Review : ASSJACK – “Assjack”

Assjack – “Assjack”
released August 4, 2009 on Curb Records

Hank Williams III is something of an anomaly. A classic country music outlaw with an affinity for heavy music, III would often unleash Assjack as one of his live sets opposite half a show more suited for his grandfather’s tastes. Such is the beauty of line-blurring. Yeah, well the beauty stops there. This is one brutish beast of an album, written, produced, and performed by the man himself (he tours live with his “Damn Band”).

Though still raw as a grizzly-caught salmon, it’s a marked improvement over the four rough demos released in the past decade. Much of this must be deliberate as well, cuz how clean can you–or should you–really make this music?

Aesthetically, it sounds like prying the Melvins and Ministry apart with Crowbar at a Dead Kennedys show, and the only real caveats I had were the thin drums and the audible bleeping of curses. Come on people, dropping out the audio is the way to go, if you must…especially considering Hank III’s lurid tongue. A solid debut regardless, with nowhere to go but up.

FCC on all but 2, but WRUV got a clean disc
Try 1, 2, 3, 4, *7*, 8

01. Tennessee Driver
02. Wasting Away
03. Chokin Gesture
04. Gravel Pit
05. Cut Throat
06. Smoke the Fire
07. Cocaine the White Devil
08. Redneck Ride
09. No Regrets
10. Doin What I Want

Rating: