The title-track opens the proceedings in fierce form with Neil eulogising the redemptive power of music, the track acting as a clarion call for the album as a whole. While there are moments of hooligan, hammer-down heaviness on offer (the bass-led Son Of A Gun, the meaty Animal, and Keep Your Jacket On are prime examples), the likes of Born To Roam and Desert Song offer up deliberate light and shade, both boasting a neo-Southern rock feel in places. The album’s final track, Waves, sees Campbell’s mob signing off in uncharacteristic form with something of an unexpected, affecting ballad.
Ultimately, We’re The Bastards confirms that the Pontypridd outfit have found their own identity. While the quintet were due to spend most of the summer playing festivals under the banner of ‘Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons Play Motörhead’, that very idea sounds almost redundant now. Like every other band, they’re clearly itching to get out there and play again. Armed with two albums full of quality material, they’ll be able to do so on their own terms. Roll on 2021…
Verdict: 4/5
For Fans Of: Motörhead, Orange Goblin, The Shrine
We're The Bastards is out now via Nuclear Blast.
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