“T. H. E. B. A. S. T. A. R. D” shout The Bastard Sons in opening track ‘The Bastard’ on their new LP ‘Smoke’ which will have crashed through your roof all jet plane engine like on the 7th August through Kaiju Records. There has been a refreshing array of new guitar bands favouring powerful riffs and party-style hooks and The Bastard Sons will tickle the fancy of fans of Cancer Bats, ETID or Lamb of God. They are also British, adding to the simply ridiculous number of quality bands to come from our shores in recent months.
‘A Lie is a Lie’ is a song about not accepting the ‘truths’ we are told on the TV. There is a strong similarity with While She Sleeps as the riff whips the song up to a frothy peak, JJ’s vocals an interesting blend of sung and spoken word. It is immensely infectious and is an immediate success aurally with possibly the best singalong chorus of the year so far “we will start a fire to watch it burn”.
If you wondered what their USP is, well ‘Sobre La Muer’ showcases JJ’s vocal dexterity and the band’s ability to build big, warm waves of a tune, the delicate “whoa, whoa” elegantly placed over a crescendo of spine numbing screams, before a funky piece of guitar, as a full band sing-along of “have you seen the light” carries the song to its natural end. It is impossible to put these boys in a box, is it classic rock? Is it new age hardcore? Stoner rock infused? Who cares, it’s awesome!
Like more meat with your gravy?! Well ‘U.S Against Them’ will satisfy your need for something with more steel, but in true punk fashion is a very short track indeed at 01.18. The huge riffs continue throughout ‘Listen Here’ as do the crowd pleasing “whoa, whoa, whoa’s”, where perhaps they couldn’t think of more suitable lyrics for the chorus, but it does work, so who’s bothered?
‘Stay True’ features none other than Glam Goth Davey Richmond from Glamour Of The Kill to provide his sultry tones, sounding very Feed The Rhino, the easy listening intro drifting along like a pooh stick on a summer’s stream. The echoed vocals build passionately, the screams adding volumes to this section and the emotion bubbling over like an over-active volcano.
Closing track ‘Exist-Distance’ returns to the throaty resonance of JJ’s vocals and a silky smooth chug, sure to set venues alight, the song beautifully structured with some plonky piano to finish off what is a very strong release from The Bastard Sons. The album is focused on what we, the people are fed from the government and the media; how it is moving us away from a harmonised, sustainable world and towards one that is fractious and broken. If this is the album to unite a nation, then let’s get the flags and spray paint out. It is a ferocious beast, untamed and ready to rip you a new one. The new world order starts here.
DAVE BULL