Lords of Bastard
Off With Their Heads b/w Kingsize Karma
SL Records

A few weeks ago I received this promo CD with this bunch calling themselves Lords of Bastard. Wow! Serious? I figured they must be a gang with humour. Especially when I saw the press sheet mentioning their 'Make Bono Dead tour'. Consider me a friend.

The young (?) Edinburgh band play loud, and they're metal - stoner type, or surfpunkmetal, as the label says. Think vintage Sabbath riffs. But the spices come from moist cellars and dusty, oily garages.

"Off With Their Heads" is quite a tough title, and the song is tough as well. It opens very Sabbath-ish ("War Pigs"), with a wide, massive guitar sound. The song itself is on/off in motion and tempo, and the vocals are sneering, screaming. Chop, chop. Flip side, "King Sized Karma", is more in-your-face brutal, type early Soundgarden or something like that. With some nifty guitar works. Lords of Bastard - the devil's music.

The SL Records label will soon put out this debut single (and the band's working on their album). Or check it out electronically.

Copyright © 2007 Håvard Oppøyen