Williams Hank Iii - Rebel Within [LP]

Unlike most post-millennium country "outlaws," Hank Williams III has actually been fighting against something concrete instead of just nursing a bad attitude. Hank III likes his music as strong as his drink, and includes both his hard-edged trad-styled country and his "hellbilly" thrash metal project Assjack. There's an undercurrent of metal/punk creeping through a few tracks on Rebel Within (the bursts of Cookie Monster vocals on the title cut and the breakneck finale of "Drinkin' Over Momma"), but for the most part, this is the most straight forward country music Hank III has released since 2002's Lovesick, Broke and Drifitin'; Billly Contreras fiddle, Andy Gibson's steel guitar, and Johnny Hiland's guitar give these songs a classic acoustic honky tonk feel while adding just enough electric elements to keep this from sounding like an exercise in retro-nostalgia. More than one writer has noted that Hank III sounds a lot more like his grandfather Hank Williams than his dad Hank Willimas Jr. Ever did, and he writes the kind of melodies that suit his weathered, soulful twang just right. Rebel Within captures a tone of bad luck and trouble with a grace and gravity that's manna from heaven for fans of 100-proof roadhouse music. Rebel Within is strong, heartfelt work that proves Hank III hasn't turned his back on pure country music.