Hank Williams III 'Straight to Hell'

Nashville, TN. (Curb Records) - Hank III's promotional materials hit the dichotomy right on the head: he's an enigma who attracts an audience as much for his revered bloodlines as for his artistry. Whether or not he's the third-coming of country royalty or simply an opportunist with a famous lineage is a question that remains open; the excesses of his lifestyle certainly suggest a smoothly escalating curve from Hank to Hank Jr. to Hank III.

When it's about the music, though, Hank III's a compelling performer whose voice (though perhaps not his songwriting) is more reminiscent of Hank Sr's than it is to Jr's. Disc one of this two-disc set finds Hank III playing the country hillbilly, with plenty of fiddle and twang and nary an aural trace of his life as a metal musician. On the other hand, the album's parental advisory sticker is well-earned, both for vocabulary and drug references; in many ways he's only saying in plain language what those before him had to say more covertly. This is music from a true-life hellraiser who could be found burning down bars while media outlaws like The Muzik Mafia are busy cozying up to Nashville's mainstream.

Disc two opens with an original Johnny Cash styled prison tune, "Louisiana Stripes," before segueing into a 42-minute musical collage. The latter combines lonesome songs, found sounds, phone messages, sound affect, and a variety of studio effects into a Negativland-styled nightmare. No doubt listeners will enjoy disc two more if they follow III's example and send their cares "up in smoke." Disc one, however, is a good spin for anyone wanting to hear some hard country with plenty of high and lonesome twang.