The Bastard (album)
# The Bastard (album)

Professional ratings :

| Review scores ||
| - | - |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |

The Bastard is the first album by the American progressive/heavy metal band Hammers of Misfortune, released in 2001.

## Critical reception

AllMusic wrote: "Nothing less than a three-act heavy metal opera with role-playing vocals sung by the band members, the album draws on a whole range of metal influences—from Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden to Mercyful Fate and Opeth—and ties them together with some Celtic folk touches to create a sound that, while it does feel a little '80s nostalgic, is actually pretty original." Loudwire thought that there's not "much of a musical precedent for the group’s fearless brand of blackened prog-metal, made all the more stunning and unique by distinct vocal styles for each character and even folk music ingredients." SF Weekly declared that "Hammers of Misfortune's well-orchestrated melodicism, kaleidoscopic riffs, quirky time signatures, and striking vocals are grandiose and metalriffic—and that's no myth."

## Personnel

### Hammers of Misfortune

* John Cobbett – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, screams
* Chewy Marzolo – drums
* Janis Tanaka – bass guitar, vocals
* Mike Scalzi – electric guitar, vocals

### Production

* Rich Morin – engineer
* Justin Weis – mixing and mastering at Trakworx, South San Francisco, California
* John Cobbett – producer
* Lorraine Rath – illustrations, design, lettering
* Ross Sewage and Jeanie M. – photography

## Additional information

* The band did not record The Bastard in a typical recording studio. The liner notes state: "this album was recorded on an 8-track analog machine in a rehearsal space in San Francisco between July 1999 and February 2000."
