When Noise11 asked former Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell which album from his tenure with the band he was most proud of, his answer was immediate.
Noise11: “Out of all the Motörhead albums you played on, which one are you most proud of?”
Phil: “Bastards. It didn’t get much promotion, but sonically it’s massive. Howard Benson produced it, and it just sounds like being in the room with the band. Definitely my favourite.”
Watch the Noise11 interview with Phil Campbell here:
Released on 11 October 1993, Bastards was Motörhead’s eleventh studio album, issued through ZYX Music. It remains the band’s only release on the German label, but despite its limited push in the marketplace, the record has grown into one of the group’s most revered works.
The album is significant for another reason: it marked the official arrival of Mikkey Dee as Motörhead’s full-time drummer. Dee, who had previously guested with the band, brought a ferocity that reinvigorated their sound. His debut alongside Campbell, Lemmy Kilmister and Würzel delivered a blast of raw energy that pulled the band back to their heaviest form.
Produced by Howard Benson, Bastards was tracked at A&M and Prime Time Studios in Hollywood. Benson captured the band in full throttle, resulting in what Campbell still describes as the closest Motörhead ever came to sounding “like being in the room with the band.” The production has since been widely praised for its clarity, punch, and immediacy.
Themes and Standout Tracks
Bastards is as varied as it is relentless. The blistering “Burner” and “I Am the Sword” showcase Motörhead at their most savage, while “On Your Feet or On Your Knees” takes aim at societal hypocrisy. Lemmy tackled darker territory on the ballad “Don’t Let Daddy Kiss Me”, confronting the subject of child abuse, while “Death or Glory” and “Born to Raise Hell” (later recorded with Ice-T and Whitfield Crane for the Airheads soundtrack) cemented the album’s place as a fan favourite.
Lemmy himself once described Bastards as “one of the best albums we ever did,” but lamented that ZYX didn’t promote it properly outside Germany. “We put everything into it, and they just didn’t care,” he said.
Phil Campbell remains equally passionate:
“We worked so fucking hard on that. The songs were there, the commitment was there, the playing was there, production was there, everything was there… I’m so proud of that album. Nothing wrong with that album at all. Some great songs.”
Legacy
Though Bastards failed to chart in the UK at the time, it has endured as one of Motörhead’s finest and heaviest records. Fans often cite it as the true rebirth of the band in the 1990s, paving the way for a second life that would carry them right through to their final album, Bad Magic (2015).
For Phil Campbell, it’s more than just another record in the discography, it’s the one he still points to as the definitive Motörhead experience.
Phil Campbell now tours with his sons under the name Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, and the group is set to bring that Motörhead spirit to Australia this September with dates presented by ThePhoenix.
The tour starts in Perth next week.
Dates are:
16 September – Perth, The Rosemount
17 September – Adelaide, Lion Arts Factory
19 September – Brisbane, Eatons Hill Hotel
20 September – Sydney, Manning Bar
21 September – Melbourne, Northcote Theatre
