Lords of Bastard - Off with their Heads / Kingsized Karma

Edinburgh's finest stoner zombie pirate wizards unload their first double a-side single, and it's a suitably fierce affair. The spectre of LoB's metal heroes looms large, but despite their love of the freakish, Off with their Heads is a rather pedestrian romp. Kingsized Karma is equally bludgeoning but bad production robs its bastard-heavy chords of the weight they deserve. It's clear that LoB are overcompensating for a lack of musical invention with their outlandish aesthetic, but when your primary influence is Black Sabbath, it's probably not innovation you're aiming for. [Ted Maul]