Unpublished Works: Hank III - 'Damn Right & Rebel Proud'

I can't think why this one never made it online. The only reason I can think of is that it's not main stream enough.

Maybe in this day and age of over produced, fake, bullshit their is no room for some quality country jams. Who knows?

Anyways, I think I'll pass on the bitter rants today and just hope you enjoy the review. Please jeck out Hank III too. The dude has got tallent by the litre.

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Being the grandson of the legendary Hank Williams and son of the ‘Outlaw’ Hank Williams Jr. can’t be easy. You think there would be some pressure if you were in the shoes of one Shelton Hank Williams III or ‘III’ to his friends. I suppose there would be, had Hank III walked the generic country path. Rather than tread over old ground III has decided to stumble down his own path…..which leads directly to the bar.

Hank III has always expressed his disgust of the “pop country” scene and ‘Damn Right, Rebel Proud’ is another middle finger shoved right in the face of the hugely manufactured genre.

Every track on the album, be it up beat or down low, has a dark undercurrent to it. Hank has never shyed away from his relationship with drugs and alcohol nor has he ever denied his love of Satan and seriously heavy metal. It is these influences that give the album real depth and steers away from the generic, radio friendly sound that Williams despises so deeply.

A great example of this is the track ‘Punch. Fight. Fuck’. Dedicated to the infamous fucking nut case that is G.G. Allin, this is Hank’s own brand of ‘psycho-billy’at it’s best. With drug fuelled chorus, spliced with sound bites of G.G’s rants, this is the soundtrack to a rowdy bar fight if ever I heard one. On ‘Long Hauls & Close Calls’ III proclaims loud and proud that “the Devil is my friend!” with an attitude that only Hank and The Damn Band can pull off in one hell raising anthem which is bound to be crowd pleaser live.

It’s not all hellbillyin’, fuck you-s and bar fights. From growing up in the environment where your heritage is hard to escape, a young Hank III learned what true country music was and where his roots are. Williams pulls some old school, Nashville sound out of the bag with ‘Wild & Free’ and ‘If You Can’t Help Your Own’ being sure to satisfy those who appreciate more of an original country sound.

All elements of what makes a great country record are present on ‘Damn Right, Rebel Proud’. The stand-up slap bass, the slide guitar, the strings and most of all the sorrow and loss. Heartbreaking songs like ‘I Wish I Knew’ take a more sombre tone while ‘Candidate For Suicide’ and ‘Stoned & Alone’ take a nosedive into the abyss of misery. You come out the other side of these whiskey-drenched numbers feeling like you’ve been living it all alongside the dude.

Country stars of past generations like David Allen Coe, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson never really fit the mould. They gave the widely accepted musicians, record companies and promoters chills. Hank has followed these trailblazers of old and is hell bent playing what he wants when he wants and living his life in nobody’s shadow. Hank Williams III is still “putting the dick in Dixie and the cunt back in country”.

Earth - Live @ The Borderline 24/04/09

In a venue which is now threatening to become my new local, I returned to The Borderline Friday to check out fuzzed out, drone masters, Earth.

Years ago I found Earth through their albums 'Earth 2' and 'Hex'. They were albums that were packed full of satanic, evil drone and sludge. This is what I paid in to see at the Borderline. What I got was a gig heavy on new material from recent release 'The Bees Made Honey In The Lions Skull'. This is an album that strays away from their previously dark and evil sound that got me into the band in the first place, into more of a melodic-ambient realm.

The gig itself was never going to be an explosive performance. Earth have never been that kind of band but they always appeared to deliver a heavy, inspired performance none the less. From a band with such a pedigree and cult following you expected a performance worthy of past glories.

Tonight, Earth gave us anything but. It really was a lacklustre effort from a band that should really be able to turn in a fantastic performance after all these years. From the stage manor of Dylan Carlson, you can tell that no real effort is being made, at least not tonight. Earth just seem to be going through the motions.

It was on only one occasion I found myself beginning to zone out and enjoy it. The only piece they played from the ‘Hex’ album, I believe. Unfortunately, this was not enough to redeem the evening. The only saving grace came from a fully stocked bar that provided continuous support in my time of need.

I think the main problem with the show is that I built it up to be something it wasn’t. Dylan Carlson and crew turn in mediocre performance that tested my patience more than a few times. Their songs were played with no inspiration at all and the dark atmosphere that makes Earth's sound so unique was noticeably absent.

Where bands of the genre like Sunn O))) and Om can create a stage show to accompany their music, Earth fall disappointingly short on this occasion.

Better luck next time, fat boy.