Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards

Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards (2001)

Adam White

The band sounds enough NOT like Rancid to stand out on its own. However at any given time there are too many common factors not to mention Rancid. Big Jay Bastard, The Bastards' bass player, is Tim Armstrong's guitar tech. The same goes for drummer Scott Abels, a member of Hepcat and Brett
Reed's drum tech. Tim Armstrong also helped write and produce the album.

The Unknown Bastard's roaring intro seamlessly blends into the fantastic "Dead American." A lot of the songs, such as this and Anti-Social, remind me of the Exploited. "Six Foot Five" incorporates some fast 16 bar blues and better represents the album's overall tone. There's a lot of subject matter about Lars' past, as evident in "Cambell, CA," "Subterranean" and "Skunx." The Bastards also do a few covers. Their version of Billy Bragg's "To Have and to Have Not" is amazing, and will most likely be a single. Motorhead's "Leavin Here," is also done very well. "Wine and Roses" is a personal favourite, but I'm hard pressed to find a bad song on this album.

Lars has recorded a great set of traditional punk rock anthems. The audience can shout along with most of the songs here. I hope that Lars does more than a single tour before shutting down the Bastards. The music is so catered to the audience it would be a crime not to play the occasional show.

I'd love to say, "I'm not a Rancid fan but I love the Bastards," but I am a Rancid fan. However don't let your opinions about Rancid carry over to this, listen to it as it's own work and it stands out. The album seems rather short to me; probably due to the fact that it's barely left my CD player.

- Adam White (Shindo)