With the release of their 21st studio album, “Aftershock,” the British metal band Motörhead continues to deliver high quality, head-banging rock.
With many hits under their belts, the band continues to defy father time as they release one of their best albums.
The 67-year-old lead vocalist, bassist and songwriter Lemmy Kilmister brings as much or even more energy to the microphone as he did 38 years ago when the band was formed. Speculation about Kilmister’s health concerns has not slowed him or his band mates who released the 14-song album on Oct. 21.
Motörhead will be remembered for albums such as “Overkill,” ”Bomber,” and particularly the hugely popular “Ace of Spades.”
The accomplishment of “Aftershock” is that it can be put in the same category.
If Kilmister’s place as a rock legend was not set in stone before this album, it is now.
The recording opens with “Heartbreaker,” which is sure to ignite mosh pits, chair throwing, and fist fights when the band goes on tour later this fall. For the genre this would be a typical reaction. The ending lyrics for “Heartbreaker” leave the listener with a sense of impending doom, preceded by intense violence.
“Foul things reach out for blood / Never does a bit of good/ All we find is black despair.”
The song “Going to Mexico” gives a sense of rebellion and adventure into the listener.
For hardcore fans, this is the song to blast while speeding down the highway on a Harley Davidson, or binge drinking in Tijuana and starting trouble.
Motörhead has stuck with a consistent formula for a long time. They have made very few changes to their style over the years. However, “Aftershock” delivers a taste of slower instrumentals and vocals. The songs, “Dust and Glass” and “Lost Woman Blues,”
reveal a side of Motörhead that has been rarely seen or heard.
“Dust and Glass” is the albums true gem. It is the song that makes the album great. It reveals the band’s more solemn side by focusing on the pain surrounding the violence they touch on so frequently.
“Fall in love/ Kill a man/ No one left to cry. Dust and Glass. Your life slides past.”
The passion of the band’s fans is largely ignited by Kilmister’s iconic, deep, intense voice. The voice that has become a symbol of rebellion and destruction is as intense and ominous as ever.
The band has the unique ability to touch on the same subjects over and over again without becoming boring. Gambling, violence, drug use, sex, and everything else synonymous with the name Motörhead is on full display in the new album.
The biggest question mark for fans is how long the band, especially Kilmister, can possibly keep up the ferocious pace they have been on for 38 years. It is not evident in the vocals or the solos that they are anywhere close to done.
They may be immortal after all.
