The Bastard Sons: Smoke

Beered up Yorkshire rockers fall a little flat

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There’s been a trend recently for party metal.

We’re not talking Andrew WK (who, let’s face it, is in a league of his own), but the soundtrack of a good knees-up in your local boozer.

If you’re off for a night out in Yorkshire, The Bastard Sons are the men for the job with their Southern rock-tinged guitars and hoarse vocals. That being said, if this slab of Wilson-esque metal is anything to go by, your safe lager-drinking will only be boosted by the odd shot of tequila before returning back to the basic caress of fizzy nectar.

While the music itself is enough to keep your foot tapping against the bar all night, there’s no big pay-off and the same line is trodden with the guitars still packing a punch, but getting softer with each track. Sure, the lyrics are enough to chant along to and are riddled with ‘Whoa’s, but if Smoke is strong enough to get the next round in, it won’t keep the party going ’til morning.

Luke Morton joined Metal Hammer as Online Editor in 2014, having previously worked as News Editor at popular (but now sadly defunct) alternative lifestyle magazine, Front. As well as helming the Metal Hammer website for the four years that followed, Luke also helped relaunch the Metal Hammer podcast in early 2018, producing, scripting and presenting the relaunched show during its early days. He also wrote regular features for the magazine, including a 2018 cover feature for his very favourite band in the world, Slipknot, discussing their turbulent 2008 album, All Hope Is Gone.