Phil Campbell - Daddy's Table

 

Having spent years battling drink, drugs and enduring trouble with record labels, it isn’t surprising that Phil Campbell has a wealth of material to draw upon when he picks up his acoustic guitar and jots down a few new ideas. He tells his story candidly, sometimes repentantly and always in a compelling manner. Opener Wrecking Ball Nights tells the tale of a man on the edge and Campbell’s brutally honesty lyrics regarding his past addictions run alongside a sinister and lonely acoustic guitar. The haunting Trespassing sees the troubadour exercise a few more demons while A Wild River Runs brings the album to a close with a jaunty tune which allows him to yell to his heart’s content over a few saloon-styled bars of piano. It’s obvious that producer Richard Causon has worked with the likes of Ryan Adams but it would be unfair to simply label Campbell as just a cheap Scottish knock off. Here is a man with his own problems, his own past and his own story. And he tells it exceptionally well.