Mental Hippie Blood – Pounds – Review

Mental Hippie Blood

Pounds (Metal Blade)
by Scott Hefflon

Ever wondered what Alice in Chains or Soundgarden would’ve sounded like if they lived in Sweden? Me neither, but the answer is Mental Hippie Blood. It’s been years since either band put out anything interesting, so maybe it’s time we looked for blood elsewhere. Seattle, as wet and contemplative as it is, has pretty much been sucked dry of moody, introspective grunge/post-grunge rock, so why not look toward Sweden, Finland, and all those other countries most American youths have to look on a map to figure out where the fuck they are? That is, if they haven’t smoked the map yet.

Evidently, the long, cold nights of Sweden are just as isolating, dismal and, ahem, insightful as those drizzly climes of the Northwest. Mental Hippie Blood is a solid, soulful rock band filled with hooks and melodies, combining righteous soloing and powerful vocals into once heavy rock package. Oh yeah, the kids are gonna groove on this one.