In 2016, the band issued its fifth studio long-player, the brooding and savage
Unden!able, which included a blistering cover of
Phil Collins' "I Don't Care Anymore" that featured guitar parts from late
Pantera shredder
Dimebag Darrell. The album peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200. Sadly, drummer
Paul died in Las Vegas in June 2018 while
Hellyeah were recording a new album there. He was 54 years old. Released in September 2019, the completed album,
Welcome Home, was the last to feature
Paul on drums.
Hellyeah subsequently announced
Stone Sour sticksman,
Roy Mayorga, as his touring replacement. ~ James Christopher Monger