PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Releasing an album on Friday 13th? In Covid-19 ridden 2020? With 13 songs on it? What could possibly go wrong? The answer is absolutely nothing as Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons give a big middle finger to any doubts with We’re The Bastards released on Nuclear Blast Records!
The title track which is also the first single taken from the album is a full on affair. An earworm riff grabbed me from the off backed by statement of intent lyrics that are delivered loud and proud by Neil Starr, an example being “Music is medicine, music is therapy. Dropping the needle down, future is history. It’s in our DNA, the roots of the family tree. We love the music, play it louder!” A cry of “Let’s fuck this up” sees Phil tear out a searing guitar solo. ‘Son Of A Gun’ is a rollicking riffer that buzzes along on a headbanging groove and the lyrics are crooned with manic glee. Bass guitar lines from Tyla Campbell rattled my headphones and it gets even more manic midway when Phil unleashes some paint stripping wah-wah.
Riffs from Phil and Todd Campbell take no prisoners throughout ‘Promises Are Poison’ with their potency and they drop down a gear midway for a bruising midsection. A tasty acoustic intro for ‘Born To Roam’ is the calm before the storm as it heads off into a catchy stomp. A melody with muscle vocal with riffs that are all killer no filler make it an early album highlight. ‘Animals’ is a rabble rousing roar for a frantic four minutes of full on metal, driven along on a drum tirade. Simple effective riffing in ‘Bite My Tongue’ had me humming them straight away until it heads off on a new rhythm as it grinds over a brief but blazing guitar solo.
‘Desert Song’ is a song of beauty, a bluegrass music tinged epic as the vocals steal the spotlight with their authentic delivery. A full on thump comes from ‘Keep Your Jacket On’ as the rhythm section steadfastly pins it down. The heaviness ante is upped by the fuzzed up neckbreaker ‘Lie To Me’. The vitriolic vocals give it an even gnarlier edge as Phil peels off some Frank Marino tinged licks midway. He lets fly again with some tasty wah-wah in the Godzilla stomped banger ‘Riding Straight To Hell’. ‘Hate Machine’ is all kick drum fury, making it the heaviest album track as the riffs kick up a whirlwind that create a stellar storm.
They punk it up for an adrenaline rushed two minutes as ‘Destroyed’ gives a middle fingered “Fuck you” to the government and in complete contrast the album ends on a whisper as ‘Waves’ is a seven minute escape from the bombast. This beautiful ballad is a real tearjerker as Neil pours out an emotional performance, point proven by “Darkness comes in waves, it washes over me. I find it hard to breathe, struggling for air”. Musically it soothes, proving that the old saying of “Music hath charms to sooth the savage beast” to be true as Phil chips in with a sumptuous solo that heralds a heavy outro.
The band were formed in Pontypridd, Wales in 2016, releasing their self titled EP later that year and releasing their very impressive full length debut album The Age Of Absurdity in January 2018.
We’re The Bastards album track listing :- 
We’re The Bastards.
Son Of A Gun.
Promises Are Poison.
Born To Roam.
Animals.
Bite My Tongue.
Desert Song.
Keep Your Jacket On.
Lie To Me.
Riding Straight To Hell.
Hate Machine.
Destroyed.
Waves.
Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons band line up :-
Phil Campbell – Guitar.
Todd Campbell – Guitar/harmonica.
Dane Campbell – Drums.
Tyla Campbell – Bass guitar.
Neil Starr – Lead vocals.
Links to the band :-
http://nblast.de/PCATBS-WereTheBastards
- £10.99
