Nine Pound Hammer “The Mud, the Blood, and the Beers” 1988. Crypt Records. Punk meets speed metal meets a crazy cowboy, Nine Pound Hammer can be considered among the forerunners to the cowpunk/psychobilly/roots punk genre. Guitarist Blaine Cartwright formed the band with vocalist Scott Luallen and Cartwright would later form the speedpunk (with heavy nods to Motorhead) band Nashville Pussy.

“The Mud, the Blood, and the Beers” is Nine Pound Hammer’s first of six full length LP’s and roars out with Ramones-style speed punk with a hillbilly flavor on such tracks as “I Don’t Think So” and “Little Help.” Other songs like “He’s Gone” and “She’s So Cool” are more hardcore punk, punctuated with screaming feedback licks and shoutspeak lyrics. So put on yer shitkickers and prepare for whiplash-speed headbanging in a mosh pit.