Smoke is the highly anticipated debut album from The Bastard Sons and needless to say, it ticks all the right boxes.
Smoke is a noisy and in-your-face offering, and in fact it only takes one listen for it to get under your skin and inside your head. You can really tell that The Bastard Sons have put their absolute all into this album and it shines through in the passionate performance given from start to finish – it really makes them stand head and shoulders above the crowd. A particularly good element of the release is the versatility of frontman JJ’s vocals – he can go from delivering powerful screamed vocals to more melodic clean vocals at the drop of a hat, which is something to behold as it really leaves an impression on you.
The album features some absolute belters of songs, with A Lie Is A Lie and Bottom Of The Ladder knocking you for seven, and penultimate track Stay True, which is a strictly melodic and more stripped-back piece featuring a guest appearance from Glamour Of The Kill’s Davey Richmond, shows another quieter side to the band.
As a whole, there’s not much that can be faulted with Smoke – this band is slowly taking the metal/punk scene by storm and it’s clear why after hearing this album. This is surely just the beginning for this talented band.
