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By GREG MAKI
Kid Rock has a saying printed in the liner notes of each of his releases. It ends with “if it’s real, you’ll feel it.” When I listen to the music of Hank Williams III, I feel it. Following in the seemingly long-lost tradition of legendary country outlaws David Allan Coe, Johnny Cash and, of course, Hank Williams, Hank III couldn’t care less about selling our arenas or getting his songs on the radio or CMT.
You may be thinking, why is Live-Metal.net reviewing a country album? I first became aware of Hank III through Superjoint Ritual, the hardcore/metal band fronted by former Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo (Williams plays bass). My introduction to Hank III the solo artist came about a year ago at one of his concerts. It was a truly unique experience consisting of a country set, a set of what Williams calls “hellbilly” (a blend of country and hard rock) and a performance by Williams’ hardcore band Assjack.
Hank III’s latest release, Straight to Hell, is pure country. You know that right away when the album begins with an excerpt from the Louvin Brothers’ gospel song “Satan Is Real” before morphing into the rollicking title track. Here and throughout the next 12 songs, Williams brings a refreshing, almost punk attitude toward his country music. The lyrics may seem ridiculous, but I believe him when he sings, “I’m a crazed country rebel, and I’m driftin’ state to state.” On “Not Everybody Likes Us,” in addition to a few unkind words for one of his father’s buddies (“Just so you know, so it’s set in stone/Kid Rock don’t come from where I come from/It’s true, he’s a yank/He ain’t no son o’ Hank/And if you thought so, goddamn, you’re fuckin’ dumb”), Williams croons about “a certain kind of living” and "a certain kind of style." When I listen to this record, I feel like I should be sitting on the front porch of some Southern farmhouse in 100-degree heat, loaded shotgun in one hand, bottle of moonshine in the other.
The album’s highlights are the reflective “Country Heroes,” an ode to the outlaws from whom Hank III draws so much inspiration, and the blistering “Dick in Dixie,” on which he rails against “pop country.” Also included is a second disc consisting of one 42-minute track titled “Louisiana Stripes.” It’s actually a collection of songs tied together by atmospheric sound effects. The recording is so lo-fi it sounds more like a lost Hank Sr. session recently discovered than something new for 2006. It’s interesting and worth a listen, but it’s not something I’ll keep coming back to like I’ve done with the first disc.
I am by no means a country fan, but Straight to Hell is an incredible album with more attitude than even the best metal releases. It is a bold statement that demands to be heard, especially by those who think the pandering patriotism of Toby Keith is what country music is all about.
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