James Hetfield's son Castor Virgil Hetfield has proved the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with the release of Is This Rage?, the debut album by his trio Bastardane.
Sensibly – or not – the trio of drummer Hetfield Jr, bandmates Jake Dalls (bass/vocals) and Ethan Sirotzki (guitar) don’t sound a whole lot like Metallica, instead serving up a mix of tar-thick sludge riffs, stoner metal heaviness and Alice In Chains-style melody (though maybe that’s a tiny little bit of a Load-era vibe we’re getting in places).
Formed during the pandemic, Bastardane released debut single Wealthy Fantasy in 2020. The band laid out their MO in an interview with The Hum: “We are not some average chump white male band looking to get laid. There is a time in every generation when music is the guiding light out of hard times. We just want to make emotionally empowering music that isn’t trying to cater to a certain audience. Our career is about making people happy and fulfilling the emotional needs of those who can’t tolerate words alone.”
Bastardane have US shows lined up for this year, including the Bottlerocket festival in May, which is headlined by – you guessed it – Metallica.
