If Lemmy and not Beano had fronted AC/DC after the unfortunate death of Bon Scott then the result would almost undoubtedly have been Los Bastardos Finlandeses. Neatly fusing Motorhead, hawkwind and the aforementioned AC/DC, LBF deliver high octane, good-time rock ‘n’ roll with a vicious bluesy edge that is soaked in whiskey and blasted with nicotine. Quite simply, it rocks.
Opening with ‘smokin’ dynamite’, never did a band produce a more apt piece of music. Perfectly describing LBF’s energetic delivery and leather-clad, it’s the sort of song you can easily imagine blasting out from a PA to a field full of mud-soaked metal heads, the guitar riffs revitalising dampenerd spirits even as El Taff Bastardo gritty vocals lay down the law. ‘Rocket Science’ (as in “this ain’t” it) is simple good time rock with a hawkwind snarl and then the title track roars into view on the back of a nitrous-fuelled, chrome plated bike, shattering windows and scaring the neighbours wherever it goes. Packed with riffs and a classic chorus (“every day is the day of the dead you’re very, very welcome to the club”) – you’ll hear it once and be humming the bastard for hours!’ Goddess of the valley’ has the sort of rough-neck groove that sits between Randy Rhodes-era Ozzy, Motorhead and Guns ‘n’ Roses, the massed vocals on the chorus giving the song a raucous feel that makes you want to crack a beer whenever it comes on.
Keeping up the demonic pace ‘end of the world’ has a snarling groove and a killer chorus, whilst ‘you can’t sounds like the Rolling Stones, dragged out into a field with nothing but a collection of old Soul Asylum LPs and a bag of hallucinogens for company. ‘Forever the desperado’ is pure driving rock, perfect for cruising the highways with a crate of beer and the roof down. Next up, the brilliantly titled ‘end of the empire / a kick in the balls’ roars out of the traps like a horse on steroids, the guitars blazing a trail of liquid fire as El Taff tears his throats to shreds in the name of rock. ‘Old dog in the rain’ is no less aggressive, offering huge riffs and wild solos before a note has been sung, and even though its hard-rocking blues in the vein of G ‘n’ R it sounds fresh and vital as the band kick it out with raw attitude and energy. The album closes with the epic ‘last call for rock n roll’ which sounds like Phil Lynott on a binge with AC/DC and the stones in the sleaziest bar in Christendom, and thus proves to be a fitting ending to an album that sounds like it was recorded with the aid of the world’s largest bottle of Jack Daniels.
If you like raw, unrestrained rock ‘n’ roll delivered with attitude by a band of leather clad reprobates, then Los bastardos Finlandeses are for you. ‘Day of the dead’ is the sort of hard rocking, blues soaked outing that makes you feel glad to be alive, the guitars a gloriously messy mix of frazzled distortion and sweet soloing whilst the vocals are delivered with gritty determination and nicotine-stained soul. Raucous, melodic and memorable, this is the sort of album that I want played at my funeral, because it’s the sort of music that will brighten even the gravest (sorry) of occasions leaving the listener giddily in love once more with a genre that has been lighting fires since Chuck Berry first picked up a guitar. It’s brilliant, simple, direct, spirited music, full of heart and soul and it reminds me of everything I love about rock music – ‘day of the dead’ is beautifully f**ked up and I loved every minute of it – in fact, f**k it, I’m off to play it again… loud.
