A Fiendish Threat

"A Fiendish Threat" represents Hank III's love for basic old school punk rock. It's a no nonsense, stripped down album that is perfect for anyone who grew up listening to the original wave of punk rock back in the late 1970s. Hank III adds just a touch of country originality to the work so that you don't confuse it for another artist's music.

This cd had me dancing with the stick pony around the living room! COWPUNK. I do agree with an earlier reviewer that Hank is experimenting, if he sat down with someone like Rick Rubin who could harness this talent, it would be epic. That said, I've enjoyed this cd more than most of his recent ones. Ride on...

First let me confess I was not planning on buying this album. I am a much bigger fan of Hank 3's country output rather than his side projects (AssJack, 3 Bar Ranch, A.D.D.). However, on Sept 29th, a couple of days before both of his new albums dropped, I went to see him in concert in Little Rock, AR. One quick aside: if you get the chance to see this man live, do not miss it. Incredible live show. After playing over an hour of his country material, he rolled into several songs from this project and I knew I was going to have to snap it up. It has a uniquely Hank 3 flavor - like taking honky tonk, punk, and a large dose of aggression and attitude, throwing them in a blender and hitting the switch. The sound is lo-fi with a distorted acoustic guitar, distorted vocals, stand up bass, some blazing fiddle here and there and an occasional dose of trippy steel guitar. Hank 3 has said this album made him feel young again and it has a youthful vigor to it with a dark edge. I like listening to it when I'm driving for some reason. I love the sound of the distorted acoustic - the whole thing makes me think of what might have happened if the "band of demons" from Charlie Daniel's classic song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" decided to hit the road touring and recruited 3 for vocal duties. It's different - in a good sort of way.Stand out tracks include "Can I Rip U", "Different From the Rest", "There's Another Road" (the first three tracks right out of the box!), "Face Down" and the slow and haunting "Your Floor."This album is not going to be everybody's cup of tea. However, for a music lover with an open mind that likes a strange blend of music, this might just be one of the best albums of 2013 for you. The best description I can think of for it is the words Hank 3 has on his own guitar "Honky Punk."

This album is a lot of fun for both the listener and for Hank himself. I can tell he loved making this album and it rocks from beginning to end. One of the few albums in a long time that once it was finished, I hit repeat. Buy this, you won't be disappointed.

I've seen Hank 3 play in the corner of a small bar when there was no stage. And I bought a bootleg CDR from the man himself when Curb Records refused to release his newest material. So I appreciate both the raw energy and fearless experimentation that he has been developing since day one.His DIY work ethic has opened up a entire world of experimental music from  Assjack  and  Cattle Callin  to  Hank 3's Attention Deficit Domination . But these albums are often recorded in a virtual vacuum with Shelton personally writing, recording, engineering, mixing, mastering and playing practically every instrument by himself! And while that is certainly an impressive feat, the albums seem to suffer for it... and "A Fiendish Threat" is no different.The album is full of great songs that are sure to sound amazing when performed live. Unfortunately the actual recording sounds like a collection of unfinished demos. And this isn't the raw, frantic fuzz of a classic punk album or the blistering sound of bands like Guitar Wolf or  The Jim Jones Revue  who often record "in-the-red." This simply sounds like it was recorded on sub-par equipment in someone's basement.Acoustic guitars are oddly peppered with distortion, the vocals seem to have been recorded through a cheap Radio Shack microphone, the stand-up bass is all but lost in the mix and the drums sounds shallow, muffled or tinny. It's almost like listening to a friend's old demo tape on a cheap boom box. "A Fiendish Threat" is certainly upfront and raw, but not in a good way.The saving grace of this album is the energy and driving rhythm of the songs themselves. Occasionally they meander, drone on a bit too long or sound like a man jamming alone with a drum machine. But Hank 3 is truly an artistic genius, and I regard these recordings as sketches or promises of brilliant performances to come. Of course if you're not as forgiving, this might not be the album for you.

Hank III and his hillbilly punk sound provides a soothing aggression that touches the heart chords, reminding of days past. I'm Not a fan of the doom scene, however this album is hard and fast without the growling into the abyss of hate. i like this alot, glad i purchased it.

Love Hank III but he needs to stay with the country music. cheers TyT

I am excited I get to add this to my Hank III. It's perfect cow punk. Got the edgy riffs but all in acoustic. Love this album!!

Note as good as I looked Ford to but a low price for a punk import all the best from punk dean of the UK...

I am more a fan of Hank iii country genre stuff, but this cd exceeded my expectations. This is my fav Hank iii non-country cd by far. Rockin

kinda punk meets country it takes a little to get use to but it does grow on ya. different tan his earlier stuff

A few old school English style punk tunes on this bad boy of an album - cant wait to see Hank 3 live again - come back to London