Cowpunks, metalheads can enjoy Hank III

Born into the famous Williams family, music was a rite of passage for Shelton Williams. Just don't call it a family tradition.

It's been a contentious career for the 36-year-old, who has simply come to be known as Hank III and has long since been estranged from his family.

Though he's released six studio albums - a seventh is due out later this summer - he's done so almost begrudgingly.

His forthcoming release has been a long time coming after years of discontent between the artist and his label, Curb Records. He released four cowpunk albums through Curb before the label rejected his death-metal effort.

During the next few years, Hank III recorded and performed with other metal bands - most notably as the bassist for Superjoint Ritual - before managing to release two more solo albums on smaller independent labels, including last year's "Damn Right, Rebel Proud."

Fortunately, the standoff been Hank III and label president Mike Curb has come to a resolution and his death-metal project will be released by Curb Records, which otherwise is known for its country styling.

"Growing up the way I had to, and some of the redneck bars I had to play in, they just think it's complete disrespect to their establishment and to them," he said. "You know I can't make everyone happy and it is what it is."

"If I was selling out, I would be doing what a producer tells me and dressing up all pretty and only be doing country music, that's how to make money," he said.

"I just stuck with the hard road," he said, "that's what makes us different and unique and gives the wide audience range from 14 to 80 out there. Cowboys, punks, metalheads, jocks, grandmas and the average everyday person - we bring them all together under the same roof."

As such, his recent and current tours have featured a dual set from Hank III, who begins each performance with a set list that is equal parts traditional country and cowpunk, in which he's accompanied by a five-piece band, before closing the night with a full set of death-metal material.

Hank III will bring his unique, to say the least, road show to the Music Farm on Tuesday night for what may well be one of the most musically diverse audiences in what has already been a musically rich region.

Keith Ryan Cartwright is a Colorado-based journalist.