Nine Pound Hammer Too Outlaw For Outlaw Country Review
Nine Pound Hammer
Too Outlaw For Outlaw Country 10”
Reptilian Records
2026
I can always count on one of my favorite bands in the world to not only to keep it real, but to keep us supplied with fresh tunes. My kinfolk from Kentucky and one of the finest Cowpunk bands to ever sling a riff, Nine Pound Hammer, are gearing up to release a new EP entitled “Too Outlaw For Outlaw Country”. And before anyone starts panicking, yes, the EP will be pressed on vinyl, albeit as a picture disc, courtesy of Reptilian Records.
I don't know about you, but the current Country scene stinks to high heaven. Pop Country sucks. I don't care how much money these goons are making; there are still plenty of hillbilly motherfuckers out here who know it's garbage, and we ain't buying what they're selling. Most of the people supporting it wouldn't know real Country music if it walked up and bit them square in the ass. Thankfully, bands like Nine Pound Hammer are still carrying the torch and reminding us there's hope.
And hope is exactly what we get with the title track and lead single, "Too Outlaw For Outlaw Country." It's part call to arms; part State of the Union address aimed directly at the modern Country scene. More specifically, it's aimed at the so-called "Outlaw Country" movement that Nashville keeps trying to package and sell back to us. The suits and marketing teams have figured out that rebellion sells, so they've manufactured a version that's safe, sanitized, and ready for radio.
Sorry, but I don't care that Jelly Roll went to jail, and I certainly don't care about his redemption. His music sucks and now they’re trying to copy his aesthetic.
Meanwhile, when our Uncle David Allen Coe passed away last month, plenty of folks couldn't wait to drag up material he'd recorded more than thirty years ago. Get the fuck out of here. People change. Hearts change. Minds change. Coe was a legitimate Country artist and a national treasure. That's all I've got to say about that.
Back to the music, because that's what we're here for. The title track ranks among the best songs Nine Pound Hammer has released in recent memory. Scott Luallen is absolutely on fire, delivering one of the strongest vocal performances of his career.
The EP also features a smoking-hot cover of one of my favorite Billy Joe Shaver songs, "Black Rose." The band injects the tune with extra muscle without sacrificing the heart of the original. And that immortal line still hits just as hard as ever: "The devil made me do it the first time, the second time I done it on my own."
Brother Blaine Cartwright shows up on "Out Of My League," and it's every bit as hilarious and entertaining as you'd expect. Then again, that's par for the course when the leader of the band Nashville Pussy is involved.
There are a few more standout tracks here, but I'll leave those discoveries up to you once the EP is released. Just know that your hard-earned money will be supporting legitimate artists who aren't faking images and backstories and chasing trends to get into your wallet.
Do yourself a favor: pick up “Too Outlaw For Outlaw Country”, catch Nine Pound Hammer on their upcoming U.S. dates, and then wish the boys luck when they take this outlaw circus overseas. The world could use a little more Nine Pound Hammer and a lot less Nashville bullshit.