Damn Right, Rebel Proud is every bit as solid as Straight to Hell; the weather beaten twang of Hank's voice is the perfect instrument for his updated honky tonk howl, and his band (especially Andy Gibson on steel guitar and Dobro and Johnny Hiland on lead guitar) cooks with gas, sounding tighter than ever and roaring with enthusiasm at a speed that would send most country acts off the rails. But lyrically, too much of the time all Hank has to tell us is he's messed up and ready to rearrange some faces, and while these are inarguably classic themes in both country and metal, he hasn't found enough ways to rework the formula to make the same message compelling for 50minutes. It's worth noting two of the album's best tunes are ones that find something else to focus on. The Grand Ole Opry (Ain't So Grand) takes Nashville's most venerable institution to task (with good cause) for disrespecting Hank's granddaddy and whitewashing country's history, while "I Wish I Knew is a broken-hearted lament that's a first-class beer-drinking weeper.