Not much to say except "GOD DAMN have I been waiting for this record." Ever since I spoke to the band at this year's Mayhem Festival and discovered that they had been working on this new music I've had trouble sleeping at night. Thoughts that haunt me: Is this album going to live up to Peace Maker? Is it going to be the album that sky rockets this band to success? Well October seventh is upon us, the record is out, and it's phenomenal. Their album Ride On reached number eight on ITunes Rock chart in only a day. THC's fourth album and their first since 2012, Ride On returns to the band's original sound from their first release Pride Of Texas. The album kicks off with the song "El Diablo Rojo," a song that gets you locked in to the THC vibe and gives you a great idea about how the album is going to sound. The vocals of Big Daddy Ritch, the drumming of Timmy "The Hitman" Braun, bass playing from John Exall, and the solo's from Cord "Getcha'" Pool blend together and create the sound that we all know and love as the Texas Hippie Coalition. Three tracks in you get to the band's first single from the album. "Monster In Me," was released a few weeks ago and got a lot of positive feedback. I loved it when I first heard it and must have shared it fifty times with all my friends. It's that song that stands tall on the album and could even go hand and hand with the song "Turn It Up." Hell the entire album could topple Peace Maker. Songs like "Go Pro," "Rock Ain't Dead," and "Bottom of the Bottle" are some of my new favorite songs after one listen. The title track "Ride On" starts off with a heavy guitar riff from Cord Pool that sounds like something out of the depths of Texas. I love the chugging and the squeals. It sounds like something that would make Dimebag Darrell himself proud to hear. "Ride On" seems like a more laid back song but it still has the potential to kick your ass. The final stand out track on the album is "I Am The End." Agreed it's one of the slower songs but to end an album it seems to be the perfect tune. Everyone knows that a perfect album starts out hot and gradually throttles down toward the end and that's what I consider this track to do. "I Am The End," is the metaphoric end of the "ride." There seems to be a concept here. Here's my theory. The ride begins in Hell (hence the title "El Diablo Rojo,") and is a journey of self-realization that brings out the inner-monster, how one wants to make it big and become a professional, chasing their dreams on that ride until their at the bottom of their bottle and then realizing that they've got to keep riding on until they succeed where they realize that they're at the end... that they are the end. There is no confirmation there but like I said it's just a theory. Regardless of what the entire album is about it's definitely a "MUST HEAR." Just to hear Cord Pool's unique solo's on some of the tracks. Pool is one of the most underrated guitarists of this generation and you can tell that on this album. He deserves a lot more exposure along with the Texas Hippie Coalition. What do you think? You can stream the entire album on SPOTIFY right here or you can go pick up the album on ITunes or any store that sells music.
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J.simpsonLead photographer over at Hardcore Shots Archives
June 2017
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