Crannk Interviews Dane Campbell drummer for Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons -

I caught up with Dane Campbell to discuss the latest album from Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons “We’re The Bastards” due out worldwide November 13th through Nuclear Blast Records, themes, songwriting, and recording an album under lockdown laws.

There is no easy course to triumph and glory in rock’n’roll. Even for bands with a natural gift for making the ground shake, hard work, and many gallons of blood, sweat and tears go into making the magic happen. Even then, it’s always down to the people to decide who rocks and who doesn’t. And the people have declared that PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS are the real fucking deal.

Formed in the aftermath of MOTÖRHEAD’s dissolution, following the death of Lemmy Kilmister in 2016, PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS were always going to draw a crowd at any discerning rock or metal festival. Led by one of the genre’s most respected guitarists and completed by his sons Todd (guitar), Tyla (bass) and Dane (drums) and powerhouse frontman Neil Starr, the band emerged onto the 2017 touring circuit powered by a huge amount of goodwill, a smattering of MOTÖRHEAD covers and a handful of new songs that crackled with passion and swagger. Landing themselves a prestigious support slot on GUNS N’ ROSES 2017 summer stadium run, the BASTARD SONS hit the ground running.

“Phil could easily have done something else,” says Neil Starr. “He could’ve joined another band or even just stopped, but he wasn’t daunted by the prospect of starting another band because it didn’t make any difference to him – he just wanted to enjoy playing music with his sons. Even when he was still in MOTÖRHEAD, he really enjoyed playing music with his sons. So really, from the start, we’ve just done our own thing and enjoyed it.”

Whether it was the promise of hearing a few old Lemmy gems or simply that PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS were too good to ignore, the response to those early shows was uniformly ecstatic and extremely rowdy. By the time the BASTARD SONS released their debut album, “The Age Of Absurdity”, in January 2018, this honest rock ‘n’ roll enterprise had organically blossomed into a pretty big deal. The album garnered widespread great reviews, picking up a trophy for ‘Best Debut Album’ at Metal Hammer Germany’s 2018 awards.

Fast forward to 2020 and, just like everyone else, PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS had to cancel a lot of carefully-laid plans when the global pandemic descended on us all. But as if to confirm their absolute dedication to blowing people’s heads off with thunderous rock’n’roll, the band refused to cancel plans to record a follow-up to their widely lauded debut. Recorded and engineered during lockdown by guitarist Todd Campbell, the second BASTARD SONS album may be just the tonic people need right now. It’s called “We’re The Bastards” and it’s bigger, better, and even more raucously uplifting than its predecessor. In fact, it’s the sound of a great band hitting their stride and buzzing with confidence.

Kicking off with the anthemic bluster of its title track, “We’re The Bastards” is instantly recognizable as the work of the band that brought us previous ragers like ‘Ringleader’ and ‘Get On Your Knees’. But it’s also a much more diverse and adventurous affair, as Starr and the Campbells expand their vision to include a greater sense of dynamics and atmosphere and even. Contrasting the expected fiery, bellow-along gems like ‘Son Of A Gun’ and ‘Bite My Tongue’, the swaggering, bluesy ‘Born To Roam’ and the hazy stoner rock stomp of ‘Desert Song’ point to an instinctive grasp of Americana’s influence on heavy rock. Similarly, there’s a world of difference between something as gritty and gung-ho as the two-minute ‘Destroyed’ and the spacious and epic grunge squall of closer ‘Waves’. But the BASTARD SONS’ self-evident shared chemistry and abundant charisma ensure that everything slots neatly into place on a wonderfully cohesive piece of work that feels like a sincere celebration of rock’s uplifting power.

One enormous favor the band has done themselves this time around is nominating guitarist Todd Campbell to record and engineer the new material at his studio in Wales. “We’re The Bastards” sounds absolutely huge and wonderfully vibrant and alive: a dazzling showcase for the talent in the BASTARD SONS ranks. Mixed and mastered by Soren Anderson (GLENN HUGHES/ THE DEAD DAISIES/ THE ANSWER) it’s such a powerful and convincing leap forward for all concerned that we can only imagine how frustrating it is to be releasing it into such a strange, gig-less world