Hank3 Declares His Independence

Hank III
Ghost to a Ghost/Gutter Town; Attention Deficit Domination; 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin’
Megaforce/Hank3 Records; 2011

Hank 3 releases three albums on four CDs, boldly stating that he’ll do as he pleases from here on out. The first, Ghost to a Ghost, keeps in step with his previous alt-country releases with songs about loss, bad women, outlaw life and heartache. Heavy with Cajun and Zydeco flourishes, it also shows considerable depth and a different part of his musical palette. “Goin’ to Guttertown” and the genre-fusing title track, “Ghost to a Ghost” are standout cuts. The third recording, Attention Deficit Domination, is doom rock at its finest. On it, H3 proudly displays his devotion to lumbering slabs of distorted noise in the vein of Sleep, the Melvins, and some of Black Flag’s slower, grinding tunes. Each song pushes forward like a fully loaded truck creeping up a steep mountain. Intense and unrelenting, the guitars drone slowly and may even rattle the fillings in your molars loose. 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin’, the fourth in the series, finds H3 performing speed metal with exquisite double bass work over shouting cattle auctioneers, ultimately creating a previously unheard of genre. His humor is on display with song titles like “Cow Mortal” and “Angus of Death,” but each track is a slice of intense audio adrenaline. H3 took big chances on these four albums and not every listener will be enamored with all of the material, but there’s no denying Hank has stayed true to his unique artistic vision throughout. – M.A. Rivera