A new album from Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons feels a little overdue given the last one was released almost three years ago. But when you consider that they’re always playing somewhere in Europe or the UK, it’s nothing short of a miracle that they were able to find time to write and record a new album. Also, it’s about time vocalist Joel Peters makes his studio debut after having joined the band a couple of years ago.
As soon as opener “Walking in Circles” kicks in, it’s a fair warning given. It’s fast and ferocious, ready to run into the melee of battle and the album itself comes out bloodied but victorious. In other words, Campbell and his band are back and like their previous two albums or any live performance, they aren’t taking any prisoners. It’s an album much in the vein of those which came before but the slight punk feel of previous albums has been roughly shorn off to make for a more streamlined and more focused album, albeit Peters’ rougher vocals give the band a heavier feel as it flirts with metal.
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There’s not exactly a shortage of riffs on this album and like some of the best hard rock of the modern age, sounds like they’re paying homage to the art of the riff. They chug, they crunch, they cut through the rest of the music like a buzz saw, sitting nicely on top of the drums without drowning them.
Whilst it’s very much business as usual and the band have simply adhered to the “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it” rule, there’s still a couple of interesting numbers, namely in the back-to-back title track and “The Hunt”. The former takes it down a gear, slowing the run into a pounding and brooding march to create one of the longest tracks they’ve ever written. It’s not quite as sludgy as “Dark Days” from the debut but is very much in the same vein. Snarling vocals blend well with the sombre main riff and the stomping drums to give a bluesier feel and as the guitar solo rears its head, it only adds to those credentials. It’s deliberate in its progression and slower to give it more power rather than a rush to the final chorus. Meanwhile, the afore-mentioned “The Hunt” barks and rattles like a Motörhead song, specifically that one. And as a band that has never shied away from their lineage in the live environment but always made a concerted effort to not duplicate it in the studio, to do it now, three albums in, actually feels more respectful given the distance.
Elsewhere, “No Guts! No Glory!” and “Ghosts” act as the late-stage gems on an album full of great tracks. The former bristles with energy and power whilst the latter is one of the band’s most bombastic numbers they’ve put on record. Which is really saying something. It gallops to its finish line, the riff and the drumming trying to outpace each other.
Meanwhile, singles “Schizophrenia” and “Hammer and Dance” are exemplary hard rock numbers. With “Schizophrenia” originally serving as the first taste of the album, burying it deeper into the tracklist allows the sharp blast of it to have even more heft, especially as it leads into the title track. As for “Hammer and Dance”, Tyla Campbell’s bass rumbles menacingly as an intro but continues to do so throughout, winding its way around the duelling explosive guitars. It’s a song which is relentless and doesn’t allow you to pause for breath. Not that you’d want a breather from this album.
Kings of the Asylum shows Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons on top form. The addition of Joel Peters’ hasn’t so much reinvigorated them as it’s allowed them to find their true selves. It’s well-produced and like always, the focus is never on Campbell Sr – this is a band, not a vanity project. It’s more Bastard Sons, sure but more Bastard Sons is better than less, especially when they’ve delivered arguably their best and most accomplished album to date.
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Kings of the Asylum is released on 1st September
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