On HardRockInfo.com:
In Aardschok (nr 5-2025) by André Verhuysen:
75/100
Is it just me, or has speedrock been a bit in decline since the passing of the inventor of the genre, our very own Lemmy Kilmister? Peter Pan Speedrock may be performing again, but they haven’t released an album in years. American blood brothers Zeke also have a big gap in their output; their last record dates back to 2004. But now we have Belgium to turn to. Fat Bastard is the name. Founded in 2007 in Antwerp. With four members, they continue the path that PPS left behind. Barely Dressed is their third album, following Feel The Pain (2013) and Junk Yard Fest (2018). The musical formula has been the same for eighteen years: rough-cut wood sawing through planks. The splinters fly everywhere. Speedrock by the book. Nothing more, nothing less. And that’s just fine, because Barely Dressed gets going properly right after the only bad song on the record, the misguided ‘heavy metal meets mariachi’ track “Never Told Me Her Name”, where the guitars are tuned way too low. Incomprehensible. Fortunately, things get back on track with the next song, “You Know You Are Gone”, and the album never lets go again. The highlight? “We Are The (Over)killers”, an unmistakable tribute to Motörhead. As it should be.
On Luminous Dash by Filip Verbeeck:
Fat Bastard is a ‘high energy rock band’ from Antwerp. Their style might best be described as a blend of Peter Pan Speedrock and Motörhead with a touch of Carl Perkins’ rockabilly. Barely Dressed is their third release after the album Feel The Pain from 2013 and the EP Yunk Yard Fest from 2018.
The current lineup consists of Jorn Mazet (vocals), Kurt Pals (drums), Geller Van Reeth (bass), and Jan Sommeryns (guitar). The opener “Never Told Me Her Name” sets the tone with fast drums, screeching guitars, and strong vocals. And it’s just a warm-up.
In “You Know You Are Gone,” you can clearly hear the Motörhead influences. It’s a punch in the face, but that’s not so bad. The song was written together with Ira Black (I Am Morbid, Lizzy Borden, Dokken, Bulletboys, Dio Disciples, etc.) who also produced and mastered the record.
The song “Kill My Soul” comes with a powerful music video. It’s a very personal song that aims to draw extra attention to the issue of child abuse. “Come Out And Play” has a glam rock vibe and was apparently written in 15 minutes, impressive!
The whole album is full of good songs, actually, there are 10 gems on it. It’s a 40-minute ride of pounding drums, strong bass lines, and ripping guitars with impressive vocals as the finishing touch. It’s a very varied album and each song has its place, you can hear and feel that it was well thought out.
The band knows how to write strong songs, that’s clear. The sound is good and they are clearly very capable musicians with a strong singer on top. Highly recommended!
On Afternoiz by Alex Klimentopoulos:
From our side, having gotten a taste of the album because the guys sent it to us, we have to say: If you’re a fan of high-energy rawk n roll, with Fat Bastard you’ve struck gold. If you’re fans of Motörhead, you’ll definitely have a great time.
The band knows very well how to blend punk and metal and gives just enough to get you pumped and start nodding your head back and forth as much as you can. With short tracks and killer riffs, it’s the best soundtrack for sipping cold beers as the weather slowly warms up. And surely, if you have bones in your body, Fat Bastard will shake them whether you want it or not.
Favorite moments are the opening track “Never Told Me Her Name,” “Hammer,” and “Tiger Queen.” I must say that I really like the raspy vocals, even though they directly refer to Uncle Lemmy, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. The guitars are at an excellent level for the genre, and the songwriting is at least interesting as they sound like many we know but are ultimately their own pieces.
I would definitely like to see them live, I would have a great time in the pit. Also, I really like the fact that the name is not politically correct, but enough with the correctness, guys. And surely the fact that it’s a band that does everything on its own gives them extra credit, at least for me.
On Stormbringer.at by Stephan Scholz:
Comic cover, chick on it, car on it, skull on it, and the license plate says Cojones. Well, that screams rock ‘n’ roll, and with eggs (boiled or fried, doesn’t matter). This is how FAT BASTARD(s) from Belgium, who have been around since 2005, greet us with a catchy “Come Out And Play”. And it immediately spits around a bit, accompanied by a popping double bass. So it sounds like dozens of beer bottles being opened at the same time. Fits well.
“Going Crazy” then has slight surf influences and somewhat reminds of the strong TURBO AC’S. “Hammer” then hammers quickly but somewhat unspectacularly through the greenery. Properly howling guitars included, before “Kill My Soul” serves the punkier part again. The bass hums loudly, the guitar plays a fine melody, and everything is somehow done right but doesn’t offer the big freak-out effect. And with “Mister Rock” the MOTÖRHEAD sounds finally appear. You almost missed them. And the songs with this influence are very close, without being able to offer the already mentioned effect here either.
After that, they deviate a bit from the line. It remains fast, but brass instruments are added, pushing the whole thing into the Latino/Ska corner. Sounds really good, but something is missing……….(please insert yourself).
Afterwards, “Piece Of Shit” blasts everything down with a somewhat hardcore pissed-off voice, so that the next MOTÖRHEAD homage named “Tiger Queen” has enough space. The chorus is really punky and thus brings another sound color into it. Then it goes round with “We Are The Over Killers”, where it really gets hammered and the popping bass drum is back in play. Fancy some shoving around?
The conclusion is the rather reverent “You Know You Are Gone”.
Certainly, FAT BASTARD has a pleasantly rough note alongside all the somewhat copied signature sounds, but the songs don’t go beyond mediocrity.
On Rancor Metalzine by Martin Hildebrandt:
Belgian Fat Bastard is ready with the album Barely Dressed – and when you see the cover with classic comic book style elements like a scantily clad wrestler girl, a car filled with skulls – and a license plate with the word “Cojones”, well, you have an idea of what you’re about to hear… a good dose of hard rock, where everything isn’t taken too seriously – and that’s exactly what you get.
The album contains 10 fine tracks, and several of them are worth highlighting – for example, the track “Come Out And Play”, delivered with almost biting energy. “Going Crazy” gives us more of a surfer rock sound. “Kill My Soul” has a slightly more punk sound. “Piece Of Shit” almost borders on a hardcore track – but it actually sounds pretty good. The track “Mister Rock” is a tribute to our beloved Lemmy – and can you really pay enough tribute to him? No, so there’s also another tribute to Motörhead with the track “Tiger Queen”.
If you try to highlight a couple of tracks over the others, the choice falls on “Mister Rock” and “Piece Of Shit”, which together very well show what Fat Bastard both can and wants to do.
All in all, the album is a really fine dose of hard rock, which will surely get many plays around, because somewhere, we all like a good dose of hard rock delivered in a fine manner – and that’s exactly what we get here.
On Loud Enough? Magazine:
Belgium’s Fat Bastard unleash first full-length album BARELY DRESSED – 10 tracks of hard, fast and dirty rock and roll, the energy and pace of Motorhead fused with the ugly swagger of punk!
If the original reviews are not in English, we take the liberty to translate to English. We always try to stay as true as possible to the original text.