Factoid:For more information on Nine-Pound Hammer, go to www.ninepoundhammer.homestead.com.

Just as it seemed the story of the group was unfolding before the eyes of the world music community, the Kentucky rock group Nine-Pound Hammer called it quits, leaving one leading man to form the popular rock group Nashville Pussy and the other to settle down and get a regular job.

Ten years after the break-up, guitarist Blaine Cartwright and singer Scott Luallen have made amends and gone on to not only perform several well-received reunion shows, but to also release the new album, “Kentucky Breakdown” on Acetate Records earlier this year.

Nine-Pound Hammer, which will perform at 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17 at Hangar 9, began as The Clappers, a group put together by Luallen and Cartwright for their high school talent show when they were sophomores. Even though none of them really knew how to play their instruments, their “first taste” would leave a lasting impression. Using a fire extinguisher and breaking disco records almost got them suspended.

According to Luallen, he and Cartwright bought guitars and went to college after graduation, but eventually the duo returned to their hometown of Owensboro, Ky. They starting jamming with a friend – influenced by the Ramones, Kiss, AC/DC and Judas Priest – and tied a microphone to a rake to serve to serve as a makeshift mike stand. After learning club staples like “I Fought the Law” and “Folsom Prison,” they hit the road and played their first show in Evansville, Ind.

“We didn’t play very well, but people liked it,” Luallen said.

Afterward, the group moved to Lexington, Ky., and became a sort of house band at a band placed between two rather seedy strip clubs. Luallen remembers many brawls and said the group even had a gun pulled on it at one time.

As the ’80s wore on, Nine-Pound Hammer released contributions to several compilation albums, and released “The Mud, the Blood and the Beers,” which sold 2,000 units worldwide and had a hit on the Top 100 college radio, as well as “Smokin’ Taters” and “Hayseed Timebomb.”

During this period, the group toured up into Canada, once driving from Calgary to Toronto in 33 hours, driving partly through Michigan because of lower gas prices.

Yet after 10 years of touring and selling records worldwide, the group called it quits. Luallen compared his relationship with Cartwright to being similar to that of a marriage. The break-up of the band was their divorce. About a year-and-a-half after the break-up, Luallen was having dreams about the group playing again and traveling on the road, now, his dream has become a reality. With that realization came the 2004 release of “Kentucky Breakdown,” a collection of songs written during the break-up and specially for the recording session.

“It’s a strong record,” Luallen said. “It’s topical and a lot of people were surprised we could crank something like that out.”

Both critics and the band feel “Kentucky Breakdown” is a solid album, and their live show is just as energetic as it was 20 years ago. Even though Luallen has been through this time and time again, age is starting to catch up with him.

“Our live show is the same,” Luallen said in comparison to the band’s glory days. “But we’re a little sorer the next day.”

Even so, Luallen and Nine-Pound Hammer have continued to play well-received stateside shows as well as release another hard-hitting album. As far as where things go from here after their show Friday at Hangar 9 and their show Saturday at the Creepy Crawl in St. Louis, only time will tell.

“It’s been 16 years,” Luallen said. “But our story has still not been told.”