Bob Wayne

When lines in the sand are erased, there are very few differences between the boundaries of punk, country and metal. Essentially, despite some unique angles in subject matter and delivery, they're all fuelled by extremity, raucousness, a renegade attitude and zealousness. Asserting that point with severity and virulence, outlaw twanger Bob Wayne hammers out shit-kickin' latest effort Outlaw Carnie. Taking lessons from Steve Earle, Supersuckers and obvious greats such as Cash, Waylon Jennings and other hillbilly bad boys to heart, the album's entirety is a feast of haunting half-time sagas offset by upbeat, fiddle-led songs melding reeling verses with jangly banjo, shuffling acoustic guitars and drums, and tales of woe, sordidity and evil intent. Fun and gritty for even the least countrified, these 13 tracks are bouncy, enjoyable and naughty as hell. Anyone who looks like he earned his shirt from venomous punk rock'n'rollers Zeke, yet enticed the likes of thrashers Exodus and explosive doom metal gurus Neurosis to collaborate, and still spends his foretime performing with the likes of gypsy-influenced carnival-gone-wrong freaks Th' Legendary Shack Shakers is just as punk, country, metal and insane as G.G. Allin, David Allan Coe and S.O.D. in their heyday. If Hank III is pissed at Kid Rock for claiming familial connections, he'll really hate Wayne for nailing what he's been trying to pin down since day one.